We’re back!
Time to kick off this new year with a recommitment to sharing information and resources that will help all of us expand our knowledge of the music therapy field. We’re starting with 2024’s premier First Friday Recommendations, a post featuring different songs/books/podcasts/etc that I’ve found helpful recently. Any recommendations you’d like to pass along, please feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll check them out.
So let’s get into it!
Song: “This Will Be Our Year” by English rock band The Zombies
This song has been in a hit in my senior sessions this week, used in chair dance routines to encourage seated movement. This song and the band who sing it are not as well-known as some, but my clients all agree they sounded similar to the Beatles. What’s more to love than that?
The chorus sings this encouraging line:
“Now we’re there and we’ve only just begun
This will be our year, took a long time to come.“
I do love the feeling of a fresh start a new year brings.
Literature: “Aligning Kitwood’s Model of Person-Centered Dementia Care with Music Therapy Practice”
Now I know this is a lengthy title, but rest assured it’s a good read for those wanting to learn more about applying aspects of Kitwood’s model for person-centered dementia care into concrete examples of music therapy experiences to use in sessions. (For the non-music therapists reading this, the article also nicely lays out good information on some of the unmet psychological needs adults with dementia often face and how we can address them.) But back to music therapy: As a way to form therapeutic attachment, for example, the authors suggest music dialogue through improvisation with a focus on emotional content. This can be an option for clients who no longer possess the speaking skills to explain how they are feeling, but can hold a drum mallet and express joy, frustration, sadness, etc. by altering their playing. The article is currently unlocked by Perspectives for those wanting to read more.
Music Therapy Perspectives Article
Podcast: “Music for Kiddos” by Stephanie Leavell
This was probably my favorite new podcast discovery of 2023. Stephanie is awesome and I highly recommend her resources for those working with kids and wanting to learn more about musical processes with them. Her podcast episodes are short and sweet, with songs and ideas you can start applying today. I started listening to her when I was looking for more info on a specific diagnosis I wasn’t as familiar with and ideas she had for music therapy with that client. I’ve never looked back. She has episodes for themed songs that follow seasons and holidays, episodes featuring hello and goodbye songs for sessions, episodes for business owners on marketing practices. She really has it all. Can you tell I’m a fan? 🙂
I listen on Spotify, but will include a link here too for the website hosting episodes.