Invoking Holiday Memories with Music: St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner which has me thinking about Irish songs.  In some of my music therapy sessions, I like to use my own songbooks. I try to create songbooks that have a specific theme or specific genre of music, such as “Patriotic Songs,” “Love Songs, “Spring Time Songs, or even “St. Patrick’s Day Songs.”  It makes it easier for my older adults to be able to follow along during sing-a-longs and it also helps with awareness, such as orienting them to the season, month, or holiday. For someone who may have dementia, they may forget that it is March, and that we are getting ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. So having a music therapy session based on a theme like a “St. Patrick’s Day Sing-a-long,” is a great way to reinforce times of the year and help orient them to the “here and now.”

Another great reason for having a song book for your group members is because this will then be a visual of what you will be singing in group. Visuals are always helpful for encouraging people to participate as well as help everyone feel connected in the group. Visuals and song lyrics are especially helpful if someone is hard of hearing within the group.

During music therapy sessions, I also really enjoy song discussions after the group sings a familiar tune together. Typically, I will try to encourage group members to reflect on the song and share personal stories or memories associated with that song. This may prompt another group member to share something, which will then increase social interaction among the group members.

I’ve been prepping for some Irish themed music therapy sessions and was able to compile a list of tunes. I’m looking forward to hearing my older adult’s memories/stories of these old Irish tunes!

Here’s a list of Irish songs I’ll be singing with my older adults this St. Patrick’s Day:

1. “Danny Boy”
2. “Harrigan”
3. “I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen”
4. “The Minstrel Boy”
5. “My Bonnie”
6. “Peg O’ My Heart”
7. “Wild Irish Rose”
8. “Molly Malone”
9. “Rose of Tralee”
10. “Sweet Rosie O’Grady”
11. “Irish Lullaby”
12. “When Irish Eyes are Smiling”
13. “I’m looking over a four-leaf clover”
14. “Galway Bay”

 

What are some of your favorite Irish tunes to sing?

-Courtney

Music Therapy Games: Musical Jeopardy for Older Adults

I find that when working with older adults, they love to play games.  Bingo of course is always a hit among residents and so are board games and card games.  In my music therapy sessions, I always try to keep things interesting and fun for the residents that I work with, so I came up with the idea of Musical Jeopardy. The great thing about using musical games in music therapy sessions, is that residents or clients don’t realize they are in a therapy session working on specific goals. They just think they are having a great time and it doesn’t feel like work!

For Musical Jeopardy, I designed a power point template. The template makes it very easy to be able to change the answers/questions for each game I play. Some of the categories I use are, “Name the Artist,” “Name that Tune,” “Patriotic Songs,” “Name that Movie,” and “Name the Instrument.” I also like to switch things up and use recorded music as well as live music. I display the power point slide show on a large projector screen so everyone can clearly see it. Here is an example of the template I created:

For “Name that Movie” I may play the recording of a song and then residents have to guess the Movie. For the category of “Finish the Lyric” I always sing the beginning of a popular lyrical phrase while using guitar or piano and the residents/team has to sing it back. In the category of “Name the Artist” I’ll play a particular song such as “Hound Dog,” and then the residents have to guess the artist, which would be Elvis Presley.  I also find that “Patriotic Songs” is a great category because most older adults know many patriotic songs and some may also be veterans. For one answer I may play a recording of a song such as “Stars and Stripes Forever” and for another I may sing the song live like “God Bless America.”

Musical Jeopardy is played just like the game show Jeopardy on TV. I put everyone into teams and each team takes a turn choosing a category. The residents then have to work together to come up with an answer and this is a great way to work on

social skills and communication skills among residents. I always try to make the game challenging for working on memory recall and cognitive skills, but it is also very important to make sure the game is a successful experience for everyone. As a music  therapist, it is always important to be able to assess each individual’s strengths and weaknesses so that you can modify and adapt the session as needed.

I also always have some sort of prize for every participant, such as candy or dollar store items. In my music therapy groups, everyone wins.

Have you ever used musical games for older adults? What are some music therapy games you like to do in your sessions?!

 

-Courtney

Top 20 Love Songs for Older Adults

It’s that time of the year, Valentine’s Day! My older adults enjoy listening to love songs, musicals, country songs, and various songs of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, but this week they have all been in the mood for love!  I thought it would be interesting to take a survey of their all-time favorite love songs.

I was able to compile a list of the Top 20 Love Songs for Older Adults. Many of these songs I sing on a regular basis in my music therapy sessions since everyone tends to know them and can associate particular memories or feelings with them.  Love songs tend to tap into forgotten memories and bring out a lot of emotions which can be processed and reflected on during music therapy sessions.

Here’s the Top 20 Love Songs for Older Adults:

1. “I’m in the Mood for Love” by Frank Sinatra
2. “L.O.V.E.” by Nat King Cole
3. “Love Letter in the Sand” by Pat Boone
4. “A You’re Adorable” (The Alphabet Song)
5. “Cant Help Falling in Love With You” by Elvis Presley
6. “I love you a bushel and a peck” by Doris Day
7. “Let me Call You Sweetheart”
8. “That’s Amore” by Dean Martin
9. “Tip Toe Through the Tulips”
10. “By the Light of the Silvery Moon” by Doris Day
11. “Moonlight Bay”
12. “Peg O’ My Heart”
13. “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole
14. “My Girl” by The Temptations
15. “As Time Goes By” by Frank Sinatra
16. “Dream A Little Dream of Me” by Ella Fitgerald
17. “Love me Tender” by Elvis Presley
18. “Bicycle Built for Two”
19. “In the Good Old Summertime”
20. “You Are My Sunshine”

I hope this helps anyone looking for some new love songs or some fresh music therapy session ideas!

What are some of your favorite love songs for older adults?

Where words fail, music speaks…

-Courtney

Why I Became A Music Therapist

Since 5th grade I have always been passionate about music.  I first started playing clarinet, and then of course in high school I participated in every band and marching band that I could. I was even able to take a music theory class which opened up an entirely new world of what music was to me.

Being in high school, I naturally started considering possible careers and majors to go to college for. I have always felt that I am a nurturer and I have a passion for helping others. The health care industry always seemed like a good fit for me. I thought about the possibilities of becoming a nurse, or dietitian, or physical therapist. But all it took was just one comment from my band director for me to ultimately decide on what my career was going to be…

Once I heard the words “music therapy” I was fascinated.  I ended up writing an English research paper on the career of music therapy and after researching what music therapy was, I was hooked.

We all know how powerful music is. It can uplift us, it can energize us, and it connects all of us. Many people say that music is the universal language. Everyone may have their own musical preferences, but we all understand music and can relate to it. Music also motivates us, and helps us express ourselves where words may fail. And anyone, no matter their abilities, can participate in music.

What I love about music therapy is that it helps people in so many different ways socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically. Music Therapy focuses on making a successful and non-threatening therapeutic experience for any individual, no matter their ability.

I absolutely love being a music therapist. It’s empowering to see a client achieve something in music therapy that they never knew they could do, or to see music bring a person suffering from Dementia back to life. Being a music therapist has its challenges, I know I will always have to advocate for myself and what music therapy is, but not many people can say they love their job and look forward to going to work every single day.

I’ve started this blog to share and connect with other music therapists, non-music therapist, and possible future music therapists. I hope to inspire others with my experiences, ideas, and conversations about music therapy.

 Music touches the mind, body, and soul.

-Courtney