This week’s assignment was to create two lists of instruments, props, and materials I would buy if I was given $500. The first list consisted of items that I would buy for myself to start my music therapy collection. The second list included items I would purchase to supplement the collection at MTC and Hope.
My Collection
I was in my undergrad during covid which meant that when everything went online, so did our practicums. My first music therapy client as a student ended up being over telehealth. To accommodate this, clients received music therapy kits. The kits included a frame drum, a tambourine, rhythm sticks, egg shakers, a cabasa, jingle bells, and a scarf. Each practicum student had to purchase one too. This was the start of my music therapy collection. I haven’t added much since, besides a chromatic set of boomwhackers.
Researching Instruments
When you think of $500, it seems like a lot of money. At least, to me it does. It’s a shock though when looking at instruments to see that $500 doesn’t go as far as you would think. Not sure where to start, I looked up companies that sell instruments. The instruments that I had to purchase were through West Music, so I started there and then compared to other sellers.
The first thing I saw were drums. I love drums. Drums are fun, but drums are also expensive. I then had to ask myself, how often do I use drums in my sessions and when I do what drums do I predominately use. This became a good guide for me overall. i wrote out a list of the instruments, props, and materials I most commonly use in my sessions and started there. Like I said, $500 is a lot of money, that is, until you realize that a bundle of 24 sets of chiquitas costs $170. So what did I pick?
My List
- 12 pack of 27″ scarves from West Music
- 12 pairs of Basic Beat Chiquita Egg Shakers
- 10 sets of Westco Rhythm Sticks
- 5 6″ Remo Lollipop Drums
- 5 pairs of Animal Castanets from Savita Music
- Basic Beat 8-note Resonator Bells
- 10 pack of Basic Beat Mini Star Tambourines
- 8 pack of Animal Jingle Bells from Lakeshore Learning
- 2 pack of Ocean Drums from Amazon
- Westco 6′ Parachute
- Remo 10″ Tubanito
- Diatonic Boomwhacker set from West Music
- Westco 8″ plastic Rain Stick
My Reasoning
I made my list from what I use often. Across all my sessions and Listen and Learn classes that I teach, I commonly use chiquitas, rhythm sticks, scarves, jingle bells, and lollipop drums, so I found those first. I knew I wanted to have other items on my list so I chose bundles or a number that I felt was reasonable to the price. While I really like drums like djembes and gathering drums, they are expensive. I decided it was better to have an assortment than spend a lot on one drum. For my assortment, I picked instruments that we have at MTC that I like using, such as the resonator bells, rain stick, boomwhackers, and ocean drum. The animal castanets were too cute to pass up. While not a gathering drum, I thought the tubanito could be an affordable substitution. The parachute is a reliable prop which I would love to own. The total of the list was $499.38.
The Second Half Of The Assignment
The second half of the assignment was to find supplemental materials to our collection at MTC and Hope. That was a hard task. When looking at our inventory, both in person and the digital list, it feels like we have everything. We have drums of kinds, all types of shakers, every hand percussion you could think of, and pitched instruments too. There was not much that I could think of that we didn’t already have. I searched the few I could think of and scrolled through numerous websites to come across others.
My List
- Set of 4 American Drum Adaptive Mallets
- Pack of 9 Sensory Floor Tiles from Amazon
- Studio 49 Easycussion Pentatonic Glockenspiel
- 1st Note Mel-O-Dee Balls
- Panda Drum Steel Tongue Drum
- Bear Paw Creek Canopy Scarf
My Reasoning
Looking at the list, it might seem like the items are all over the place; and maybe they are. My first thought when thinking of what we don’t have, was adaptive mallets. I had access to adaptive mallets at WIU and ended up using them a lot with clients. I think this is a good thing to have available for future clients with mobility issues. The second was sensory floor tiles. I had seen them used in a classroom at Hope and thought they were cool. I thought about them again when discussing with Jess, a music therapist at MTC, about a client who repeatedly wanted to stand on top of the gathering drum. The third and last I thought of was an Easycussion. I had access to multiple at WIU. The way it is made makes it easy to set on a table or lap and play. It is also pentatonic which is great.
In my search I came across Mel-O-Dee Balls, tongue drums, and a canopy scarf. I saw the Mel-O-Dee Balls and thought they were interesting. They are played by squeezing them. This could be used to work on grasp, hand strength, and other fine motor skills. They are also color-coded the same as the resonator bells and boomwhackers we have. I have seen multiple clients use a steel tongue drum during sessions at MTC. I think having one that belongs to MTC rather than a client or therapist would be smart so more clients could have access. Lastly was the canopy scarf. We currently have one at MTC. I think it would be beneficial to have more than one.
Takeaway
My main takeaway besides the fact that instruments are expensive, is that I am so lucky that I have access to all the instruments I have at MTC and Hope. So much time and money has gone into me having the ability to use these instruments, props, and materials. I also am now more aware of everything we have in our inventory. I can branch out beyond shakers and rhythm sticks. One day, I hope to be able to grow my collection to be as plentiful.
GraceAnne
