As a music therapist, I am a strong believer in the ability of music to support development, cognition, and motor skills. I am very proud to be a part of our amazing team at Music Therapy Connections, which includes teachers and music therapists offering opportunities to grow and learn in a fun and engaging environment.
This holiday season, we are offering gift certificates on all of our services here at Music Therapy Connections!
We offer individualized lessons for guitar, voice, piano, and ukulele. These lessons are for children, teens, and adults! We pair our students with a teacher who best complements their personality, interests and schedules. Your lesson experience is truly your own!
For those under the age of five, we offer Listen & Learn for Little Ones developmental music classes. These classes support both the musical and nonmusical development of your very special little ones. We play instruments like shakers and drums, dance, explore social skills, and offer opportunities for bonding with parents, grandparents and other family members!
Now through the first week of January, you can purchase an All-Access Class Pass for your family — including multiple children — for just $165. By registering for the rest of the school year, you’ll save the cost of an entire session (or more, if you have 2 children). With an all-access class pass, your family can attend all 4 remaining sessions AND receive a USB flash drive containing the entire collection of Listen & Learn class music.
Giving a series of classes or lessons is the gift that continues to support and nourish the lives of the people you love! Sending you joy for a very happy holidays!
Here we are: it’s Christmas time. I’m sure I’m not the only one who is equally excited and stressed about the holiday season. I worry about getting ahead on my work before the holiday, my students’ many holiday performances, documentation that is due, scheduling family gatherings, and then there are the gifts!
It is not hard for me to find reasons to feel overwhelmed about the holidays and lose sight of the joy & cheer all around me.
This year I refuse to let stress and circumstantial issues dictate whether or not I will enjoy this season! So, in true holiday form I came up with a self-care advent calendar! These are just a few things we can all do to get into the holiday spirit!
Turn on your favorite music & stretch. Let’s start off nice and easy, shall we? Take a moment at some point in your day to turn on music you enjoy. Then start stretching along with some deep breathing to release any tension you may be carrying.
Gift yourself with some sacred time. I believe that there is something truly powerful in the word “sacred”. It is how I describe the things I value most highly and I treat them with the utmost respect. Even five or ten minutes of sacred time to do whatever you please can be a day changer! Take some time to read, have a glass of coffee or tea and enjoy your space. This time is yours!
Deep breathing. I’m sure you have heard someone suggest that you “take a deep breath!”, especially if you were upset at the time. But deep breathing is extremely effective! Take five deep breaths (moving your abdominals outward when you inhale) from the diaphragm and hold for just a moment before slowly releasing your air in a steady stream. This can slow your heart rate and bring much needed oxygen to your brain for a clear mind!
Offer help. Something as small as holding a door for another, carrying someone’s bags, or showing kindness in general can contribute to our greater sense of purpose! Be generous of your time and efforts today!
Ask for help. I know, this one is a bit more challenging. It can be difficult to ask for help and reach out for support, but in doing this you are inviting people into your life and creating support for yourself in the process.
Try meditation. That is, try it if you haven’t already. I started meditation a few months ago and it has made a dramatic difference in my life. I feel more grounded and focused throughout my day, and if I meditate right before bed time, it helps me sleep better too! There are some amazing apps to get you started. I use Simple Habit as my go-to app.
Write a gratitude journal. A gratitude journal is a list of things you are grateful for today. I encourage you to challenge yourself! I usually aim for one hand written page of gratitude. This practice brings the positive into focus and the negative out of frame. When I find I am stuck in a negative mindset I reach for my gratitude journal to set me back on track.
Spend quality time with someone you love. This is one of my favorites! Feed your soul and spend some time with a friend, family member, or spouse. Give yourself permission to set aside your responsibilities for some quality time.
Go for a walk outside. It may be cold, but fresh air is good for your physical body and your mind. You and I will be spending a lot of time inside over the winter season, so take a moment to smell the fresh air, hear the wind rustling, and enjoy the beautiful world around you.
Treat yourself. It’s the last work day before Christmas for most of us. Instead of focusing on the end of the day. Pick up a coffee, tea, or treat just for you before your day even starts. Everyone else may be watching their clocks, but you can enjoy some holiday spirit all day long.
Sit down with a book and read… for fun. No articles for work, books for a project, or emails are allowed! Pick up something you might enjoy and sit down with a warm cozy blanket. You deserve this time to rest and enjoy the holiday season.
Say thank you. It’s Christmas Eve and you might be spending time with your family. Take a moment to tell someone “thank you”. You have been giving to yourself so generously for the last twelve days, and now you have joy in your heart to give to the people you love. This is why we self-care, so that we can be our best selves every day of every season.
Join me beginning on December 13th to begin our advent calendar through Christmas Eve.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas & a joyful New Year!
I will never forget the first time I watched a patient with Alzheimer’s come to life again.
I was in a music therapy practicum and providing group music therapy services to a group of older adults with varying states of awareness in a residential home. Many of these residents had some form of dementia. One particular resident often enjoyed music therapy by looking downward toward the floor, and when asked, rarely recalled her own name.
That is, until the day we brought in “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”. It was like someone lit a candle within her and the light and warmth swelled up in her. She straightened her back, lifted her head, and look straight at me before taking a deep breath and singing every single word. I was taken aback. I couldn’t bring myself to stop playing, so I kept going back to the beginning again and again to hear her wise voice sing yet another time.
When we finally cadenced, I expected her to sink back into herself and retreat again, but that is not what happened. For a few moments she was present as she told an elaborate story of playing ball with her brothers. She recalled her hometown, her brothers’ names, and the great details of the trouble they got into together. She belly laughed and smiled for a short while before retreating again.
That day, I left knowing that we gave her a great gift.
For a short while she wasn’t another resident, she was herself again.
Music therapy is a great resource for individuals and families suffering with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Music therapists use techniques alongside client-preferred music to encourage vocalizing, verbalizing, eye contact, social interaction, orientation to time and their environment. In addition, specific groups can be organized to help support residents who experience sundowning. Sundowning occurs when residents experience a higher severity of symptoms and confusion later in the day.
In this video, a music therapy student describes a study she conducted on patients’ experience in mid to late stages of Alzheimer’s and dementia, and the effect music therapy had on varying quality of life measurements. Watch the video to see her findings.
Here at Music Therapy Connections, our therapists provide therapeutic support for families and music therapy for individuals suffering with dementia or Alzheimer’s and its effects on their lives.
Our primary objective is to improve every individuals quality of life and provide them with an opportunity to express themselves regardless of their diagnosis or any other barriers.
If you know someone who would benefit from music therapy services you can register them below or email us at info@musictherapyconnections.org.
Approximately 100 million Americans will suffer from chronic pain this year. That is compared to 25.8 million Americans who will suffer from Diabetes, 16.3 million Americans with Coronary Heart Disease, 7.0 million who will incur a stroke, and 11.9 million who will be diagnosed with Cancer (American Academy of Pain Medicine). The incidence of chronic pain is astronomical.
You may be wondering, what is chronic pain?
Chronic pain is any pain that lasts more than 12 weeks. Chronic pain may have an injury or cause associated like herniated or slipped spinal discs, major bodily injuries injuring nerves or nervous system responses, fibromyalgia, or they can have no apparent cause at all.
What are the common effects of chronic pain?
The most common effects of chronic pain include “fatigue, sleep disturbance, decreased appetite, and mood changes… reduced flexibility, strength, and stamina” which occur alongside the chronic pain and often lead to anxiety, depression, isolation, and senses of helplessness (Medline Plus).
This is my story, and how I am overcoming my chronic pain every day.
I was a 22 when I was diagnosed with my first slipped spinal disc. It was a lower back injury and very common. I sought some support from a chiropractor which alleviated much of my pain for the time being. When I was 23 I was diagnosed with my second slipped spinal disc, this time it was an upper back (cervical) injury. The pain was significantly worse and this time I tried medication. The muscle relaxers would help me sleep at night, but I hated the idea that I might need them long term, so I tried Physical Therapy. PT was a great therapeutic tool for me in reducing and managing my pain.
One month after I received my second diagnosis of a slipped spinal disc I saw my physician for my regular appointment.
For all of my life I have struggled with severe gut pain, food aversions, joint pain throughout my body and other minor health issues. In light of my pain, my physician started looking at the bigger picture and found that my body was working against me, instead of with me and she said the words “auto-immune disease”.
How I Got Through My Worst Year of Pain In The Best Way
Understanding what triggered me- some of my pain triggers are weather related, but I noticed that I was often pushing my body too hard and creating injury on top of injury. I learned to give myself permission to step back and say no, not yet or no, not today.
Safe, No Judgement Strength Building-My pain had made me almost entirely sedentary. By the time I had finished work I could barely move and would have shooting pains throughout my legs, back, arms, neck, and stiffness in my hands and feet. I started small. I walked around the block one time, then twice, then I jogged, then I ran. This momentum led to biking, and now I lift weights- yes weights! When I lost muscle tone it was difficult to do anything. Now I have the strength to safely lift and carry my groceries without causing nerve and joint pain.
Openness to treatments-Try diet modification, massages, essential oils, light exercise, chiropractic care, physical therapy, music therapy, try everything! See what works and what makes you feel even the slightest bit better and continue with those things.
Using My Coping Skills-This is where things started to shift. I noticed that after 6 months my pain was decreasing and becoming much more manageable, but there was something that felt looming over my health journey- my mental health. I, like many people, have always struggled with anxiety and managing that can be very difficult. When I feel it becoming overwhelming I use a few simple coping skills. I like to meditate, read, retreat from social environments for a short time, or call someone I trust and love. These things decrease the weight of my stress and help fight loneliness and despair.
Taking Care of Myself-Practice self love! You only have one body, so many days, and so many nights. At one point I had to choose whether I wanted to hate the body I was given and the pain it causes, or whether I was going to love the body I was given and the days and moments it gives me. We aren’t given many choices in life, but this one is yours!
I Gave Myself the Gift of Patience- This was the hardest part. At one point I remember crying as I was talking with my husband on the phone saying “Im doing everything right I just want the pain to be gone and be done with it”. Healing doesn’t happen immediately, or steadily. It doesn’t always move forward, sometimes we backslide. This one was the toughest: though it may decrease, it may never be completely gone from my life. I had to learn the hard way to give myself and my body patience. No expectations. Every minute with no pain is a gift and every day is still a good day, because my pain can’t take that from me.
In January of 2015 my pain was almost unbearable. I could barely make it through a work day without crying. Now I would say 6/7 days are good days with minimal and manageable pain. I feel like I took my life back.
Over time I modified my diet, started taking multivitamins, started walking, then running, then biking, and finally, I got a gym membership. I get massages when I can to reduce the tension I am placing on my body. But most importantly, I started taking care of my mental health. I was able to use some of my favorite music therapy techniques to help myself in my own time of need during this difficult journey and what a difference it made! I specifically use relaxation, meditation, and song analysis techniques to create a sense of peace and comfort where I may not have that otherwise.
As a music therapist I tailor our therapeutic services to each individual’s particular background and ever-changing and varying needs. These are just some techniques shown to help those with chronic pain.
Music Assisted Relaxation- A relaxation technique used to engage and relax the mind.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation-A relaxation technique used to isolate muscles and relax them independently.
Song Analysis- In this technique we break down a given song and discuss some of its inner workings to process it more deeply.
Development of Coping Skills- This is wide reaching and often addressed throughout sessions. Coping skills are essential to processing the world around us without feeling overwhelmed.
Songwriting- Writing ones own song is a detailed act of self-expression. With the support of the therapist clients can write and even record their own songs.
If you or someone you know suffers from chronic pain and may benefit from music therapy services please send them a link to this blog post or register below.
If you’re asking this question, then you’re in the right place! First, let’s chat about the difference between a studio and individual lesson providers.
Individual providers offer lessons, often out of a small location or home studio, to developing musicians studying one or more instruments.
Whereas a studio, like Music Therapy Connections offers lessons from many teachers with different backgrounds, specialties, and instrumental experience. Because we have so many fantastic teachers, we are able to offer ukulele, voice, piano, and guitar lessons ranging from traditional and classical to nontraditional lessons and all along that spectrum.
We love that we can talk with a new student and find his or her right “fit”. We want our students to work with a teacher who best suits their needs, style, and goals. As students grow and develop, they sometimes benefit from a new teacher, either for a fresh start or a new challenge. What is most wonderful is that our students at MTC have options!
We are a team at Music Therapy Connections, and more than anything we hope to instill the love of music into the lives of the people of Springfield and beyond!
Do you know someone who would benefit from an individualized lesson teacher? Register below!
