Music can change a whole community

Hello everyone,

I hope that as you are reading this you are having a blessed day. I am glad to say that I am! Many wonderful things have been happening lately and specially regarding to my work as a music therapist. Today I want to share how in the micro-cosmos of life music can help change a whole community.

I was called to work doing some behavioral management work with a child who defies authority and gets reaaaalllyy bad tantrums in school (throwing chairs to the air, turning tables, hitting other children.) He is 5 y/o and has a severely impaired speech. I started working one on one to help him increase his awareness of emotions and feelings.
Then I started working with him on helping him learn how to calm himself. When discussing with the school personnel what I was working on and what we wanted to achieve came the idea of instead meeting only with my client, I could meet with the entire group to teach them through music therapy some techniques to calm themselves when angry. I decided that I wanted to use the ideas on relaxation techniques portrayed in the book "Conscious Discipline" by Dr. Becky Bailey. Along with this I created several songs that highlighted the behaviors I wanted them to learn but specially directed to the needs of my client.

The children were thrilled. They learned the breathing, the songs, they played, they sung but even more amazing NONE of the children have been in "time out" or have had a tantrum in the classroom including my client!! The teacher has been so thrilled that she asked me to keep meeting the group once a week until the end of the year. Week after week I go there and they report the success of the therapy not only in my client but on the entire "community".

Many times we focus our attention in an individual and not the individual within the people that surrounds him/her. In this case I believe that my client was able to learn a new positive behavior, self-awareness, and self-control through a community learning process. There was now agreement on what was going to be done between all the members of the community (children and teachers). In addition, time out was turned into the "S.T.A.R. Spot" a place for them to calm themselves. However, it hasn't been needed!!

This is why I feel music can change the communities around the world starting with our own homes and neighborhoods. It is my hope that this school can see the benefits of music therapy in this sort of improvised "pilot program." I am wishing that the knowledge this children acquire within their school family will be extrapolated to their own families and so on. Seems to me that music is a good way to start! :-)

Stay blessed!

Cindy~

Stroke camp? What the heck is that?

Hello my friends,

It's been some time since my last post as I have been quite busy ( a good thing!) But I must share with you about my experience as the resident Music Therapy for the Tampa Rest and Refresh Stroke Camp.

First let me describe what is a stroke camp. Basically this initiative give the people who have survived a stroke and their caregivers to experience fun again in a freely, welcoming, and nurturing environment. They are provided with games, crafts, music therapy, karaoke, swimming and more!

People who had suffered strokes have to learn once again all the basic daily things such as walking, talking, eating, and they must learn how to perform other chores in modified ways since in most cases there is a weakness of one of the sides or the body if not paralysis.

Personally, this was my first stroke camp and first time working with a group of stroke survivors. I was excited and  nervous at the same time! I had in my duty list to sing songs I was not very familiar with, drumming circles, and much more! But I was there and what I saw... there is no words to describe but I will try!

At the beginning of the camp most "campers" were a little shy and after so many people telling them what they can not do they were amidst the world of what they could do. So we had a drumming welcoming circle time. And I had a blast. Little by little people started to bang those drums and smiled as able. I think by this time they thought: who is this crazy girl that gives cues jumping and running around the circle??!! hehe, well, that was ME!.

There was a particular man that I will call Mr. Lucas (fake name!) Mr. Lucas barely could talk (only yes from time to time). But he, OMG he took ahold of a tubano drum which he banged with a mallet and played like there was no end. Smiling, even doing tubano solos! Mr. Lucas also sung a whole song in a group karaoke! There was another man who have learned how to talk and walk THREE times after three different strokes and there he was dancing "Twist." For a whole weekend these survivors and their caregivers were listened to, treated with dignity, and respect. My heart grew for ALL of them. I also felt so blessed that in my immediate family I do not have a stroke survivor. Even more blessed because during that same weekend my grandmother said that the doctor told her she had osteoarthritis but nothing else!

A stroke can happen to ANYONE, ANYWHERE no matter the age, the color of your skin, race, or social status. Our youngest survivor had a stroke at age 6. I hope that if you are reading this you get a little more information on strokes (there are so many types) and how to live a healthy life to decrease the risk. Also, I hope that as me, you learn to see people with canes who can't talk fast (because aphasia or apraxia) with compassion and comprehension. To remember that there is someone inside that body that has lots and lots to share.

For more information go to the following websites:

For Stroke Camp:  www.strokecamp.org
For the National Stroke Association:  www.stroke.org
For the American Stroke Association: www.strokeassociation.org

Stay Blessed~

Cindy~

Please feel free to comment on your thoughts regarding this article! thank you!