New Tune Tuesday: Hit Slow Motion

We are now on to the fifth song inspired by "Hunter and His Amazing Remote Control". The slow motion song was a little difficult for me to write because moving in slow motion is not something that comes easily to me. I feel I am constantly running a marathon to keep up with all my responsibilities, and sometimes I am several strides behind. For example, on Easter I finally put the last of my Christmas decorations away! That really fell through the cracks the past three months!

Teaching kids how to move in slow motion helps them to be aware of their actions as they are happening, rather than needing to rewind and evaluate them later. This way better decision can be made in the moment. Slowing down also helps to manage emotions. If we are aware of how we are feeling, different strategies can be used to ensure certain emotions do not escalate. In the song I mention taking a deep breathe and counting down from ten.

Right now I am experiencing slow motion in a different sense. I was so hoping to have the new site design up and running today, but certain internet powers are taking longer that expected to redirect. I will keep on this, and may need to make a few phone calls this week to figure out what is going on!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy "Hit Slow Motion". By writing this song and recently coming off vacation I have been able to turn my speed down a notch. Hopefully I will become even more aware of my surroundings, so my house stays cleaner with decorations from the current season.

New Tune Tuesday: "My Name "(Plus a little announcement)

It is great to be back after a two week hiatus while traveling through England and Ireland! We had a fantastic trip, but I am still catching up from all that I missed while away. That is why this week's New Tune Tuesday is coming to you a little later in the day than normal. Hopefully, I will be back in the swing of things by next week!

This week I bring you "My Name", which is a song meant for children to practice spelling their name. In the recording there are two different pauses to practice. Each one should be enough time for most children, but if they are just learning, you may want to press pause to give them enough time. It is always important to set kids up for success, especially when they are learning a new task.

This song is very fitting as I will finally be taking the final steps in this website's design. Since February I have been reworking both Songbird Serenade and my business website, Milestone Music Therapy. I was unable to take all the final steps back in March, but I am hoping to finish up everything this Friday. The name Songbird Serenade is going to be streamlined under Milestone Music Therapy. I will still continue with the ongoing New Tune Tuesday series, but hope to expand even more.

I hope you continue to join me on this ongoing adventure!

New Tune Tuesday: Stop and Go Jig

I have always loved to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, and this year I have even more reason to enjoy the holiday. The day after St. Patrick's Day my husband and I will be off to spend ten days between the Emerald Isle and London! I can't wait to take in the sights, people, and especially the music! But for now I am excited to share the "Stop and Go Jig" with you today!

About a month ago a student asked if I had any trombones I could bring in. I said I only have three flutes, and the entire class has asked me to bring one in since then. I promised I would bring it in around St. Patrick's Day, and alas the "Stop and Go Jig" was born!. I wanted a creative movement song, where I could expose them to the flute. Very rarely have I used it in music therapy sessions, and it is a shame to let those years of lessons go to waste. I can't wait for Thursday to play this for that class. I really think they are going to enjoy it!

The "Stop and Go Jig" is a freeze dance in nature, but with an Irish twist. Not only is it set against the melody of "Connie Walsh's Slide", but the students are encouraged to imitate traditional Irish dancers. The lyrics instruct the students to:

When the music plays
Arms at your sides
And stand up nice and tall
Then jump and kick
'Till the music stops
Erin Go Braugh

 Two versions of the song are available as a FREE download. The first version runs straight through the song with no pauses. Have your remote ready to abruptly stop the the music where you like. The unedited version may also better suit your needs if you have students who take longer to stop their bodies. The second version has built in pauses to practice stopping and going.

So starting this Sunday I will be taking a hiatus from the online world. I have debated about recording two songs to be released during my absence, but have made the tough decision to hold off. I don't want to rush and record something quickly for the mere sake of releasing a song. I want to make sure I put something out there that is of quality. So, look for the next New Tune Tuesday to come your way the first Tuesday of April. Also, keep a lookout for a completely new design of this website. I hope to have that all ready by April as well!

New Tune Tuesday: Be Kind. Rewind.

I am excited to bring you the fourth song inspired by "Hunter and His Amazing Remote Control". If you have missed any so far, check out "Change My Channel", "Press Pause", and "Think Before I Do".

We are now onto the rewind button, a great tool to look back at mistakes in a positive light and learn from them. I love the language this book teaches kids by erasing "should have" statements and replacing them with "Next time I will.". The whole goal is to create more positive thoughts about self, knowing that the mistakes are a tool to learn how to make better decisions in the future. Rather than a measure of self-worth.

 I love this little tune! It it short, but straight to the point. If you have missed any songs out of this series, right now maybe a great time to jump in. There are still four more songs to go! Also, thank you to everyone for such a wonderful response to "Silly Seuss Strut" last week! I hope many of you found the song to be a fun way to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday!

New Tune Tuesday: Silly Seuss Strut

Who among us has not been touched by the wonderful words of Dr. Seuss? His countless books continue to impact the lives of many children today, and a few have even been adapted into successful movies.

Well this Friday, March 2nd narks the 108th birthday of Dr. Seuss. I was inspired by a lovely teacher a couple years ago to incorporate this into my sessions about this time of the year. I have found a few different songs on the internet and adapted them to my students' needs. However, I hare never been satisfied with how the songs incorporate into my sessions. This year I decided to create a movement song called the "Silly Seuss Strut" because movement is something I add to nearly every session. I also thought the kids would enjoy mimicking the silly movements of some of their favorite characters.

I have only come up with the following moves so far:

Horton Hears a Who = Swing arms like an elephant trunk or make an elephant noise
Hop on Pop = Jump up and down
Angry Grinch = Cross arms and make an evil smile
Blue Fish = Flop like a fish

I am sure the kids could help come up with even more!

There are so many fun ways to set a group up for this song. First you could make two lines with the kids facing each other. They could take turns going through the "tunnel" doing one of the different moves. For a smaller group, each kid could be assigned a move and only dance when their move is mentioned. But the simplest of all, have the entire group dance the entire time. During the first part of the song, it can be a silly dance contest. What kid doesn't love a silly dance contest!

I hope you enjoy the Silly Seuss Strut! What moves can you think of?

New Tune Tuesday: Think Before I Do

I am excited to return to  "Hunter and His Amazing Remote Control". About a month ago I started with Change My Channel and then Press Pause. The next button Hunter discovers is fast forward. This is such an important button because it teaches the importance to stop (pause) and then take a moment to think about the future (fast forward). What may happen because of an action? It is such an important and complicated way of thinking to teach kids. That is why I am very excited about this entire book. It takes these important concepts and breaks them down into a fun and understanding manner.

I am taking my time to write music to accompany each of these buttons because I feel they could easily be stand alone songs as well. Sometimes kids may have a few of these concepts mastered and only need help in a certain area. When I have completed all eight songs (five more to go), I am planning to share them with the author. I also want to take the opportunity to thank her for all the inspiration!

Make sure you pause and fast forward before you decide to navigate away from this page without checking out the song below! :)

New Tune Tuesday: Hey Valentine

 

Nothing completes this day full of love, flowers, and candy better than a good little tune! That is why I bring you "Hey Valentine" for this week's New Tune Tuesday! This fun little song has many concepts embedded into it such as aspects of the holiday, taking turns, and following directions. I have even had success using it as a fill in the blank opportunity for students to say "Valentine" or activate a switch with "Valentine" recorded on it. I have also challenged some of my higher functioning kiddos to only play their instrument whenever they hear "Valentine" during the chorus.

Because it is the day of love, I have decided to give away a PDF with the lyrics, chords, and an example session plan in conjunction with the song download. Head here or click download below to get the song and PDF for Free. I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

New Tune Tuesday: Hello It Is Time For Music

You would be hard pressed  not to find a hello song at the beginning of each of my sessions! Hello songs are a staple in many music therapy sessions because they help to establish the mood, orient clients to what is about to happen, and create social interactions.

The hello song I share with you today has been in use for nearly 2 years now. I like it so much, that I am having a hard time replacing it with something new. It is adaptable and can be used easily with both groups and individuals.I will admit the melody is not an original, but rather it is a piggyback of hymn entitled "Alleluia". I have known the song for years, and found the catchy melody to be perfect!

  The recording is an example of how I use the song in the group setting. The social greetings are commonly mixed up and can include give a fist bump, pat the back, give a head nod, etc.

When I use this song at the individual level, the main chorus stays the same. When a child strums the guitar along with me (I give them a monster pic), I replace the words like this:

Hello Michael
Hello Michael
It is good to see you!
Hello Michael
Hello Michael
It is good to see you today!

So there is my current hello song! I am looking to write a new one soon to change up the music, but I know this one will be hard to replace!

New Tune Tuesday: Sharing, Sharing

I love when creativity strikes at a random moment! This week's New Tune Tuesday came to me when I was driving between different schools. When inspiration sturck, I reached for my phone, and recorded the melody before it escaped me. “Sharing, Sharing" has become a staple song for me this school year because it enforces two very important goal areas, socialization and communication. Students learn to wait and anticipate their turn, while also practicing using the phrase “My turn”. With some of my non-verbal classrooms, I have used this song also as a way to encourage any form of indicating they want to play or participate. Common indications have been raising a hand, a vocalization, opening their eyes, or turning their head to look at me.


When I use this song, I bring in a large, special drum the kids have not seen in awhile. The novelty helps build their anticipation and especially helps to encourage the lower functioning students to indicate they are interested in playing. One of my favorite examples of a successful use of this song comes from a classroom of about 7 elementary students with Autism. In the first session, they each took a turn with much prompting. After 2-3 consecutive weeks of being exposed to the song, the students were  almost jumping out of their seats, raising their hands, and calling out "My turn." Usually, I am not a fan of kids waving their hands in my face for a turn, but it was awesome to see them all engaged, and aware of their surroundings.
 

New Tune Tuesday: Stretch Out My Body

This week I am pressing pause on Hunter and his remote control to bring you one of my favorite movement songs I have written. I originally wrote "Stretch Out My Body" when a physical therapist and I were co-treating an individual student last semester. But I just recently rounded out the song and have begun using it with a lot of my groups. 

The students have responded very well and love to come up with different ways to stretch out their bodies. In addition to the ones in the recording we have shrugged our shoulders, twisted in our chairs, lunged to a side, and circled our arms. After each stretch or movement, there is an opportunity for a deep inhale and exhale. I felt this breathe was an important addition for students to replenish their bodies with oxygen between each movement.

At times I have made the last line, "Now I feel loose and relaxed", into a fill in the blank exercise for students to describe how their bodies feel. Even if the kids cannot put into words how they may feel differently afterwards, it is very evident to me. Most of the time they are much calmer and more attentive at the end of the song.

Now take a listen and move along to "Stretch Out My Body".  Make sure to leave a comment below because I would love to hear how your body feels afterwards!

Discovering My Role as a Music Therapy Advocate

"An advocate? Me?"

For the past three years as a professional music therapist I have heard the word advocacy and have been told the importance of it numerous times. I have never considered myself an effective advocate for my profession though because my understanding was it only happened if I wrote, called, or met with my local representatives regularly. Honestly, I have a deep embedded fear of contacting elected officials, and even the “What Is Your Advocacy Style?” quiz confirmed I am a “Behind the Scenes Sleuth”. I see myself as lacking in this area that is so important for the future development of the career I hope to find myself in for many more years to come.
 

In the spring of 2011, I attended a continuing music therapy education course by the Illinois Association of Music Therapy. They brought in Judy Simpson of AMTA and Dena Register of CBMT for a day long workshop that focused on how to be an effective advocate and how to contact elected representatives. I learned a lot, and my confidence level to take the next step towards contacting an elected representative rose. The problem was I still had the fear of accurately representing the profession of music therapy. As a young professional, I see many other seasoned music therapists who can speak and write so eloquently about the essence of music therapy. With far less experience and education, I sometimes see myself as not having all of the right words to say. I constantly try and remind myself that  I am an expert in the this field. I may not be as much of an expert as others, but I know the basics and I have many clinical experiences to describe how music can impact lives.

It wasn’t until earlier this month, while I was preparing for the GRE, that I came across the definition of advocate and could see it as a description of me. My review program defined advocate as “To speak in  favor of; to support; to encourage”. For the first time I saw myself as one who can and has fulfilled the definition. Maybe I haven’t contacted any elected officials, but I am advocating daily by talking about the positive effects of music therapy with teachers and administrators. Also I have encouraged many highschoolers to consider studying music therapy.  Lastly,  since I jumped into the private practice world in May of 2010, I advocate with each referral call that comes in and when I talk to the parents of my clients.

During the past few years I have made the word advocate out to be too elusive. There are so many different ways to advocate for music therapy, and we all do not have to do it in the same way. Just because I am not the one continually contacting my representative (yet), I am still working to advance the field of music therapy with every time I answer “What is music therapy?” and with every musical interaction I have. I am an advocate for music therapy, and I try my best daily to be the best example of what a music therapist should be.

How appropriate is it that January marks the second annual music therapy social media advocacy month, and  that I have launched this blog and come to a realization that advocacy means more than sending a letter to a legislator.Don’t get me wrong, I still believe that it is extremely important for those in power to hear about our profession. This insight into the importance my of the advocacy efforts I do on a daily basis has strengthened my confidence to advocate to a bigger audience. In the next month, I plan to write and make my first contact with an elected representative. You all are holding me accountable!

New Tune Tuesday: "Press Pause"

This week I am bringing you the second original song to accompany "Hunter and His Amazing Remote Control". If you missed last week's post about the book and the song "Change My Channel", you might want to read it first to better understand this week's song.

The Garage Band  screenshot for this week's song

The second lesson plan in the book focuses on the pause button. The pause button is not meant as a tool to only stop your body, but rather it is a transition to doing something else. For example, the next lesson in the book focusses on the fast forward button, but first you need to pause before you can fast forward to think about what the consequences may be.

I am really excited to bring you "Press Pause" today! I love the melody and chord progression that naturally came out during a 15-minute improvisation at the piano. I am also getting more comfortable with the recording process, and feel this is the best finished product thus far. It is fun to listen, and hear my growth each week!I hope you enjoy!



 "Press Pause"by Emily Sevcik, MT-BC
CHORUS
I need to press pause
To stop my body
To slow down, relax, and identify feelings
I need to press pause
To stop my body
To think before I do anything

Sometimes my body goes so fast
My mind just can't keep up
To make a good decision
I just need to stop my body

(CHORUS)

Before I can fast forward
Or I can rewind
I need to get my remote
And press pause to stop my body

(CHORUS)

New Tune Tuesday: “Change My Channel”

Today I bring you the first of at least 8 songs inspired by a book I stumbled upon last month. Lora Copeland, LPC, wrote the book, “Hunter and His Amazing Remote Control”, and it was written to teach children with ADD and ADHD how to gain control over their attention. It has such a creative approach to teaching the terminology and tools needed to become a master over attention that I feel it is a great tool to use with many different children.

To briefly summarize the include, illustrated storybook, one day when Hunter’s little sister changes the channel during his favorite T.V. show, he realizes that when others continually tell him to pay attention, that his channel has changed. He then goes on to assign each button of the remote a function, which helps him to be less impulsive, keep on task, and have a greater sense of self-esteem. I love how concrete it makes the idea of paying attention. You can pick up this great tool here!  I am going to begin using this book soon, and I can’t wait to see how kids respond firsthand.

The first song I wrote is called “Change My Channel”. In last weeks “Singin’ The Blues”  I told you how I struggled determining the time signature for “A Few Magic Words”. Well this week I purposefully play with the meter to give a musical example of “changing channels”. The song starts in 3/4, moves to 4/4, and then finishes back in 3/4.

I have made the song available for a free download. So pick up the book, download the song, and you’re ready to go! Try not to change your channel while listening to this weeks New Tunes Tuesday! Enjoy!

Change My Channel

by Emily Sevcik, MT-BC

Sometime I feel distracted
My attention's on a different thing
I try so hard to stay on task but still sometimes

When I'm in math and I think about recess
I need to change my channel to the teacher
My attention's like I'm watching TV
And the channel's changed on me
When my friend talks and I think about my dog
I need to listen to be a good friend
I need to get my remote and change the channel back to where it needs to be

There's nothing wrong with having so many channels to change between
I need to stay on the same channel as those all around me
It helps me learn, make friends, and get along with others
I can only change the channel when it is my turn

When I'm in math and I think about recess
I need to change my channel to the teacher
My attention's like I'm watching TV
And the channel's changed on me
When my friend talks and I think about my dog
I need to listen to be a good friend
I need to get my remote and change the channel back to where it needs to be

Sometime I feel distracted
My attention's on a different thing
I try so hard to stay on task but it is hard for me

My Singer-Songwriter Idols: Part 1

A few weeks ago I was listening to NPR and heard a music critic say that the art of singing is being lost in the current era of the singer-songwriter. In some regards I agree. There are a few big-name artists out there who are amazing songwriters, but their vocal delivery is lacking in regards to their Billboard standings. I won't name artists because I don't want to make enemies over musical preference, but all I will ask the questions: Why doesn't anyone tell her she sings flat all the time? Can't you just clear your throat before getting in front of a mic?

With that said, I am typically drawn to listen to artists in the sing-songwriter genre. I feel their delivery is more authentic because the words and music came from them. But, I don't just listen to sing-songwriters for that reason alone. I also need a strong vocal performance, diversity of material, and strong backup musicians.

Before I embark on my song writing journey, I thought I should share some of my current song writing idols. I know the songs I posts will not be anywhere close to their caliper of writing, but it is good to have someone to look up to. Also, many of my songs will be for children, so maybe I should add a part 4 to include Laurie Berkner into the mix. I think I will just save her for a later date.

The first artist, who I have loved for several years now, is Jason Mraz. I can't get enough of his music, and I am sometimes forced to take a break from it while my husband is within earshot. (Don't get me wrong! He likes him too, but can only listen to "Beautiful Mess" so many times.) I was able to see Jason Mraz perform last year at Farm Aide in Milwakee, but I was disappointed at his 4 song set. In my opinion he just keeps getting better as the years go, and I am always anticipating his next release. I can't wait for the day I can see a full show of his!

The following video is the song "Anything You Want." I love this song and especially the line:

Music is what God wants us to do

Sing a song for me, and I'll sing a song for you

When we put our voices together

We create the harmony

Enjoy!

2012 Challange

I love music, and I equally love the satisfaction of writing a good song! Yes, the majority of my songs in the past three years have been for the special education students I work with, but a completed song, no matter its purpose,  brings me an immense feeling of accomplishment and pride.

This blog is coming out of a challenge for myself. I am a board certified music therapist, and I use music to elicit a change in individuals daily. I love it, but I don't love how busy and hectic my schedule is. I have little time to sit down and create new music to use with my clients and for myself. At times I feel stuck in the current music I use at work and listen to personally.

That is why I am presenting myself with the goal to blog one new original song a week in 2012. I want to share my music with others, as well as blog about the journey of becoming a more proficient songwriter.  It is not going to be easy, but I will grow each week and reap many rewards. Not only will my students and clients benefit from new, customized music, but also I will fulfill the need to create music for myself.

Join me on this journey of creativity and growth!