Burn out refers to overuse or stress. Face it, there are some songs that get over used in senior living. (If I had to place a guess, one is “You Are My Sunshine”.) There is nothing wrong with singing participants’ favorite songs just like there is nothing wrong with serving a favorite food. HOWEVER, too […]
“Will you please rise and sing…” is a phrase I remember hearing at sporting events and at church. Though standing and singing don’t need to happen together, they seem to be culturally tied. We rise to sing our national anthem. We rise to sing hymns at church. When working in senior living communities, rising can […]
A growing mindset is helpful when working in senior living communities. We see it in ourselves as providers, in the senior care industry, in the research around aging and in those for whom we care. Believing we as individuals can build our abilities and knowledge through dedication and hard work is there. Over the years, […]
At various times, reflecting on life in our sessions is an important experience to provide. The reasons may range from celebrating life (someones’ birthday, the birthday of a new child into a family), to a life milestone (retirement, an anniversary) or the end of a life. Or maybe it is the change of seasons that […]
Do you find yourself drawn to drumming when you lead a “heart” focused session? Whether focusing on heart health, topics of the heart, or love drumming seems a fit. Here are a few lesser used songs to consider including in your heart rhythms sessions. Songs with a Heartbeat While there are many songs that work […]
Jump into planning your future sessions. From short cuts for preparing to hacks to speed you on your way, many resources are here to support you in planning older adult (and intergenerational) sessions. Session planning has a rhythm: plan, prepare, provide, appraise. That flow keeps going. Research shows ways we can better serve our clients. We […]
While like many of the posts found on this blog site, you’ll find a few songs. Unlike many of the posts, this is more a challenge for you to reflect on the heart of your work. We as music therapist, performers and music specialists have at the heart of our work music. It is our […]
Add a little warmth to your sessions. Warmth is… Clothing, drinks, food, shelter. It is the way we keep ourselves warm. The way a space is designed. Decorators refer to some colors as warm. Other times it comes from a variety of textures especially the inclusion if soft textiles which we can touch or (literally wrap) […]
Fire-up your sessions. Adding enthusiasm and energy comes in many ways. This posts explores injecting fun with an old fire song “Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow”. Whether the lyrics tell the true cause of the October 8-10, 1871 Chicago fire matters not. This popular song has been sung for many years. Use it as part of a […]
As we approach the end of the year, there is a tendency to reflect on the past and to set goals for the future. For many that is on a personal level. Ooh, I met this goal but gee I’m way off on this one. What the heck did I mean when I wrote this […]