A Reminder To Change Up Your Musical Accompaniments

I like supervising practicum college students as a result of it jogs my memory to look at every side of medical apply.

All the pieces – from their musical presentation, to speaking with shoppers, to transitions – is noticed and assessed when college students start main musical experiences.

Not solely am I evaluating my practicum college students’ abilities, it jogs my memory to judge my very own medical abilities.

One factor I’m reminded of, is the significance of adjusting up our musical accompaniments.

At school, we had been taught to accompany ourselves on three social devices – guitar, piano, and autoharp (sure, autoharp).

So once I first began working as a music therapist, I caught with these acquainted devices. Effectively, to be trustworthy, I caught with guitar and keyboard as a result of the autoharp was approach too heavy.

As I’ve labored with older age teams (center and highschool college students), I’ve expanded my accompaniment devices and background music, and I might invite you to do the identical.

Though I positively nonetheless use the guitar and piano to accompany myself, I additionally combine in:

Maraca – Easy, however catchy and rhythmic.

My clarinet – Watch this superior video the place I exploit the clarinet to facilitate a motion expertise with younger kids.

Keyboard with auto accompaniment – Hear how the auto accompaniment provides to this musical expertise in a category with college students who’ve a number of and profound disabilities.

Drum – Watch this video the place I accompany myself on drum whereas singing “I Ain’t Gonna Paint No Extra.”

Hip hop/rap beats – which I clarify about right here and right here. Oh and right here too.

Singing a cappella – It’s easy. However, if my shoppers are used to me at all times having an accompaniment instrument, that is partaking as a result of it’s novel.