Final month, I began a collection on profitable Artistic Arts Remedy Collaborations.

You may try Half 1 of the collection right here, the place I shared methods to include dance and artwork experiences into your music remedy classes (for instance, by pretending to surf to songs by The Seashore Boys and doing chalk drawings of outer house to The Planets Suite by Holst).

Immediately, I’m going to share some themes and experiences from an 8-week Therapeutic Arts Program I facilitated for a highschool autistic assist classroom right here in Pennsylvania.

I’ll begin by saying I’ve by no means been part of an expertise like this earlier than. It’s one that really stretched me creatively (and after 16 years of being a music therapist, I like issues that maintain me on my toes clinically!)

I had the chance to collaborate and co-treat with painters, fiber artists, yoga instructors, theatre instructors, and artistic writers.

Previous to session planning, I met with the autistic assist trainer, and he or she gave me a number of themes and ideas that she and her college students had been engaged on within the classroom.

From that record, I got here up with a theme for every week’s hour and a half lengthy session and collaborated with the trainer for that week to give you our arts experiences.

Listed below are the themes and humanities experiences we got here up with for the primary 4 weeks of this system:

Week 1 – Social expertise
Theme – Making new associates, protecting our friendships, and the way to be a superb good friend to others
Visitor Arts Teacher – Painter
Arts Experiences:

• Group Spherical – Every pupil selected an instrument from the bag, performed how they felt that morning, and the opposite college students within the group tried to guess the sensation.
• Motion to the instrumental monitor of “Good Day” by Nappy Roots. Every pupil got here up with their very own motion to show others.
• Songwriting – “The Friendship Rap,” about methods to make and maintain associates
• Instrument name and response to tracks from the African Playground album. College students took turns being the chief. After, we mentioned what we would have liked to do to be able to efficiently lead the group. We then associated that to on a regular basis life.
• Rotating Artwork – We performed music chosen by the scholars. Every pupil then stood in entrance of a canvas on the desk in entrance of them. They painted for a number of minutes, after which everybody rotated to the canvas to the appropriate. The scholars then painted on that canvas and continued rotating till that they had painted on every canvas.

Week 2 – Feelings
Theme – Recognizing feelings in ourselves and in others, and discussing why that is vital.
Visitor Arts Teacher – Musician
Arts Experiences:

• Group Spherical – Every pupil selected a music from a listing I supplied that greatest described how they’re feeling that morning.
• Group Motion to music
• Devices & Feelings – Every pupil selected an emotion from the drum and performed it on the instrument of their alternative. Others then tried to guess the emotion and the group mentioned occasions they’ve felt that manner.
• Singing the unique music “Let’s Keep within the Inexperienced Zone” with fill within the clean lyrics about methods they’ll keep within the inexperienced zone.
• Figuring out Feelings in Music – College students used a wide range of artwork supplies (coloured pencils, pastels) to attract to Beethoven’s Pastorale. Afterwards, we mentioned what was being depicted within the music and what it appears like to attract like this. Then, college students in contrast the Hallelujah Refrain to Adagio for Strings. We mentioned the musical qualities that make a music “sound” completely happy or unhappy, and mentioned how music can induce a temper.
• Lyric Evaluation & Music Dialogue to “Empathy Music” by Brett Dennen
• Drum Circle

Week 3 & 4 – Creativity
Theme – Exploring wholesome artistic shops
Visitor Arts Teacher – Fiber Artist
Arts Experiences:

• Motion to “AOK” by Tai Verdes and dialogue of the constructive influence motion and music have on our physique and mind.
• Soundtrack of Your Life – College students created a soundtrack of their life with songs which were significant to them. Afterwards, college students who felt snug shared their soundtrack.
• Weaving Loom Challenge:

I additionally began and ended every session with a examine in survey (on paper) to see how the scholars had been feeling going into the session and the way they felt after the session was full (to see if any enchancment in temper or lower in emotions of stress had taken place).

I additionally requested their musical preferences, favourite experiences we had executed that day, and what they want to do in future classes.

Whew that was lots of data! Keep tuned for the subsequent weblog put up, the place I share the themes and humanities experiences for the second half of the Therapeutic Arts Program.

And, when you’re searching for methods to infuse extra CREATIVITY in your classes, I’d encourage you to enroll in a 6-month subscription of Elevate.

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