Here is our Autumn/Fall music playlist, featuring a blend of genres that encapsulate the essence of the season, avalible on both Youtube & Spotify:
As you listen to these tracks, allow the music to transport you to the heart of Autumn – a time for reflection, gratitude, and connection. Happy listening!
Here are 6 tips that Music therapists and Music teachers can use to help practice self-care during the school year, and all year long:
1. Musical Self-Care:
Engage in your own personal music practice that is for yourself and for your own enjoyment. One suggestion is making a playlist for times when you need to lift your mood using Music or Self-Care – Five Tips from a Music Therapist.
2. Supervision and Support:
Regularly participating in supervision or peer support groups can help discuss cases and/or receive important feedback from others. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it!
3. Boundaries and Balance:
It is so important to set clear boundaries between your work and personal life to maintain a healthy work-life balance and prevent burnout.
4. Mindfulness and Relaxation:
Practicing mindfulness, meditation, and/or relaxation techniques can help to reduce stress and clear one’s mind.
5. Self-reflection and Journaling:
Regularly reflecting on your experiences, emotions, and thoughts can be another outlet for expressing yourself. It can also be another way to gain self-awareness. It is also important to reflect on gratitude. Reflect on the positive aspects of your work that you are grateful for. “Gratitude is a powerful positive emotion and mindset, it is closely intertwined with self-awareness” (Crestani).
6. Continued Learning:
Invest in professional development workshops, courses, and conferences. This is a great way to learn new techniques and approaches to better yourself as a therapist and teacher.
By prioritizing self-care, Music therapists and Music teachers can avoid burnout as well as help maintain physical, emotional and mental health.
Works Cited
Crestani, John. “Gratitude and Personal Reflection: Deepening Self-Awareness through Appreciation.” Lampshade of ILLUMINATION, 13 June 2023, medium.com/lampshade-of-illumination/gratitude-and-personal-reflection-deepening-self-awareness-through-appreciation-4c10430a68a6.
“Getting Started with Mindfulness.” Mindful, 2018, www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/.
Glowiak, Matthew. “What Is Self-Care and Why Is It Important for You?” Southern New Hampshire University, 14 Apr. 2020, www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/health/what-is-self-care.
“Using Music for Self-Care – Five Tips from a Music Therapist.” TEND®, 20 Aug. 2018,
www.tendacademy.ca/using-music-self-care/.
1. Connection, connection, connection!
Make the time and effort to get to know your students within the classroom setting and 1:1 if time permits. This investment will help you build rapport and trust, and help to foster an amazing teacher-student relationship in return.
2. You can’t win them all.
Even with your best efforts, you will not be liked by every student, parent, co-teacher, etc. and for various reasons you may not always be the best match for every student. This is normal and should not be taken personally! All you can do is try your best to work collaboratively from a place of caring and good intentions, even if this isn’t always reciprocated.
3. Set clear expectations.
Students thrive on routine and predictability. A “gentle but firm” approach is what I always aim for so students are clear about what is expected and unexpected in class. Set clear expectations and boundaries right from the start, reinforce when needed, and be consistent with your follow through. This will be your saving grace for the entire school year.
4. Ask for help and support when you need it!
I was able to collaborate and learn from so many different teachers, specialists, and staff with varying degrees of experience. Take advantage of learning from those around you and be open-minded and receptive to feedback. You are not going to do everything perfectly; take accountability and responsibility when you need to. You are not on an island; you do not need to overthink or reinvent the wheel. Do not be afraid to seek out help and support when you feel you may need it. This is a strength, not a weakness.
5. Be proactive!
If issues arise, work to rectify them right away to ensure they do not escalate or snowball into bigger issues. The bigger the issues become, the harder it becomes to resolve them.
6. One class at a time.
Classes typically do not go according to plan! Be prepared with back-up lessons and supplementary work just in case, and also be prepared that some lessons will take longer than expected. Take everything one class at a time.
7. Students behave differently in different settings.
It was truly astounding for me to see how different students can be in 1:1 sessions vs. in a classroom with their peers. There were times that I witnessed complete personality changes within a matter of minutes!
8. Work ahead of schedule.
By prioritizing completing my work a week ahead of when it was due, this helped me immensely balance my position at the school and my obligations to TPSMTS, not to mention obligations in my personal life as well!
9. Proper footwear.
Make the investment in supportive shoes and/or orthotics. Your feet will thank you when you are standing and moving from class to class all day long.
10. HAVE FUN!
Take pleasure and pride in your students’ learning journeys and recognize the impact you are having on their growth and development. It can be hard to see the big picture amidst the craziness that comes with being a teacher; take a step back when needed and enjoy the process 🙂
Left Right Pattern
The Left Right pattern, is an alternating pattern between the left and right hand. It is a very simple and popular pattern you can use for many songs. You can also use this pattern a lot for upbeat songs and nursery rhymes.
Syncopated patterns
Sometimes to make the music aspect of the session different or more interesting, I like to incorporate syncopated patterns. It changes the session up and can also make it more interesting. Sometimes you can also use syncopated patterns to fill up space when playing pop songs as well. This can make the song sound a lot more intermediate than it really does.
Rock Shuffle Pattern
This pattern is a pattern that was introduced to me a few years ago, you can play this pattern in your left hand while playing a simple melody in your right hand, eg: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. This type of style is a new style that can also add variety in your sessions. When playing this pattern there needs to be a groove in your left hand. “The eighth notes are swung or shuffled” (Johnny) It kind of feels like a long-short pattern. Think triplets, and the first note is a quarter note, and the last note is an eighth note (Johnny).
Below is an example of how you can play it in your left hand.
Alternating pattern/Arpeggio Pattern – Left Hand
This pattern is a simple pattern that can be used for slower and calmer songs eg: ballads. This pattern can also be used to fill space throughout the song, or when transition from a verse to a chorus or vice versa. “One interesting fact about the word arpeggio is that it originates from the Italian word “arpeggiare” which means “to play on a harp”.” (Hoffman Academy Team). Harp players play a lot of arpeggio chords when they are strumming on the strings.
Alternating pattern/Arpeggio Pattern – Right Hand + Left Hand
Arpeggio pattern can also be done by both hands. They are also a great way to help build up dexterity in fingers.
The guitar is something that I picked up when my music therapy journey began. The guitar has been referred to as one of the principal and essential instruments in music therapy (Kennedy, 2001, 2003; Lrout, 2003) (Krout). It is also a popular instrument as they are relatively accessible and easy to transport. Here are a few patterns that I have found useful in my sessions.
Syncopated Pattern
This pattern is a pattern that I have found very popular. It can be used across many songs, and also a very simple strumming pattern to pick up on the guitar. This pattern is quite upbeat and can also be used for a lot of fast-paced songs.
Chuck Style
“Chucking” is a common technique with acoustic guitar, where open strums and dead note “chucks” are alternated to create a rhythmic pattern, and it is a primary technique used for playing chords and single notes in creating funk guitar rhythm parts” (Sweetwaters). This strumming pattern is a pattern I found very useful to learn for my therapy sessions as it changes the session musically, and can also make it more interesting.
Here is a video to learn how to chuck on the guitar:
If some of these patterns are confusing, I always like to start simple. 4 quarter notes, then slowly add more variety when you become more familiar with the simple patterns. Simplify everything first. When learning things on the piano I always like to use the LH as a grounding bass to keep rhythm. Of course, there are other patterns on the guitar and piano, but hopefully these patterns will help!
Works Cited:
Harmony, Heart And. “Simple Accompaniment Patterns on Piano | Heart and Harmony Music Therapy.” Heart and Harmony Music Therapy, 3 July 2022, www.heartandharmony.com/simple-accompaniment-patterns-on-piano
“How to Play a Blues Shuffle for Beginner Piano.” Piano with Jonny, 14 Apr. 2021, Pianowithjonny.com/piano-lessons/how-to-play-a-blues-shuffle-for-beginner-piano/.
“How to Play Easy Piano Arpeggios.” Hoffman Academy, 1 Feb. 2024, www.hoffmanacademy.com/blog/how-to-play-easy-piano-arpeggios.
Krout, Robert. (2007). The attraction of the guitar as an instrument of motivation, preference, and choice for use with clients in music therapy: A review of the literature. The Arts in Psychotherapy. 34. 36-52. 10.1016/j.aip.2006.08.005.
Sweetwater. “Chucking – inSync.” inSync, 9 June 2016, www.sweetwater.com/insync/chucking.
This musical timer can be used when wrapping up an activity. The audio and visual cues provide a concrete ending to an activity when it stops.
Check out this 1-minute musical timer:
When building a routine, having consistent and predictable steps helps provide structure. Singing a song along to the specific task helps reinforce the structure and make it fun for children!
Check out this song about brushing teeth:
Just like the musical timer, a transition song signifies the end or change of activity. These songs are short, catchy, and customizable!
For example: What’s next? What’s next? We’re going to (name of next activity). Let’s tidy up so we can (name of next activity).
Check out this video that outlines how to use transition songs at home:
Trying to have your child stay on task? Use music as the motivator!
For example, create a short playlist of your child’s favourite songs. While it plays, your child can work on a task, such as cleaning their room. Once the playlist is over, they can stop cleaning.
Check out this playlist of songs for various daily tasks:
Perseverance is key – don’t forget to celebrate the little wins! Even if something doesn’t work the first time, try again. With time, these daily tasks will become part of a seamless routine!
Nature is arguably the most popular musical composer. There is timbre, harmony, and rhythm to be found in rustling leaves, whispers of the wind, birdsong, cicadas, flowing rivers, babbling brooks, crashing waves, and thunderstorms. Just as elements of music can be found in nature, elements of nature can also be found in music.
Some instruments are designed to be powered from the forces of nature. For example, wind chimes respond to the natural movement of air. On the other hand, some instruments are designed to resemble specific sounds in nature – such as ocean drums and rainsticks.
In essence, music in nature is a universal language that transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries. It invites us to tune into the rhythms of the Earth, fostering a deeper connection with the environment. As we immerse ourselves in nature’s symphony, we discover that the beauty of this music lies not only in its complexity but also in its ability to evoke emotions.
The iso-principle has long been used by music therapists to create and make music to meet clients where they are at emotionally and gradually shift their mood upwards. You too can make use of this technique using your phone, tablet, or laptop to create an iso-principle playlist in a few easy steps!
1. Identify your mood now, and then the mood you would like to be in.
2. Choose one or two songs that go with your mood now and note the genre and the tempo (how fast/slow the song is).
3. Next, choose one to two songs that go with the mood you would like to be in. Again, note the genre and the tempo.
4. Pick songs you feel would fit in between the songs you in steps 2 & 3. Choose around 8-10 songs to take you on a gradual journey towards the mood you want to be in. While sad and angry songs are great and can validate how we feel in the moment, it is important to move beyond them after a few songs and head towards music that reflects the mood we want to be in! Choose music that is increasingly uplifting/hopeful/energetic until you get to the songs that mirror the mood you want to be in.
Sit back and enjoy!
While creating one of these playlists to help yourself doesn’t make you a music therapist, it certainly is a great way to use music to better your everyday life! Having healthy ways to validate and process our emotions is an important part of our mental wellbeing, and it can be reassuring to know that there’s always someone – or a song – that understands how we feel.
Hanser, Suzanne B. “Music Brings An Antidote To Toxicity.” 12 Jan. 2021, https://www.suzannehanser.com/music-strategies-for-wellbeing/2021/1/12/music-brings-an-antidote-to-toxicity-1.
Hoffer, Megan, et al. “How Music Affects Your Mind, Mood and Body.” Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare – Non-Profit Medical Care, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, 2 Dec. 2022, www.tmh.org/healthy-living/blogs/healthy-living/how-music-affects-your-mind-mood-and-body#:~:text=The%20Iso%2Dprinciple%20is%20a,a%20desired%20mood%20or%20emotion.
I hope you had a good summer and a good start back to the school year. After a summer of fun and different routines, it’s always good to get back to the school routine. With it, we welcome our school year activities which include music lessons/sessions (unless you continued taking lessons/sessions through the summer!).
For me, back to school means getting back to “work” after a more leisurely summer – literally and figuratively! I get to start seeing students that took a break from lessons over the summer, and it’s also a good time for me to get organized and have a new start. After the summer, I’m always energized and ready to tackle the new year.
Getting back into routine includes making time for homework and practicing music. I put those together because they are similar. They both need to be done regularly to ensure success. For success at music, we need to be playing our instruments almost daily and playing the songs multiple times. While practicing isn’t always fun, the payoff is worth it!
These first few weeks can be challenging as we adjust to the new routine. Practicing a small amount every day or so is a good way to get going and start a new habit! This can also help keep frustration lower when learning new material.
For some students, it’s been 2 months without a lesson/session (and likely practicing!). It will take time to get back into the swing of things.
If you haven’t had your piano tuned in a while, it might be time to take care of it. It’s harder to play on an untuned piano. It’s distracting and can take away from the music. For beginners, it can be particularly distracting because the notes might not sound the same at home and at the lesson/session.
Your teacher/therapist is here for you! Having short term and long term goals to work towards throughout the year will help with motivation and practicing. Goals can be anything from learning how to play your favourite song, learning how to play a new style of music, completing an RCM exam, or starting very early preparations for our annual “End-of-the-Year Party and Recitals.” We want your lessons/sessions to always be productive, positive, and rewarding.
With the end of the school year upon us and our End-Of-The-Year Party and Recitals around the corner, sharing music with others in a performance setting may feel scary and challenging. While preparing your song well in advance with your music teacher is a big help, it may not be able to calm all of your recital jitters (which is completely normal!).
More people have stage fright than you think, with approximately 73 percent of people reporting some kind of nervousness or fear about presenting or performing in front of people – this could even apply to your music teacher!
Talk to your music teacher, parents, and friends and ask them about their experiences with stage fright, as well as strategies they have used to cope with it. Not only is this a great way to remind yourself that you are not the only one feeling stage fright, you could even find new and different ways to prepare for your recital!
While preparing and practicing your actual song is important, practicing for the performance aspect of the recital is just as important. Take some time when practicing at home or with your music teacher in your lesson to rehearse going up to the piano, sitting, playing through your song, and then going back to your seat.
Studies have shown that analyzing the performance song in the context of the recital can help to minimize nerves and the impact of potential mistakes. Discuss and create strategies to deal with worries you may have such as making a mistake, or having many people watching you perform. Preparing well to set yourself up for success can play a large role in calming recital jitters leading up to the big day.
Identifying and reducing factors that could potentially make you feel more nervous on the day of your recital can help as well. Performing at the beginning or near the end could potentially help, especially if you either want to get your performance out of the way so you can enjoy the recital without feeling nervous, or watch other students perform first to get a feel for the environment and the audience expectations. Talk to your music teacher about the possibility of arranging the order of your performance, or see if you can find out the performance order so you can prepare in advance.
Recitals are a wonderful way to show all that you have learned and worked on over the past year in your lessons, and every performer should be proud and trust in all the hard work and learning they have done to get to this point.
There are many ways you and your music teacher can work together to tackle any feelings of fear and nervousness so you can focus on what is important – having fun and celebrating all the wonderful things you have accomplished this year!
Listening to music and making music are just the beginning! There are emotional, physical, social, and cognitive benefits to music, as well!
There are several emotional benefits to music. One is that it helps lift mood. Music can boost the production of the hormone dopamine which can lead to a lighter mood. Think of a time when a song made you smile or when you were singing along to a song when you were feeling down and your mood brightened.
When learning new musical skills or pieces, it can be something to be proud of and help increase confidence. Also, there’s the sense of achievement in mastering that new piece. Music can also lull us to sleep – there are lullabies and calming music apps just for that purpose.
Next, there are physical benefits to music. Music can lower your blood pressure and stress levels. In fact, doctors are using a patient’s preferred music during procedures to help reduce stress levels. Playing an instrument is also physical, as breathing, coordination, and fine motor skills come into play.
Dancing and moving to a song is also physical. Music can help give us more energy and can lead to us to do more/better when exercising, or workout longer.
There is a social aspect to music as well. Working in a group – big or small – and making music can bring people together. Playing in a group requires co-operation and awareness of the others around us.
Another part of the social aspect of music is enjoying music together in concerts. There’s nothing like that feeling of being at a concert and enjoying the music with hundreds or thousands of other people!
Finally, there are cognitive benefits of music. In children, music can help with language development, in particular learning new vocabulary or concepts. Sometimes people that have trouble with speech will be able to sing (e.g. people who stutter).
Discipline is required to make music. Practicing to master a song requires a lot of patience and discipline.
Music can help with memory. When listening to an old song, we can often remember where we were and what we were doing. It’s powerful!
