Team

 by TPSMTS Team

Back To School: 5 Tips For An Easier Transition

Written by Gabriella Serruya

Welcome back!

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.

Here are some tips for making the transition a bit easier:

Make time for practicing

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!

 

Practice a small amount each day

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.

 

Give it time

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.

 

Make sure your piano is properly tuned

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.

 

Speak to your teacher/therapist about your goals for the upcoming school year

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 these tips in mind, I wish everyone a smooth transition this month!

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 by TPSMTS Team

The Benefits of Music

Written by Gabriella Serruya

 

Music benefits us in so many ways.

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!

 

Music can lull us to sleep or give us more energy for that workout and everything in between.  So enjoy music, but know that it’s doing so much more for you than you realize!

 

 

RESOURCES

 

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 by TPSMTS Team

Neurodiversity Within Teaching and Therapeutic Settings

 Meeting the needs of neurodiverse learners in music education and music therapy 

Written by Yu Kwei Chan

Last November, I had the opportunity to attend the annual symposium run by the Geneva Centre for Autism.

 

During the 3 day conference, one of the presentations, led by educator Laura Dymond, discussed adaptations of learning to honour classroom diversity. In her presentation, she emphasizes that the suggested strategies discussed below were best practice for all learners as every child is unique. These concepts not only apply in a traditional classroom, but to all of us as music educators and music therapists.

 

As you begin working with a new student/client, conference with the student/client and their parents or caregivers. TPSMTS does this with every new family during their consultation ahead of the start of lessons/sessions. Define what’s challenging for your new student/client, what works best when teaching them, and what they enjoy. From there, you can plan all subsequent lessons/sessions based on these learned items.

 

It is important to always remember:

  • Continuously building rapport is important.
  • Neurodiverse students/clients can try to hide things to pass off as “normal.” This is called masking.
  • There is no “one size fits all” type of lesson/session.
  • Neurodiverse students/clients may have a smaller working memory as they are processing so many other elements during the lesson/session.
  • Keep your responses consistent. For example, if the student/client should not be throwing instruments, do not allow it the first few times and change your mind. Enforce the rule again and follow through.
  • Being physically safe within the environment does not mean the student/client feels safe to be themselves, participate, and share. Allow time and space for them to feel comfortable to do so.

 

Some strategies that Kara suggested include:

  • Give clear, concise information to ensure comprehension.
  • Clear clutter from around the room.
  • Chunking: teaching components in small steps.
  • Provide visuals to aid comprehension.
  • Input choice.
  • Provide learning tools to meet a variety of needs.
  • Provide a safe environment.
  • Teach self regulation and collaborative problem solving strategies (learn more about motivation and growth mindset here).

 

Works Cited:

Dymond, L. (2022, November 4). Learning through an Autism Lens: Easy Adaptations to Honour Classroom Neurodiversity [Conference presentation]. https://symposium.autism.net/en/#

Autism Masking: To Blend or Not to Blend — https://www.healthline.com/health/autism/autism-masking

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 by TPSMTS Team

Music and Synesthesia

Written by Jane Hong

Did you ever wonder what it’s like to “see” music or to “hear” colours? This sensory condition is known as synesthesia.

While there are many types of synesthesia, the phenomenon is generally described as when a sensory experience in one modality (e.g., hearing music) causes a sensory experience in another modality (e.g., seeing colours). For example, Chromesthesia is the ability to see sounds as colours.

 

A number of well-known composers like Alexander Scriabin and Franz Liszt are said to have had Chromesthesia.

 

Scriabin associated musical notes and keys with different colours: for example, D would be represented as bright yellow, A looked like dark green and D-flat was seen as a dark purple. He also created a “keyboard with lights” (Clavier à lumières) – an instrument that displayed colours that corresponded to different notes in his pieces.

 

Another composer, Liszt has been quoted giving directions to musicians such as, “A little bluer, if you please! This tone type requires it!”

 

More recent musicians, such as Beyoncé, Pharrell Williams, and Billie Eilish have also claimed to have the condition.

 

Music is not the only thing that can trigger chromesthetic experiences. Sounds found in our daily life, such as birdsong, waterfalls, cars, and even voices of the people nearby may elicit a psychovisual response.

 

Chromesthesia is not limited to colours. Some people with chromesthesia ascribe shapes to the sounds they hear – such as circular figures or wavy lines. The range of chromesthetic experience may differ depending on qualities in the music or sound itself (pitch, key, timbre, melody, dynamics etc.). Some have described that they perceive shapes and colours in a mental screen around their body, while others have reported that the shapes and colours appear in their minds. Purportedly, the experiential attributes of chromesthesia can differ between individuals.

 

The following musical works have been written by musicians with synesthesia. We can explore within, how music and visual art can intertwine:

A. Scriabin – Prometheus (The Poem of Fire)

M. Torke – Bright Blue Music

Billie Eilish – Ocean Eyes

 

Sources

  • https://synesthesia.com/blog/sound-synesthesia/
  • Cytowic RE (2018). Synesthesia. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-53509-0.
  • Cytowic RE, Eagleman DM (2009). Wednesday is Indigo Blue: Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia (with an afterword by Dmitri Nabokov). Cambridge: MIT Press. p. 309. ISBN 978-0-262-01279-9.
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 by TPSMTS Team

Happy Holidays Playlist

Celebrate the holidays with music!

We all need a little holiday music, don’t you agree? Please enjoy our holiday playlists (almost 2 hours long!!), available on both YouTube & Spotify.

YOUTUBE

 

SPOTIFY

 

NIFTY GIFTY CERTIFICATES

Our nifty gifty certificates are also still available, if you are in need of a last-minute holiday gift for a loved one. You can also support our small business while also supporting a family in need. Purchase a gift certificate here.

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 by TPSMTS Team

Music Therapists Need Music Therapy, Too: A Reflection

How music helped soothe an exhausted and stressed music therapist.

Music Therapists Need Music Therapy Too: A Reflection
Written by Tamara Leszner-Rovet

 

Speaking from my experience, I have been laser focused over the past 2.5 years in supporting my students/clients (both that I work with directly and indirectly), their families, our team, and my own family through all the ebbs and flows of this pandemic.

 

I have been running on fumes. I have been in a constant state of exhaustion which has shown up in my physical and mental health. I have been feeling so “done,” burned out, and my motivation to practice self-care has gone by the wayside.

 

I have found that finally going back to “normal,” while it is absolutely wonderful in itself, has been even more exhausting (in some ways, more than the pandemic itself!). This has shown, yet again, how deeply this pandemic has affected everyone in various ways. It has been just joyful to see normalcy and people finally living again. Still, it has been extremely hard to readjust.

 

I had the privilege of listening to one of my long-time students as they prepared for our “End-of-the-Year Party and Recitals” a month ago. They will be off to university in the fall, and this was one of our last lessons together. After working with this student since they were a young child, this almost felt surreal.

 

As they did a practice performance run on this particular day, playing two pieces by two of my favourite composers, watching the sun hit the trees just right through their bay window, I felt my body relax for the first time in a long time. I was able to sit back, enjoy their music, and realize just how truly exhausted I have been.

 

As a music therapist and music teacher, often at the end of a long clinical day we want to do anything but listen to music after singing, performing, and listening to other people’s musical preferences all day long.

 

On this day, the student became the teacher. This amazing student gave back after all the years we have spent fostering a love of playing the piano, of music in general, and cultivating a passion that I know will continue far beyond our lessons together. I do not believe in that moment this student realized how much I needed what they gave me.

 

For a few minutes, all the stress I had been feeling just melted away. For a few minutes, the world was still and I felt a sense of calmness I had not experienced in a long while. For a few minutes, I experienced joy and a sense of hope.

 

And as I drove home with tears streaming down my face so grateful for this experience, I realized that every minute of hard work and laser focus has been worth it.

 

Those few minutes renewed my passion for the work I do and what the future holds. Now more than ever, music therapists need music therapy too.

 

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 by TPSMTS Team

Should I learn more than one musical instrument?

Why learning multiple musical instruments can be beneficial and fun

Written by Jane Hong

 

There have been many studies to demonstrate the benefits of how learning music affects the brain. Learning a musical instrument can lead to greater levels of patience and discipline, increased confidence, improved motor skills, and the list goes on.

This creates the question: Should you learn more than one instrument? Some think that learning two instruments at once would be confusing or too much to handle.

Read More›
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 by TPSMTS Team

When should my child start piano lessons?

Five ways to determine if your child is ready

Written by Gabriella Serruya

 

A question we get asked often from prospective families is how old a child should be to start piano lessons. There are different schools of thought on the right age to start piano lessons. Some methods start with children at quite a young age (3), while others think that waiting until a child is 10+ years old to start with formal lessons.

 

I think that somewhere in the middle is the right time (around 4-8 years of age), but this will all depend on the individual child.

 

Here are 5 ways to help determine readiness for piano lessons:

  1. A child should be able to sit during their lesson for 30 minutes (at least) in duration. The lesson is usually broken down into small segments with frequent movement breaks and other “off the bench” musical activities for younger students, but being able to concentrate for 5-10 minutes at a time is important.


  2. Being able to read is helpful. It’s not a deal breaker, but it makes learning this new language called music easier since English and music share an alphabet. It also makes things easier for independent practicing. They can read the practice notes their teacher gives them and know which songs to practice and how to practice them. Parents are always welcome to help out with practicing but it can make things easier if the child can do it on their own, especially if they are older.


  3. Children need to be able to practice at home at least 4-5 days per week (which can be a challenge!). This takes a lot of work on both the child’s and the parent’s part. How does your child do with homework completion? If it’s a struggle, then it might not be the right time to add something else to their schedule that is similar to homework. If the child has a love of music or has expressed interest in playing the piano, practicing will likely be easier to accomplish.


  4. Being able to differentiate between the left hand and right hand is very helpful! However, even under pressure even adults make mistakes on which hand is which! We do a lot of work one hand at a time at the beginning to make things easier.


  5. Having a piano or electronic keyboard at home is extremely important when you start lessons. If you have one at home and your child is playing it without prompting, they may be ready for lessons. Trying to pick out a song by ear is a good sign, but even singing a song and playing random notes is good. This shows their interest and possible readiness to start lessons.

 

Although 4-8 years old might be the “right” time to start piano lessons, it’s definitely not a hard and fast rule. I’ve had students start as early as 3 and as late as 78, so it’s never too late! Just remember that while they are getting all the benefits of a music education, the goal at all times should be fun and enjoyment.
 

Resources:

What Is the Best Age to Begin Piano Lessons? (by the Hoffman Academy)

Should Adults (and Teens) Take Music Lessons? (from the TPSMTS blog)

 

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 by TPSMTS Team

ABA Interventions Within Music Therapy and Adapted Music Lessons

How Applied Behaviour Analysis and Music Therapy/Lessons can work together

Written by Yu Kwei Chan

 

Students/clients often come to us with an Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) learning background, whether this be in a clinic or home setting, for respite, or within the school system. Though often associated with the learning for those with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), the interventions within this approach can be adapted for students/clients of all ages and abilities, and can help achieve therapeutic and educational goals within music therapy sessions and adapted music lessons.

 

In adapting these familiar interventions, we strive to create an environment that mimics learning in different environments and provides a routine familiarity in a new setting.

Below are some ways in which ABA interventions can be incorporated into music therapy sessions and adapted music lessons:

 

STRUCTURE:

Similar to ABA therapy, having a routine sequence of events, along with the use of visual supports and choices, allow our students/clients to know what to expect in their lessons/sessions. By having a clear beginning, middle and end by using “Hello” and “Goodbye” songs, students/clients will understand when their lesson/session time has started and ended.

 

A visual (picture or written) schedule to determine what will be accomplished within a lesson/session allows our teachers/therapists and students/clients to have a frame of reference, and allows choices within interventions by the student/client to facilitate autonomy within lessons/sessions.

 

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT AND TOKEN ECONOMY:

As with all learning, the use of positive reinforcement can encourage and promote the learning of new and mastered skills. Within music therapy sessions and adapted music lessons, music itself can often be used as the reward of a desired behaviour.

 

By “pairing target verbal behaviour” [e.g., mand or tact for a song or instrument] with musical experiences establishes effective automatic reinforcement, it can increase the frequency of communicative behaviours and social interactions” (Lim, 2010).

 

A token economy can also be implemented in lessons/sessions so that the student/client is motivated to work for the reward that follows “x” amount of targeted behaviours (e.g., following directions, playing through a song without stopping etc.). The reward for the token economy can be either musical and non-musical, but will motivate the student/client to achieve their desired reward.

 

VOCABULARY:

Having clear and concise wording is very effective in a student/client’s learning.

 

When considering word choices to ask a student/client to demonstrate a desired skill, phrases such as: “first ______, then ______”,” “show me ______,” or “copy me” work well. These short phrases allow for quick understanding of what the teacher/therapist expects from the student/client, and is familiar wording for a student/client with ABA experience.

 

DATA COLLECTION:

To determine that a student/client has mastered a skill or therapeutic goal (e.g., knowledge of notes, following directions, etc.) data is collected.

 

For example, probe data (tracking succession on first attempts) is often used across multiple sessions. Teaching would still occur after data collection, especially if there are any adjustments that need to be made.

 

By making clear criteria in which a student/client must be able to demonstrate a particular skill on a first attempt multiple times, we can track the data to ensure that the student/client is developing and acquiring the skills learned within music therapy sessions and adapted music lessons. These mastered skills, as with ABA, would be revisited to ensure skill acquisition in this setting. Within all lessons/sessions, continual goals are set; at all times, progress notes are used to document and track the progress of our students/clients.

 

The above interventions within music therapy sessions and adapted music lessons are used in hopes to recreate structure and familiarity across multiple settings. It allows the demonstration of skill and supports understanding of what skills need to be worked on and what has already been learned.

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 by TPSMTS Team

Back to Basics

Written by Tamara Leszner-Rovet

Ten self care questions to ask yourself

I’m not going to lie – these past few months have been tough. Some days have been really, really challenging.

I am beyond grateful that music therapists in Ontario have been deemed as essential healthcare workers by both our regulating college and the provincial government, which means that all lessons/sessions were able to continue throughout this school year as regularly scheduled. It really helped that I was able to see the majority of my students/clients in-person, which provided a sense of routine and normalcy in all our lives.

 

As restrictions begin to ease again, vaccinations are being rolled out at record speed, and case counts continue to drop rapidly, we are now starting to (finally!) see and feel a sense of normalcy.

 

If there is anything this pandemic has taught me, it is to not take our health for granted, and to really slow down and essentially get “back to basics” in all aspects of our lives.

 

Self-care has definitely been one aspect of my life that has fallen by the wayside in recent months, especially with feeling like we have been in “survival mode” since last March!

 

In order to practice what I preach and to hold myself accountable, I am sharing my daily “back to basics” self-care list. Hopefully this can be a good reference for you as well to use and adapt if necessary – there are many similar lists available if you do a quick Google search.

I find that referencing this list daily helps immensely with keeping myself in check and really being able to tune in (no pun intended!) to what I may need in a particular moment:

  1. Have I taken a shower?
  2. Have I kept myself hydrated?
  3. Have I eaten regular meals and snacks?
  4. Have I gotten adequate sleep/rest?
  5. Have I moved my body?
  6. Have I taken my necessary medication and supplements, kept up with my routine blood tests, and/or checked in with my specialists if needed? As I have an autoimmune condition, this is extremely important.
  7. Have I done something kind for myself? For me, this continues to be a work in progress.
  8. Have I done something kind for someone else?
  9. Have I connected or checked in with my “people?” For me, this is my immediate family, extended family, colleagues, friends, and therapist. It is so nice that we can now begin to see people in-person rather than through a screen!
  10. Have I made time for play or fun? For me, this continues to be a work in progress.

 

Of course, it’s not always possible to get through the entire list in one day. It is important to remember that there is no need to be perfect, and that some days will be better than others. Some days, just being able to put one foot in front of the other is an accomplishment in itself!

 

What is most important is that every day, we all strive to do our best with the resources we have, and are mindful of when we may need to “fill our tanks.”

 

I wish everyone a restful, healthy, and safe summer!

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