Taking a balanced approach to therapy includes music therapy according to Dr. Joni Redlich.  In her article outlining successful therapeutic strategies for autistic children she refers to the writings of IPML founder Marlene Cooper-Williams.

OUR Journey Thru Autism: Facilitating Progress: Finding the “Right” Therapeutic Mix.

OUR Journey Thru Autism: Music – The Nonverbal Form of Communication for Children with Autism.

Marlene shares her insight regarding how music therapy is actually used.  Find out how music can unlock new levels of functionality in areas like eye-hand coordination, speech and comprehension. 

Bob Desena plays his xylophone with his Latin jazz band.

Since my monthly contributions are usually based on information regarding the benefits of music, the power of music, the process and benefits of music therapy, etc. and since the summer and, hopefully, playful months are now upon us, I decided to take a little journey into the world of creative and almost imaginary music.  To help me in that area, I would like to share a most interesting website with all of you: Odd Music.  I have had so much fun discovering all of the unique and creative musical instruments that have been invented and I bet all of you will agree.

Use Your Imagination

Just imagine gathering your family and friends together, opening this website and listening to each and every instrument. Maybe you can ask your gathered group to close their eyes, listen closely and picture what they see in their mind’s eye. There are truly some strange sounds, but there are also those instruments which are almost “normal.” I find this type of interaction to be quite successful for children dealing with a range of challenges such as ASD and ADHD.  This is a time to encourage communication without requiring an act of active participation such as playing an instrument.

Of course, when listening to mainstream instruments, we can enjoy many of the same moods, feelings and thoughts, but when listening to these unique sounds – well, all I can say is “WOW!”

Guided ImageryAnother exercise that can be done is guided imagery.  One person can begin by reading the short description of an instrument, where it’s located and who invented it. As an example, there’s a sea harp that’s located in the ocean. I can see the kids imagining all the sea creatures that make different sounds that try to communicate with us. What are they really telling us?  Let the children fantasize, let them explore and let them think about inventing their own instruments.  This is truly an exercise that can help our children affected in most of our challenged populations.

Since guided imagery helps to soothe anxiety, you can use some of these “odd instruments” to encourage that soothing process. You most certainly will  be able to find just the right instruments from the long list, to accomplish those moments.
Improvise an InstrumentIndeed, a great summer project would be to build musical instrument using “strange” materials. Use the wonders of the internet and get suggestions on how to create unique musical instruments.  Also keep in mind, while building your instruments, that you can use the percussion elements to teach repeated patterns in music.  By strumming and or drumming, we offer the repetitive nature of music which helps in so many areas of communication.

Miles Davis the famous jazz pianist once said: “I’ll play it first and tell you what it’s called later.” By that I’m sure he was speaking of musical improvisation. Great creative musicians, as well as folks inventing an instrument, begin with a blank slate and then commence their work. As they go, they create, sometimes taking different direction, until the finished piece is in their hands. We might not necessarily like their creation, but we must keep an open mind and try to imagine what was actually in their minds while developing their work.  In doing so, we expand our ability to imagine and create.

Go ahead and create and have a happy June!

The preceding story was originally published by our friends at http://www.ourjourneythroughautism.com

Marlene Cooper, founder and CEO of iplaymusiclive.com

I recently wrote an article about my experience with autistic students which has been published at Our Journey Through Autism.  You can read the full article here: http://www.ourjourneythruautism.com/2011/04/autism-awareness-month-spreading.html.

I closed my eyes, got lost in the music and began to tap into the distinct vibrations one feels in the fingers and then up the arm, all the way to the shoulders. The more I played, the more connected I felt to the music and instrument. I finally came back to “earth”, looked over at my student who was also enjoying the music and realized that it was now time for him to re-take his seat on the piano bench.

It’s such a thrill to share these inspiring experiences with everyone.  Thank you for reading.

experienced fun private piano vocal teacher

Tune in to hear her live at:

Mommas Pearls | Internet Radio | Blog Talk Radio.

UPDATE: If you missed the interview you can always catch the replay at the link above.

Today iplaymusiclive.com is launching a new promo for new students.  We are offering a free 30 minute lesson with a live music teacher right in your web browser just to get you started and comfortable with our program.  All you have to do is register with our website for free and your account will automatically be credited with one free 30 minute lesson.

We hear new information every day about the advantages that learning to play music can have for every aspect of our lives, so Join the Choir and give your life the musical advantage activated today.

You can read her article here: OUR Journey Thru Autism: Handwriting and Music: The Strong Correlation by Music Educator, Marlene Cooper Williams.

Headed by Victoria Kindle Hodson, M.A. and Mariaemma Willis, M.S. Learning Success Institute helps students understand their educational strengths and weaknesses by creating an extensive learning profile to help students and teachers determine the best learning strategy for that individual student.  We’ve found their personalized learning profile to be an invaluable tool in helping our clients supercharge their musical apptitude.

The following article was provided by Learning Success Institute as an introduction to their service.  To get $5.00 off your own learning assessment click here.

LearningSuccessTM Institute: Your Learning Styles Specialists for School & Life Success!

Did you know…?

…thousands of kids are sitting in classrooms right now learning that they can’t be successful—just because they’re not good at math or English, or memorizing history facts, or sitting still in a chair all day?

…at least 80% of the adult population doubt their own abilities for success because of the same school messages they received while growing up

…only 3 to 5 students in any classroom get all the A’s?

…most kids are not ready developmentally to read or write until they are 8 or 9 years old—that the muscles of their eyes are not ready to track print, and that their wrists and hands are not ready for pencils?

…at least 60% of the population are picture and hands-on learners?

…people who are not print learners will never learn to spell by writing words over and over again?

…reading and writing would come easily to most children and adults if we waited for developmental readiness and then taught simple strategies for their learning styles?

Learning Problems or Learning Styles?

The above information is not applied in our education system and so kids and adults are labeled slow, ADD, ADHD, learning disabled, dyslexic, or worse—just average! In reality, these are the thinking/creating, inventing, performing people—the Einsteins and Picassos and Marie Curies—the potential scientists, inventors, musicians, artists, and entrepreneurs!

An Education That Doesn’t Fit

Unfortunately, in spite of our schools’ good intentions, the intellectual development of many of our students is being unfairly short circuited in one-size-fits-all classrooms— from elementary school through college—and they grow up believing that they are not very smart or capable.

Teaching the Way They Learn Best

At LearningSuccessTM Institute we believe that all students are capable and that their potentials are unlimited. We expect differences in individual students—different learning readiness, different rates for learning, and a need for different teaching methods. We know that what works best for one student’s learning is often counterproductive for another’s.The LearningSuccess approach teaches adults and children to discover their unique learning styles. We present a positive approach that is based on working with each person’s natural gifts and dispositions, rather than applying dysfunctional labels such as A.D.D., Dyslexic, Hyperactive, Learning Disabled, or even average.

Learning Styles: The Key To Success!

The key to success is knowing your own unique learning styles. Our goal is to teach adults and children to use their learning styles as doorways into their unique ways of learning in order to reach academic and career goals and to discover their direction in life.

When kids learn that they are not capable of this or that…that they will never make it, they grow up to be adults who think they can’t.

When kids learn that they are capable, that they will be successful, they grow up to be adults who believe in themselves.

Offerings

Here is a sampling of our services and products:

Learning Style Profile Online –

http://www.aselfportraitonline.net/store/

LearningSuccess Home School Program for elementary & junior high – customized for

each student’s learning style – www.learningsuccesshomeschool.com Solimar Academy – high school program focused on student’s interests, talents, and

career goals – www.solimaracademy.com Discover Your Child’s Learning Style book – available at bookstores and online

We hope you enjoy browsing through our web site and that the information you find here will give you, or someone you love, the keys to success!

Mariaemma Willis & Victoria Kindle Hodson, founders

www.learningsuccessinstitute.com, 805-648-1739

BIO

Victoria Kindle Hodson, M.A. and Mariaemma Willis, M.S. are the authors of Discover Your Child’s Learning Style and Midlife Crisis Begins in Kindergarten. They have each spent more than twenty-five years teaching, conducting workshops and seminars for parents and teachers, and developing educational programs and materials. They have also developed A Self-PortraitTM Online Learning Style Profile, to make learning style information easily accessible for all families. They are the founders of LearningSuccessTM Institute where parents and teachers learn how to coach every child for Learning Success!