Playing or learning piano is a common intervention that can be used in music therapy to address a variety of non-musical goals 🎹 One of the most amazing things about music therapy is the ability to use music as a tool to improve our overall health and well-being. Our goals in music therapy are focused on physical, social, psychological, and cognitive health.  Although the goal of music therapy is not necessary to become a better musician, music therapists can incorporate piano or other instruments within sessions as means of achieving health-centered goals. 

Yes, music therapy is healthcare! ☕️ Over the years, music therapy has become increasingly recognized as a healthcare service; however, there is so much more awareness that is needed to fully distinguish music therapy from music education, music performance, and music volunteers.

Winter is officially here! ❄️ It’s time to sing songs about snow days, winter coats, and staying warm! There are so many heartwarming Oldies that were meant for this time of year. Some of the common jazz standards from this era are now recognized as popular Christmas songs such as “Winter Wonderland”, “Let it Snow”, and “Sleigh Ride”. I wanted to create a playlist of songs that were winter-themed but not typically associated with Christmas to use in music therapy sessions outside of the holiday season.

Making a playlist is a musical way to process emotions, relive memories, express ourselves, and share our feelings with others. Having a playlist for events or seasons can also be helpful for transitioning into a new time of year. Every year in December, I invite my clients who celebrate Christmas to create a themed playlist in their sessions and I encourage them to select songs that are meaningful to them or their families. This year, I decided to put a fun twist on a Christmas playlist intervention by creating a gingerbread-themed printable to use as a visual aid in my sessions.

It's Christmas time and our clients here in the RGV have started to request their favorite Christmas songs! Today, I'd like to share some popular Christmas songs in Spanish. It's common for us here in South Texas to have repertoire in both English and Spanish, especially throughout the holidays. This is a list of the songs that I get the most requests for in Spanish. If you're looking to build your Spanish rep list, these are great to get you started:

‘Tis the season for sleigh bells! 🔔“Sleigh Ride” is a fun winter song that can be used in both individual and group sessions!

If your primary instrument was in the band or orchestra, you may have played this piece a few times in holiday recitals.

One of the biggest challenges we face as music therapists is continually educating others about what we do and how much we have to offer as health care professionals. Advocacy is an important and ever-present part of our clinical work. For this reason, it's important that we find ways to connect with others and share information about music therapy whenever we have the opportunity to do so. In this blog post, I want to talk about how I created infographics for my private practice and why they've been so helpful for my community over the last few years.

Finding time for self care can be difficult in the midst of our daily routines. Whether it’s one song or a weekly class, every moment counts! Here are five ways to use music as a part of your self care routine✨

Music therapists regularly use songwriting and composition interventions in music therapy sessions as a way to promote positive and meaningful self expression. Songwriting is a great way for clients to process emotions and express how they are feeling. Here are a few prompts that can be used for songwriting and journaling for the month of December.

Adapted applications can be an inclusive way for clients to participate in music therapy improvisation. When working with clients virtually, I try to recommend apps that parents can download easily from their child’s iPad or  phone to increase access to music making and music-based resources. I also keep them on my work iPad as well to use in sessions as needed. Here are five apps that you can use in music therapy sessions if you have an iPad or iPhone. Click on the link to download the app! 

Musical 'I Spy' has become one of the most popular listening worksheets that I use in my music therapy sessions. It's a helpful visual aid that can increase a client's engagement, attention to task, comprehension, communication, and more!

We love fall-themed music! Even though we don't get to experience the fall weather as much down here in South Texas, our clients still enjoy singing and listening to songs about Otoño (Autumn). Here is a list of our favorite songs for Autumn in Spanish that can be used in music therapy sessions.

Today, we're going to share three fun ways to use music therapy infographics and advocate for your program! These are approaches that have helped us over the last few years. Whether you're in private practice or working in a healthcare setting with other professionals, we hope that these tips will help increase awareness for the awesome work you're doing.

One of the questions we get a lot from our incoming students is “How can I prepare for this internship?” There are so many different ways to generally prepare for internship, but there’s also a couple things that are specific to our program here. If you’ve already been accepted or you’re thinking about applying, here are some helpful tips and things to consider.

Throughout this pandemic, it's evident that we are all missing one of the most fundamental aspects of our lives: social interaction. Human connections form the basis for who we are and how we cope with every day stressors, but what happens when we can't connect? Most of us have spent the last few months cooped up in our homes. Therapists have seen an overall reductions in their caseloads, and clients have missed out on important treatment in order to minimize or reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Despite the uncertainty that fills the world, there is one thing I know to be certain: I'm so grateful for tele-music therapy.

Music therapy is an allied health profession that uses music as a vehicle to address physical, social, cognitive, and psychological goals.

For decades, certified music therapists have been impacting the lives of many across the globe. From the NICU to end of life care, music therapists create individualized treatment plans to help client's improve various aspects their everyday lives.

Music therapists are board certified clinicians who have met the requirements established by the American Music Therapy Association.