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The Groovy Garfoose presents “Music Therapy Tips & Tricks.” The video blog where Ellen Antes, MT-BC shares music therapy principles and skills for music therapists and beyond. In this video, Ellen shares four instruments she uses with her clients and patients for...

Calling all music therapy, art therapy, art education and special education college students… GG Summer Camp is BACK!  And we need YOU!  We are so excited to offer our 7th camp Movie Camp: Music, Art, & Dance from Film this Summer 2018! We will offer Movie Camp in...

The Groovy Garfoose presents “Music Therapy Tips & Tricks.” The video blog where Ellen Antes, MT-BC shares music therapy principles and skills for music therapists, parents and beyond. This first vlog post is about transition songs and their importance in the...

If you’re like me, the “Love songs” for Valentine’s Day sessions are a-plenty. However, after the holiday season, I’m always at a loss for how to continue incorporating “Winter” songs into sessions that are fresh, motivating and addressing my client’s goals. “Let it Snow” wasn’t...

January is Social Media Advocacy Month for music therapy! Music therapy bloggers across the country were challenged to find a song that best advocated for the profession of music therapy. The perfect song for The Groovy Garfoose is Feelin’ Groovy by Simon & Garfunkel....

As we reflect on this past year, we wanted to share with you all some of our favorite music therapy moments of 2017: Bri:       To some people, “5 golden rolls” are a fantastic addition to the dinner table, but to me, it’s my favorite Music Therapy moment!...

Happy Holidays from the Groovy Garfoose! Ellen is sharing some of her favorite holiday piggyback songs to add variety to group or individual sessions!   Goal: Motor movement Directions: Fill in blanks with motor movements appropriate for your group or individual client...

HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR SESSION There two ways in which I structure structure a music therapy session around a Thanksgiving theme. One way is to find all songs that mention thankfulness, turkeys, fall weather, etc. Plan your session around these songs based on your client’s...

We did it! Our first adapted music & dance class, “MOVE & GROOVE,” was a success. Over the course of 7 weeks, 6 teens of all abilities came together to make move & groove culminating in a final performance “Dancing through the Decades” for their friends...

Boo! It’s time for us to share some of our favorite Halloween songs and interventions with all of you. These can all be adapted across population, but keep in mind age-appropriateness, abilities, and preferences of the group! The Addams Family – Use the theme song...

Earlier this month, Bonnie and Ellen went on a self-care retreat in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Here’s what we learned! Self-care is caring for your own needs in each moment to help care for your best self. Why is it important for a music therapist to practice self-care?...

Happy Fall! As we begin a new season, school is starting, leaves are falling, and I’m ready to share some of my favorite fall-theme intervention ideas with you. Movement interventions are some of my favorite. Music paired with movement primes the brain and body to work together...

This summer, we are leading music therapy & enrichment groups surrounding the theme of “The Elements.” Each week we are sharing interventions & experiences that utilize songs that mention Earth, Wind, Fire, & Water. We just finished a successful first...

Summer is a time for fun and playing lots of games outside with friends and family. I like to bring that fun spirit into my music therapy sessions with a game of musical pictionary. Musical pictionary can be used with a variety of populations and exercises cognitive skills and...

Music therapy is a beneficial choice for individuals with cerebral palsy and other physical disabilities. Music is processed all of the brain and can be be a motivator that transcends regular ability. Have you ever been listening to music and then notice you’re tapping your...

I really enjoy piggyback songwriting when helping clients reach their goals. One of my favorites is teaching emotions through the pop song “I Got a Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas. You can play this as a game with feeling flashcards, or just by singing through the...

At the Groovy Garfoose, we are proud of what our all of our clients accomplish in their music therapy sessions. For Autism Awareness Month, we want to share with you a song by one of our clients that encourages and inspires those of all abilities. Composing, practicing,...

April showers, bring lots of spring-themed music therapy interventions. Check out some of our favorite ways to incorporate a spring theme into music therapy sessions. Create a Thunderstorm  Try creating a thunderstorm indoors using instruments and body percussion to to mimic the...

The Summit County Board of DD has created the Family Engagement Program to allow your family to access your community the way you choose. The fund uses local dollars to that Family Support Services funds can be now be used as a match for Waivers. It can be used when services or...

Love is in the air! Below are some fun ways to incorporate my favorite love songs into your music therapy practice or a fun activity at home with YOUR loved one. Put on some Nat King Cole and practice motor and academic skills by spelling L-O-V-E with your whole body. This works...