It is surreal that my internship is actually coming to a close. As I reflect back on everything that I have learned and experienced since August, I am overwhelmingly thankful to all my amazing supervisors for their support, guidance and encouragement in this journey filled with the unexpected. I am also deeply grateful to all the clients that I have had the honor to work with as well as the parents, caregivers, teachers, and staff members. I believe that I have experienced a lot of growth and increased confidence in areas of musicianship, grounding, and the application of therapeutic skills through a wide variety of virtual and in-person clinical experiences. I am excited about becoming an MT-BC and look forward to using and increasing these skills as a new professional!
As I prepare to wrap up my internship and sit for the Board Exam, I wanted to share a few winter themed piggyback songwriting experiences I have enjoyed creating for my clients recently. One of my favorite parts of session planning is creating songwriting experiences based off of popular tunes that provide opportunities for self-expression and autonomy. With adaptations, I have enjoyed using these with many of the clients I am privileged to work with. It might be the new year, but in Ohio springtime is still a long way off. So here are some fun winter-themed piggy-back songwriting interventions to make the most out of the season! Stay warm, safe, and healthy everyone!
S-N-O-W
Songwriting based on “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole.
I have used this re-write to provide clients opportunities to share what they enjoy doing in the snow. Clients have also enjoyed the challenge of finding other words or phrases about the snow that start with each of the letters in the word! Using the word bank options for ideas, clients can write their own alternate version of the verse on what they notice about the snow or activities they like to do in the snow.
Walk in the Snow
Songwriting based on “We’re Going to Be Friends” by The White Stripes.
This is a fun song I enjoyed writing virtually with students using a PowerPoint presentation with gifs of different things we could see on a walk in the snow. Since some of the classes were large, I wanted to make sure there were enough choice options hence all the different verses. There really are so many interesting things to see and do in the wintertime!
Don’t Stop – Winter Edition
Songwriting based on “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” by Journey.
After seeing my supervisors use this catchy song to create a songwriting experience about social distancing, I was inspired to rewrite this song with a wintertime spin. I have enjoyed using this re-write with a variety of populations and presenting visuals for the choice making. Winters in Ohio can be long so why not make the most of it by thinking about and discussing all the fun things we love to do in-doors and out-doors!
*Title page graphic in this blogpost was a free stock photo from PEXELS.