Songs

“When Hanukkah is Here”

by admin on December 20, 2011

I hope you enjoy this new song to celebrate Hanukkah.  The basic lyrics and melody of the song was created during a song improvisation with a student.  By having a student play a tambourine or other percussion instrument during the chorus part, you are not only teaching the difference between verse and chorus, but also working on impulse control skills.  In this recording, the bass guitar signals the beginning and end of the chorus section.

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“A Winter of Love” by Shannon Enloe and Wade Richards

by admin on December 19, 2011

As part of our project at Blue Ridge to write and record new Christmas music, student Shannon Enloe composed the lyrics for “A Winter of Love”.  I enjoyed trying some new chord progressions.  I am hoping that the sheet music will soon be available!

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The Creature’s Clock

October 24, 2011

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] “The Creature’s Clock” is a song I wrote after being inspired by a poem called “The Ghost and Jenny Jemima” by Dennis Lee.  The poem was from the book “Poetry Speaks to Children”.  The song was designed to help many of my younger students with both counting and [...]

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Sounds of Halloween

October 24, 2011

Halloween is a great time to introduce new sound words and expand a student’s vocabulary.  Some students may be able to make the sounds of a ghost or a witch, but may not be able to label the word for that sound.  After listening or performing the song “Sounds of Halloween”, download the Halloween Sounds [...]

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Songs: Super Bowl Sunday

January 29, 2011

It’s almost time for Super Bowl 45!  Here is a revised version of my Super Bowl Sunday song from last season.  There are a number of places for students to add in comments and there favorite team names, even if there team didn’t make it this year!  Enjoy the game and the commercials! Super Bowl [...]

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Follow That Dream

January 17, 2011

Follow That Dream Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream was to end discrimination and bring about racial equality.  He devoted his life to pursuing this dream and inspired not only his generation but future generations as well.  There are many songs to use as dedications and to observation of MLK day, but here is a hidden [...]

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Song: 2011

January 10, 2011

Here is one song, “2011″, from the recent Songs for Music Therapy podcast episode 31.  My students have really enjoyed echo singing the short phrases in the A section and then adding their own “New Year’s resolutions” in the B section.  This can also be a fun song to use with a percussion group or [...]

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My Thankfulness Song

November 24, 2010

My Thankfulness Song I was co-treating with the speech pathologist and the occupational therapist in one of my high school classrooms before Thanksgiving break.  The two therapists brought in a variety of everyday items to construct a “giving thanks” wreath including: a piece of fuzz, a band aid, a tissue, a penny, a candy kiss, [...]

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Inside Music Therapy: “My Own Superhero”

September 18, 2010

Kayla is a student with cerebral palsy in the music therapy program at the Hochstein School of Music & Dance in Rochester, New York.  Kayla enjoys songwriting, and in this video we are performing a song she completed this summer.  The inspiration for the song came from the Five for Fighting song “Superman” that Kayla [...]

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It’s So Hard to Wait!

February 17, 2010

Here is a free song clip example from the Cognitive category of my Song Shop. “It’s So Hard to Wait!” is a song intervention to work on impulse control and sustaining attention through a short task.  I have had excellent results with this intervention.  The students love playing the various instruments and are very motivated [...]

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