Music therapy songs for special kids
2016; Volume: 14; Issue: 14 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1036-9457
Autores Tópico(s)Diverse Music Education Insights
ResumoStelino, A. (2015). Music therapy songs for kids. Available from: www.ahjaystelino.comThis selection of music therapy songs by Ahjay Stelino, the publishing name of Ajay Castelino (NZ RMTh, instrumental teacher, performing musician, and songwriter), offers a ready to 30-minute music session for parents/caregivers, teachers, and other professionals. It comprises 14 songs linked to one of six themes (greetings, movement, instruments, vocalisation, educational, and anticipation). I found the overall concept of this resource exciting, not only as a means of facilitating more meaningful musical engagement when a Registered Music Therapist may not be available, but also as an excellent opportunity to spread further awareness of our profession in a very approachable way.The intended audience - special kids - is not further defined beyond this widely recognised and broadly understood term, which refers to a diverse population. As a therapist experienced with children who have diverse needs, it seems to me that most tracks require fine and/or gross motor skills to engage in the actions in the lyrics and descriptions (e.g., to clap, wiggle fingers, stomp feet, sway arms, play instruments, etc). However, Ahjay offers helpful suggestions for adaptation to children's abilities, such as using alternative beats to offer more time for physical co-ordination, coactive assistance, or in Friends forever, including wheelchair dancing). Most lyrics also seem complex enough to require at least moderate receptive language for full independent engagement, and if the child were expected to sing along, at least moderate expressive language. However, two songs (The family song and Monkey monkey) are noted by Ahjay to be designed to encourage intentional vocalisation. It seems then that the CD encompasses all abilities through certain songs, rather than being a session for a specific population within the spectrum of special kids.The audio recordings offer a wide range of musical genres and styles, as well as an overall mellow feel that could reflect its therapeutic intent (as opposed to high energy entertainment). However, this dynamic is consistent across the CD, or duration of the session; there is little rise or fall, such as a therapist might use to engage and calm participants, especially those with needs. Though there are three songs that offer a little internal contrast, they seem sporadically placed: Elephant stomp, with an ominous instrumental introduction; Castanet o castanet, with sad lyrics and accompaniment style; and Let's do some counting, which seems rather too slow.Considering these points, I can imagine the CD being most appropriate for typically developing children in a hospital/outpatient setting, or children with high functioning autism, mild physical disabilities or mild/moderate learning needs. Selected songs may also be appropriate for rehabilitation programmes led by occupational therapists, physiotherapists, or speech-language therapists. In terms of age, which is also not specified, the songs are suitable for children of primary and perhaps intermediate school level, depending on the children's developmental stage and preferences. Children with more severe disabilities would need considerable support to participate fully.In terms of facilitating a therapeutic session from the CD (as intended), there are two key positives. Firstly, the overall pacing of the recorded songs is good for following, with enough repetition for children to engage over time if needed without being boring. Secondly, a facilitator could easily skip tracks that were less suitable for their participants' abilities, although this would alter the intended 30-minute session length. …
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