Wonderful session with CP client

I had a wonderful session with a client who diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Every staff and carers know the client likes music; we usually sing songs and create/ improvise music together. But it was her first time she tried to out the guitar since we've been worked together for 8 months. She picked the strings by herself with her fingers and strummed slowly, and then she gave me a big smile and playing with confidence. I saw how hard she tried to do what she wants, but at the same time, it seems she was telling me: Look! I'm playing your guitar. We played together more than 10 minutes until we say goodbye.

It was a small improvement, but it’s important and significant change in her life. Not only will to build a confidence, but also improve her fine / gross motor skills and her brain function.

Music as Therapy for Autistic Children

Most autistic children will respond readily to the musical situation in which they find themselves. The child may sing or grunt, beat the drum or participate other music activities in response to music. Because each child's response is as individual as he/she is, the music should be improvised specific for each child and meet their needs. Improvised music can inspire and then accompany various responses having the character of impulses and usually lacking any connection with consciousness. Within these kinds of responses, it is necessary to secure and to sustain child, allowing his/ her to discover the pleasure and satisfaction of using his/ber bldy and voice in a shared musical activity.

Music therapy also helped autistic individuals with social skills, improving language comprehension, encouraging the desire to communicate, making creative-self expression possible, reducing non-communicative speech and work with other medical professionals.

Music therapy can include any of the following musical activities:

• Listening to music and/or musical creation
• Playing musical instruments (any instrument can be used)
• Moving to music
• Singing
• Improved socio-emotional development
• Assisted in both verbal and non-verbal communication
• Body awareness
• Encouraged emotional fulfillment

Health News: Doctors say music therapy makes a difference for pediatric patients

From Khou.com

Posted on March 11, 2011 at 8:45 PM

HOUSTON -- Doctors are using music therapy to help some of the Texas Medical Center's smallest patients.
Christine Neugeubauer is one of only four music therapists in the Texas Medical Center. Children’s Memorial Hermann hospital started its program two years ago.

"It was really exciting for me to develop the program here and to still develop it,” she said.

Twice a week, along with one-on-one sessions, little patients get music medicine.

"Recent medical studies show that music therapy helps children develop. In babies, it helps them gain weight faster and gets them out of the hospital sooner," Neugeubauer said.

Neugebauer has launched a study to further prove the benefits of Music Therapy.

Music therapy is helping to change the life of Daniel Lopez, who has been at the hospital for a year and counting.

Daniel was born with Down Syndrome. He had holes in his heart and is missing most of his esophagus. Daniel hardly uses his hands because he's been hooked up, poked and prodded, for so long.

"Music therapy actually, like contributes to his development," Neugeubauer said.

Marcela Trujillo says after a week of music therapy, her son could sit up longer and was more responsive.

Those reactions are milestones.

"He can reach like, actually, the toys,” she said.

His therapist agreed.

"I definitely today noticed he's using his upper body more,” Neugeubauer said.

From http://www.khou.com/news/health/117836659.html

Allison Triarsi / 11 News

Oxford Mail News: Red Noses boost music therapy

Oxford Mail News: http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/8842415.Red_Noses_boost_music_therapy/

Red Noses boost music therapy

7:10am Thursday 10th February 2011

By Rhianne Pope

PEOPLE with severe learning disabilities are using sound and music to develop communication skills, thanks to Comic Relief cash.
The charity Soundabout, which received £1,800 in March, helps people in Oxfordshire with severe learning difficulties improve their interaction with others.
Sue Simmonds has been a trainer at the charity, based in Thomley Hall near Wheatley, since it started 14 years ago.
She said: “We run sessions designed to engage young people and adults in communicative interaction using music.
“People come along to our centre in Worminghall, or we go out to schools and centres, helping disabled people to develop.”
For the first time, the Oxford Mail and Comic Relief are offering £50,000 of Red Nose Day Community Cash for communities across the county.
Twelve organisations in Oxfordshire have already come forward to apply for grants.
Now others are being urged to compete for their slice of the money.
Comic Relief cash was used by Soundabout to run a series of sensory festivals for Oxfordshire special schools, including Mabel Prichard School in Oxford and Kingfisher School in Abingdon.
Mrs Simmonds said: “Every term, we transform our hall into a sensory festival. We black it out and have sound and light equipment to create a themed environment.”
Mrs Simmonds said she wasn’t sure why music worked, but that it made an emotional connection with people.
She said: “The 80 families that use our centre say they really appreciate what we do.”
Vanessa Grimwade, from Bicester, has been visiting the centre on Saturday mornings with her 12-year-old son Ben for five years.Ben, a pupil at Bardwell School, in Bicester, has severe learning difficulties.
Mrs Grimwade added: “It is spot-on for Ben, because he is quite musical and it’s something that is just for him.
“But it’s not just about the music, the charity focuses on the whole child. They play music to each other and it’s almost like they are acknowledging each other as human beings.”

• To apply to the Red Nose Day Community Cash fund, click on the link or call 01865 798666. The closing date for applications is Thursday, March 10.

Yahoo News: Gabrielle Giffords Undergoes Music Therapy, Continues to Progress

From Yahoo News: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110216/tr_ac/7865816_gabrielle_giffords_undergoes_music_therapy_continues_to_progress

Mark Whittington Mark Whittington – Tue Feb 15, 8:15 pm ET

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Rep. Gabrielle Giffords continues to progress in her rehab, now having regained the ability to talk, to a certain extent. She is also able to mouth or lip sync the words to rudimentary songs, such as "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
Music therapy has a long tradition, stretching back to the ancient Greeks, as a means to alleviate pain, treat mental illness, and promote well being in patients with a variety of ills. Giffords is apparently undergoing a form of music therapy that causes her to practice singing skills to promote her rehabilitation. In conjunction with her speech, physical, and occupational therapy, it is hoped that Giffords' singing practice will help her to regain cognitive function. The singing helps Giffords to put several words together, something that she at the moment has trouble doing.
Other songs Giffords is said to have lip synced include "Happy Birthday to You", for her husband astronaut Mark Kelly and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" with friends and family accompanying with keyboard and chorus.
Doctors caution that Giffords still has some "significant deficits" that will take considerable time to overcome. Rehab from such a traumatic injury as a bullet wound to the brain often takes months or even years.
Giffords can walk, pushing a cart, and is also doing exercises to regain muscle tone and function. Her cognitive abilities appear to be substantial. She has demonstrated the ability to answer questions even before the questions are finished. She is able to recognize pictures of historical figures, such as Presidents Obama, Bush, and Washington. Doctors have noted that she has shown such enthusiasm for these exercises that she has been asked to slow down.
Giffords has started to get briefings from members of her staff on subjects ranging from the fall of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt to the retirement of Jon Kyl, Senator from her home state of Arizona. Some fellow members of Congress have paid visits. It is expected that former President George H. W. Bush may stop by eventually. The visits are being rationed to keep from overtiring Giffords.
In the meantime, Gabrielle Giffords is due to undergo another surgical procedure to replace a portion of her skull that was removed to alleviate brain swelling, now that the swelling has subsided.
Gifford's husband, Mark Kelly, is currently training to command the last flight of the space shuttle Endeavour, slated for launch on April 19.

2010 Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy

Here are 2 new video from Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy. Please feel free to leave comment and tell us how you feel the power of music.

Ending life with music and massage

Article collections from SunSentinel.com

Bernard Michels, 98, likes to hear the songs of his youth as he gets his weekly therapeutic massage.
"It brings back memories of when I was a younger guy," said Michels, who lives with his wife, Jean, 95, at the Prosperity Oaks assisted living facility in Palm Beach Gardens.

Ending life with music and massage

[Music is a tool to communicate with other people]

People tap their fingers or clap hands with rhythm when they are listening to the music. With variety music style in the background, it becomes enjoyable when we watch movie. It is much easier to feel the emotionally intense in a movie.  Music as a tool to let us communicate with the movie.

Many people think, music therapy almost like music teacher. Music teacher teaches students how to read/ play/ sing music. But music therapist use music as a tool to communicate with their clients.

Music therapy is enjoyable. With non-musical goals, clients will participate in their uniqie way with music. From the mirroring to each other, then create something together. It is natural to feel the movement of music. As we breathing, talking and walking, those elements can be found in music too, which help clients to participate, to feel the rhythm, melody (harmony) and listen to others, even some of clients may have physical or/ and mental disabilities.

Music is not only for an education purpose, but also a tool for communication.

2010-2011 Devastating Queensland Floods

During the devastating floods in Queensland, everyone is pitching in and helping to clean up the muck. Those people stayed in the evacuation centre knew their safety was at risk.

Yesterday, one of my client told me his feeling of the floods, and it came out with a song- 'Don't Tell Me Now'.

' Don't tell me now, the flood is coming up.'
  Don't tell me now, the river is filling uo.'

  I feel anxious for people who didn't evacuate
  I worry about bad people 

 My place is safe now  I want to check the safety of my housemate'

We haven't finished his song, because the other client was considering my safety on the road due to the floods in Brisbane. But it can be seen clearly how devastating and serious floods affect everyone's thought.

We pray for those still threatened by flood in city & rural areas in all Australia and other countries.