<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Joyful Music and Dance Studios Blog</title><link>http://joyfulmusic.smtusa.com/</link><description>This is the Joyful Music and Dance Studios Blog</description><copyright>Copyright (c) 2010 </copyright><pubDate>3/19/2010 12:25:31 AM</pubDate><lastBuildDate>3/19/2010 12:25:31 AM</lastBuildDate><ttl>5</ttl><item><title><![CDATA[ Musical Sensitivity ]]> </title><description><![CDATA[ Musical Sensitivity:&nbsp; A respectful introduction to an instrument allows children to develop a musical sensitivity to that instrument.&nbsp; Exploration provides the opportunity to discover ways the many sounds of the specific instrument may be produced.&nbsp; &nbsp;Kindermusik - Foundations of Learning ]]> </description><link>http://joyfulmusic.smtusa.com/blog/posts/musical-sensitivity.html</link><pubDate>3/18/2010 2:58:00 PM</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Kindermusik Summer Camp ]]> </title><description><![CDATA[ Summer is a season of butterflies and sunshine. Take advantage of this wonderful time of year by bringing your child out to our studios, and take classes that will develop your child's language skills, literacy, listening, problem solving, social skills, self-esteem, and musicality. ]]> </description><link>http://joyfulmusic.smtusa.com/blog/posts/kindermusik-summer-camp.html</link><pubDate>3/17/2010 4:41:00 PM</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Active Listening ]]> </title><description><![CDATA[ Active Listening:&nbsp; Active Listening differs from hearing in that it is an intentional act.&nbsp; While we are surrounded by sounds in our everyday life, we choose whether or not to listen and process the sounds we hear.&nbsp; Active Listening activities allow children the opportunity to learn to listen intentionally.
&nbsp;
Kindermusik- Foundations of Learning ]]> </description><link>http://joyfulmusic.smtusa.com/blog/posts/active-listening.html</link><pubDate>3/16/2010 1:12:00 PM</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Emotional Intelligence ]]> </title><description><![CDATA[ Kindermusik- Foundations of Learning
&nbsp;
Emotional Intellignece: Research suggests that emotional competence starts to develop in the cradle...&nbsp; Emotional Intelligence includes the recognition and management of unique feelings, developing empathy, and the handling of relationships with others. ]]> </description><link>http://joyfulmusic.smtusa.com/blog/posts/emotional-intelligence.html</link><pubDate>3/15/2010 3:54:00 PM</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Blog Diary 3 ]]> </title><description><![CDATA[ Blog Diary #3:  &nbsp;  Tamela and I just had the most amazing therapy session. We saw one of the students she has been seeing for about the last 2 years and that we have been seeing together since December. The student has been non-verbal and is able to make sounds like &#8220;ma&#8221; and &#8220;ba&#8221; but rarely any words. Tamela and I have been researching neurology studies about music and the brain so we tried some new strategies today in the treatment session.   All I can say is &#8220;WOW&#8221;. I am still in shock at how the student responded. We sat the student on the ball and Tamela played the guitar and sang. The student was engaged as usual with the music and was attempting to make sounds, but about 30 minutes into the session I asked her, &#8220;What do you want?&#8221; Tamela had stopped playing so the student would have to request her to play. The student looked at the guitar. I nudged her and said. &#8220;Tell her, &#8216;I want more music.&#8217;&#8221; Then the student said, &#8220;I want more music.&#8221; It was not perfectly spoken but it was clear enough that Tamela and I both knew exactly what she has said. I looked at Tamela in surprise thinking maybe I had just wanted to hear it but when I saw Tamela&#8217;s face her eyes were tearing up and her mouth was hanging open.  I know this is a business and I am probably biased and it can sound like shameless promotion but I have been an OT for 14 years!!! I have never been able to see progress with my patients like I see working with Tamela and the music. We all know that music is somehow important and meaningful but it goes far beyond that. Something profound happens in the brain when music is paired with motor and sensory play. Our students come to life in new ways. They can attend to activities longer, they can learn new sounds and motor patterns more readily. The more I see in our sessions and the more I read in theses articles, the more excited I get about what we are doing. It is nothing short of amazing! ]]> </description><link>http://joyfulmusic.smtusa.com/blog/posts/blog-diary-3.html</link><pubDate>3/5/2010 3:25:00 PM</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Music Therapy helps children with autism and developmental dyslexia use and understand speech. ]]> </title><description><![CDATA[ Music Therapy in the news! At the annual meeting of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, researchers shared new studies, which support the use
of music therapy to improve language development in stroke patients.&nbsp; Gottfried Schlaug, associate professor
of neurology at Harvard Medical School reports that, people who suffered strokes
on the left side of the brain, affecting speech, can sometimes learn to communicate
through singing.&nbsp; More research was
shown to support that music education and music therapy, can help children with
developmental dyslexia and autism more accurately use speech. 
 
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&nbsp;



Music is a multi-sensory experience that involves large
areas on both sides of the brain. Nina Kraus, director of Auditory Neuroscience
at Northwestern University, reports that the musically trained brain is better
at picking out specific sounds, patterns, and subtle changes in the human voice
needed for processing language and emotion. 



How does this effect the child with special needs? These
studies have shown that areas in the brain that are enhanced in musicians are
deficient in the brains of children with autism and developmental dyslexia.
&#8220;Playing an instrument my help youngsters better process speech in a classroom,
and more accurately interpret the nuances of language that are conveyed by the
human voice.&nbsp;At Joyful Music, we use
music therapy to help language development by singing songs, playing
instruments, movement to music, and sensory exploration with musical
instruments. We have seen dramatic changes in our students&#8217; articulation,
intonation, and word phrasing. We focus on using the power of music to
encourage communication. Music therapy facilitates musical experiences to challenge
and motivate their body and mind. &nbsp;2010 Schmid,R: Associated Press, Research finds brain link for words, music ability:findings may lead to better stroke care 

Music Therapy and Autism &nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ]]> </description><link>http://joyfulmusic.smtusa.com/blog/posts/music-therapy-helps-children-with-autism-and-developmental-dyslexia-use-and-understand-speech.html</link><pubDate>2/24/2010 1:15:00 PM</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Blog Diary 2 ]]> </title><description><![CDATA[                                                       Blog Diary:  &nbsp;  Last Saturday Tamela Ponder, Music Therapist and I went to the Heart and Hope Conference hosted by Family Network on Disabilities. So many vendors and parents were in attendance. People came from as far away as Tallahassee and St. Petersburg. It was great to meet so many people supporting children with special needs.  Tamela and I were asked to do a break out session explaining how we are combining Music Therapy and Occupational Therapy in our pediatric program. Were in the last time slot, 3-4:30 and after a long day of meeting and greeting we were a bit tired and a little nervous about giving a presentation.   As Murphy&#8217;s Law would have it, a few things went wrong. The monitor on the computer for our power point presentation went out and then the computer would not load our power point, so we decided to wing it. Tamela started off with a &#8220;Hello Song&#8221; and I handed everyone different instruments to play along, only I had them play with an imposed &#8220;disability&#8221;. Some people had to play sticks behind their backs, others had to shake bells with their non-dominate hands while the third group shook shakers with their eyes closed. It was amazing to see how at first the group was a little awkward but a few minutes in they all came together in unison and there &#8220;disabilities&#8221; were gone. It was a great metaphor for what Tamela and I see in our sessions.  Our power point was salvaged and Tamela and I explained our JM3 Program and how we are using music and OT to address children with Autism, Down&#8217;s Syndrome, and other diagnosis. We explained how strongly we believe in a strength-based approach and what a typical session looks like as well as the amazing outcomes we are seeing.   We ended with a &#8220;Goodbye Song&#8221; just like we do with our sessions in the studio. A couple of parents had brought their children in. Tamela sang to one young lady in a wheel chair and her eyes lit up as she sang along and moved her hands to the music. Tamela noticed in the very back of the room another young lady with Down&#8217;s Syndrome singing along with the music. Tamela squeezed through chairs and made her way to the back of the room so she could sing with the girl. When Tamela got close, the girl became self-conscious and stopped singing. After a couple of measures, Tamela said kindly but authoritatively, &#8220;Sing with her!&#8221; Suddenly everyone in the room stopped being spectators and once again became a group. As we all sang &#8220;Goodbye Sweetheart&#8221; the girl&#8217;s eyes lit up and she began singing again louder than before. In that moment Tamela&#8217;s brilliance, courage and talent as a Music Therapist shined.  I see these moments everyday and it humbles me to be doing the work we are doing and to know that we can, through music, make such a powerful impact on our students. ]]> </description><link>http://joyfulmusic.smtusa.com/blog/posts/blog-diary-2.html</link><pubDate>2/24/2010 10:28:00 AM</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ JM3 Intensive Program ]]> </title><description><![CDATA[ Music Therapy and Occupational Therapy provide an intensive program for children with Autism and special needs.   &nbsp;  Joyful Music and Dance has been treating children with special needs through Music Therapy for the past two years. Tamela Ponder, Board Certified Music Therapist, knows first-hand how much music can motivate children to engage in the challenging activities that promote skill development. She has also witnessed how combining Music Therapy with other disciplines, like Occupational Therapy, can accelerate healing through incorporating music into the treatment session; and Joyful Music and Pediatric Therapy was formed.  &nbsp;  Randall Yates, OTR joined Joyful Music and Pediatric Therapy (JMPT) on December 1st 2009. Since that time Randall and Tamela have been developing a program called Joyful Music Mind and Motion (JM3). The JM3 program was created in response to frequent parent requests for socialization groups/activities.   &nbsp;  Tamela and Randall initially began designing MT/OT groups to incorporate socialization with music. In order for Randall to learn Tamela&#8217;s students and treatment style, he participated in her treatment sessions. What they both noticed was a rapid improvement in students who have been receiving the OT/MT co-treatments. The responses were so significant that the socialization program was developed to begin with these intensive co-treatments.   &nbsp;  JM3 is a 6 to 8 week intensive program of combined OT and MT. The program begins with an assessment and 6 to 8 co-treatment sessions. Each session is 50 minutes long and is provided by Tamela and Randall together. The program is focused on specific goals that are developed through parent interviews and the therapist&#8217;s assessment.   &nbsp;  Once students complete this 6 to 8 week course, they can be transitioned into one of Joyful Music and Pediatric Therapy groups (Adapted Kindermusik, Adapted Art Lessons, Handwriting without Tears), take a break from therapy or they can take individual Adapted Piano or Guitar lessons. These adapted lessons are led by the JMPT Therapists.  &nbsp;  JM3 is designed so that students do not grow weary of endless therapy and the expense for parents is manageable. Specific goals are easily measured and attained in the intensive program. Tamela and Randall have seen the results first-hand and believe that the intensive program provides a jump-start for skill development that can then be refined in the adapted lessons and groups in a way that is fun for the student and less expensive for the parents. Several intensives may be required as new challenges arise. The primary intention for JM3 is to continue to mainstream students as much as possible within the Joyful Music Studio and in their community. More information including; schedules, available classes, articles and parent testimonials can be found on our website.  ]]> </description><link>http://joyfulmusic.smtusa.com/blog/posts/jm3-intensive-program.html</link><pubDate>2/24/2010 9:15:00 AM</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ OT Diary ]]> </title><description><![CDATA[ Daily Blog:
&nbsp;Combining OT and Music Therapy has been one of the most
amazing things in my 15 years as an OT. I have watched students transform over
the last 2 months as they engage with music and therapy. One mother told us
that she had stopped Occupational Therapy and Physical therapy because her
child &#8220;just was not getting anywhere&#8221;. The parent felt speech had reached a
plateau as well but noticed some big changes when the Music Therapy began. She
described her child as having &#8220;come alive&#8221;.
&nbsp;The child was not only gaining more in terms of oral motor
strength and communication skills, she was gaining self-confidence in her
interaction with others. Now that Occupational Therapy has been added, we are
able to address upper body strengthening, fine and gross motor coordination and
oral motor skills. The child is able to successfully engage in therapy in a fun
and challenging way.
&nbsp;The amazing thing about working in a session with a music
therapist is that we can accomplish so much more together! What would take
months to accomplish in individual Occupational Therapy sessions literally
happens in a few weeks.
&nbsp;In the last 3 weeks, one of our students went from speaking
in a monotone voice in 1-2 word phrases with little or no eye contact to now
making eye contact with 4-5 word phrases requesting to play the song he wants
to hear or to play on the swing. His mom told us that he will be at school and
will start asking for &#8220;Miss Tamela&#8221; days before his appointment! Everyone at
the school is asking, &#8220;Who is Miss Tamela?&#8221;
&nbsp;Seeing how much the students respond to the music and
knowing that Tamela and I can make such great differences in the lives of our
students and their families is truly rewarding!
Randall Yates. OT ]]> </description><link>http://joyfulmusic.smtusa.com/blog/posts/ot-diary.html</link><pubDate>2/12/2010 4:11:00 PM</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Benefits of Kindermusik ]]> </title><description><![CDATA[ The Kindermusik program encompasses a vast variety of benefits to children's development.&nbsp; Cognitive, social, emotional, and physical, are just a few of the developmental areas that the Kindermusik environment focuses on.&nbsp; Children in a Kindermusik classroom are not just learning and developing in one area but the whole-child approach is meeting all of their developmental needs.
Kindermusik uses music as the means to reach the whole child and fulfill his developmental needs.&nbsp; As children join in the ritual of singing hello and goodbye songs they are forming a common bond with classmates, becoming comfortable with a new community of friends, and their safety and security in the classroom is solidified.

Singing silly, imaginative songs helps children create new and unfamiliar vocal sounds which in turn encourages creativity and speech development.

Listening, singing, clapping, and playing instruments to a beat instills internal rhythm in children, creating an awareness of the music within and around them.&nbsp;
Jumping, dancing, and playing to music gets children&#8217;s bodies in motion and as a result, get their brains growing.&nbsp; As children see their parents participate in these activities, they are exposed to the importance of exercise and whole body movement as a part of family health and happiness.&nbsp; This type of large motor movement also assists in developing children&#8217;s vestibular system, which is crucial for processing language, understanding spatial relationships, and even for emotional security. 
As children play, they imagine and create.&nbsp; They challenge themselves to new actions and discover what they are and are not capable of.&nbsp; Through play, children learn to problem solve and build cognitive thinking skills.&nbsp; In the Kindermusik classroom, play and imagination are embraced and scaffolded by parents and teachers so that children can reach their full potential whatever their age.&nbsp;
&#8220;In infancy and early childhood, play is the activity through which children learn to recognize colors and shapes, tastes and sounds&#8212;the very building blocks of reality. Play also provides pathways to love and social connection. Elementary school children use play to learn mutual respect, friendship, cooperation, and competition.&#8221; (Elkind, David. (Spring 2008). Can We Play? Greater Good Magazine, Volume IV (issue 4). Retrieved from http://.berkeley.edu/greatergood/2008spring/Elkind344.html)
When children and families become part of a Kindermusik class, new horizons of learning are revealed and opportunities for development are abundant! ]]> </description><link>http://joyfulmusic.smtusa.com/blog/posts/benefits-of-kindermusik.html</link><pubDate>2/1/2010 4:24:00 PM</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ JM3 -- Occupational & Music Therapy Treat Together ]]> </title><description><![CDATA[ Joyful Music Mind and Motion is a strengths-based philosophy
and curriculum that focuses on developing self-confidence and social
competence. We teach our students emotional regulation and social communication
strategies through music, dance and art activities.

The Occupational Therapist and Music Therapist work together with each student in
a co-treatment setting followed by a group treatment setting.
&nbsp;
Why are OT and MT treating together?
Music lends itself to immediate outcomes and provides a high
sense of achievement. The Music Therapist is using instruments and music to
engage the child and help him to achieve the strengths-based goals that have
been set. It is found that the most effective therapy is achieved while engaged
in meaningful and purposeful activities. Music, dance and art are exciting and
engaging for most children.
&nbsp;
The Occupational Therapist is supporting the student&#8217;s
participation in individual and group classes through sensory and motor
activities. The OT often models the musical behavior, i.e. strumming the
guitar, banging the drum, dancing and even facilitating mouth movements to sing
the words. The OT also provides heavy work (rolling, crashing, bouncing,
dancing) and sensory play (swinging, spinning and dancing) to facilitate the child&#8217;s
maintenance of emotional regulation for optimal learning
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
With the Joyful Music, Mind and Motion curriculum, the child
moves through a continuum of co-treatment sessions and group therapy to teach
the students social communication and emotional regulation through music. 
&nbsp;
Is there research to support your philosophy?
Studies have shown that music has a powerful effect on
learning, mental, emotional and physical development in typically developing
children as well as children with Autism and special needs
&nbsp;Title:Music and the Brain.Authors:Weinberger, Norman M.Source:Scientific American; Nov2004,
Vol. 291 Issue 5, p88-95, 8p, 4 graphs, 6 color, 1 bwDocument Type:ArticleSubject
Terms:MUSIC -- Physiological effect
&nbsp;
Title:Music therapy in the assessment
and treatment of autistic spectrum disorder: clinical application and research
evidence.Authors:Wigram, T.1 tony@hum.aau.dk
Gold, C.2Source:Child: Care, Health &amp;
Development; Sep2006, Vol. 32 Issue 5, p535-542, 8pDocument Type:ArticleSubject
Terms:*AUTISM
&nbsp;
Title:Role of Music Therapy in Social
Skills Development in Children with Moderate Intellectual Disability.Authors:Duffy, Barbara
Fuller, RaySource:Journal of Applied
Research in Intellectual Disabilities; 2000, Vol. 13 Issue 2, p77-89, 13p, 5
charts, 1 graphDocument Type:ArticleSubject Terms:MUSIC therapy
&nbsp;
&nbsp; ]]> </description><link>http://joyfulmusic.smtusa.com/blog/posts/jm3-occupational-and-music-therapy-treat-together.html</link><pubDate>1/27/2010 5:30:00 PM</pubDate></item></channel></rss>