April is National Stress Awareness Month. This is something everyone comes across at one point or another. A little bit of stress is a good thing! Can you imagine if you didn’t experience any stress at all, ever? It might mean you were living a pretty lethargic lifestyle with not a lot going on. That certainly isn’t good for you either. A little stress is what pushes you to plan for things, forces you to prepare for your upcoming presentation or study for a big test. But too much stress is not good for your health. Our bodies are built to deal with threats in the short term.

March 21st was World Down Syndrome Day, and I was so impressed by the reasoning behind it when I found out. March is the 3rd month of the year, and 21 represents the twenty-first chromosome that has three copies instead of the usual two, which is what causes Down Syndrome. The day was established in 2012. My late brother had Down Syndrome, so advocacy for individuals with the diagnosis is near and dear to my heart.

As February comes to a close, I have found myself reflecting on all the hearts and valentines I’ve seen as decorations and in stores. Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romantic relationships, but also about showing affection to friends and family members. I remember I absolutely loved Valentine’s Day when I was young, way before it had anything to do with flowers and candy.

I had some kind of sickness that was going around for the better part of the week. I couldn’t even talk on Monday, much less sing, but by the end of the week, my voice was pretty much back. I still couldn’t sing though, not really, and definitely not well enough to sing all day long for 9 music groups in a row. I wasn’t sick anymore though, so I had to devise a plan.

I have very fond memories of playing outside. I would stop indoors every couple hours for warm gloves, but I was then right back out again playing in the snow. My mom had to make me come inside, and that was only because it was getting dark outside.

December is a busy time of year, with presents to wrap and holiday parties to plan. It is a time to get together with family and friends, but also a time where all the little nuggets of time you may have found before are suddenly getting filled in. Instead of winding down on the couch, now you’re in the kitchen making Christmas cookies, going food shopping, or putting up decorations. With little ones in tow, it may suddenly seem very difficult to keep up with it all.

Children with ADHD are highly intelligent and creative, they just sometimes need additional strategies for tackling hurdles that arise in the learning environment. For example, they may have a difficult time paying attention, or are fidgety in class. Here are some of the ways music therapy can address some of these challenges.

There is a lot of focus in society to be thin and look as young as possible, but not much focus on living a healthy lifestyle. We are constantly bombarded with advertisements that reinforce this. It was bad enough when it was on TV or huge billboards, but now it is also on our social media feeds as we scroll through our phones. It is getting increasingly difficult to get away from it. A person can be physically “in shape,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean there is a healthy balance between their mental and physical health.

There are a lot of things in life we are able to prepare for. But every so often, life throws a curve ball and there is no way to feel prepared. When someone in your life is diagnosed with cancer, it can turn your life upside down in an instant. It can be devastating and life-altering. However, with the right tools and habits, those times of crisis become just a bit more manageable.

When you live in a place like New England, you want to take advantage of the sunshine during the nice summer days! Sometimes it is hard to find activities to keep the kids entertained, especially ones that are not only fun, but that also continue to foster their development.

I walked into the nursing home as I always did, following the hallway down to my client’s room. This time, she wasn’t there. I found her around the corner in the recreational common area on the main floor. I was happy to see her out and about, and glad I was able to find her without too much ado. I tried to enter discreetly, but that is always a challenge with a big guitar on your back and a jingling bag of instruments.

As Memorial Day rapidly approaches, and we prepare to honor those who have lost their lives defending our country, it is also a great opportunity to think about the profession of music therapy began. Music started being provided in hospitals during World War I, which led to courses offered at a university for what was called “musicotherapy” for the first time.

There are many ways you can use music to help students on the Autism spectrum work on different skills needed to be successful in the classroom. I have put together a list of the five that I feel I work on the most in my music groups.

Our brains are marvelous yet mysterious things. They are made very efficiently. If we had to think about every single little thing, our brains would be way too big to carry around.

There are many ways music can bring people together, whether it is by simply listening to the same song simultaneously or by singing a song together. Here is a list of five ways a relationship can be enhanced through music.

It may be challenging sometimes to tell the difference between a music therapist and a musician giving a performance. The music that is chosen for the performance may be therapeutic in nature, but it is different than a music therapy session.

December is full of holiday spirit and it can be a wonderful time of year. But it can also be a very difficult time. Christmas isn’t always joyous. If someone has lost someone close to them, Christmas may intensify their grief. Many feelings of loss come up, and maybe even feelings of anxiety as the date gets closer. It is a holiday that is very difficult to avoid.

But I don’t think being grateful always needs to be extravagant. I would like to offer some ideas for how to be grateful for the little things to take some of the pressure off. I have chosen some songs that helped me think of what I am grateful for, but I encourage you to think of ones that really speak to you.

We used to think that once we got to be a certain age, our brain was the way it was going to be, and that was that. We have since learned that the brain changes over time, and we can work on forming new connections even as we get older.

Often times, when I tell people I am a music therapist for children under the age of 3, I get a surprised look and a follow-up question that is something like, “how does that work? They are so little!” And yes, it is true!