Merry Christmas!

Just a brief post to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.  Be back soon with more posts.

Falalalala

I’ve been learning a lot about the nature of Christmas caroling in the last few weeks.  Our adults are going out into the community to carol next Tuesday, so we’ve been rehearsing since Thanksgiving.  And they’re doing pretty well.  They are gaining confidence, singing out, playing instruments, and most importantly, having a good time.  Part of that is that I’ve been trying to get them to make it their own.  It’s one thing to just stand around singing songs everyone has heard a million times, it’s another to inject your own personality.

I’m very grateful to the staff who has been leading the groups during their music time when I’m not there.  Since I’ve cut down to seeing them only once a week, they’re usually on their own Wednesdays and Fridays (except for today, which was a make up after we got snowed out on Monday).  The staff has come up with choreography to a couple of the songs, Nuttin for Christmas and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.  And I have to tell you, NFC is an absolute hoot to watch now.  It’s a funny song to begin with, but with the adults all stomping around, acting mad, wagging their fingers, and acting out some of the atrocities committed by the singer, it’s absolutely hilarious.  I have to play guitar and sing throughout, and it’s all I can do to not burst out laughing.

On Monday, we’re going to be singing around the office, and on Tuesday, we’re heading out to a nursing home.  I am actually very excited.  I think our consumers are going to have a great time, and I think the people who get caroled to will be very encouraged.  And I think that’s the essence of what we’re trying to accomplish here – providing a positive experience for both the singers AND the listeners.

Thanks for reading!

-Jesse

Drumming

I have a client I’m working with one-on-one (J).  He stutters, which is the main reason he’s in music therapy.  He also wants to learn how to play drums, and I’m using this as a method to help him learn how to regulate his internal tempo.  Part of the issue with his stuttering, beyond a mild intellectual disability, is that he’s a speed demon.  He often tries to go a lot faster than he needs to.  In this, it is awesome that he wants to learn the drums because you HAVE to regulate your speed to be successful.

One problem – I know next to nothing about playing drums.  We didn’t have a methods class in percussion techniques when I was an undergrad, so I never go exposed to all of the rudimentary information there.  I know how to keep a steady beat, and I know a little bit about putting together rhythmic patterns, but that doesn’t seem to be enough to teach drums.

So far, we’ve been working on keeping a steady beat with a metronome.  I’ve been trying to get him to get his own without much success – he always says “I’m trying” when I ask him about it.  He does very well keeping the beat with recorded music, but on his own or with me on guitar, he rushes.

Lately, I’ve been trying to add the bass pedal to his repertoire.  We don’t have a set here, so I’ve just had him tapping his foot while he plays.  He keeps his hands and foot together pretty well, but is currently struggling with trying to just hit the drum with his hand on the off beats (two and four) while keeping the foot steady.  Yesterday, I got him to do it by having him hit an imaginary drum on one and three, so it sounded right.  The next step is to get him to not hit the imaginary drum, but to still leave the space there.

After this, I don’t know what I’m going to do.  I checked out a beginning rock drummer book from the library which is helping me come up with some ideas, but I really wish I had sought out a percussion class when I had a chance.  I’d love to hear some thoughts if anyone out there has any.

Thanks for reading!

-Jesse

Evil Christmas Songs

Have you really stopped to think about the Christmas songs we sing every year?

• Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – This song is REALLY creepy.  It begins with a threat (you’d better watch out, you’d better not cry, you’d better not pout, I’m telling you why…SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN).  It continues with a dire warning that there is a list that will be diligently checks, and then informs you that Santa is really Big Brother – always watching.  It ends with a reiteration of the original threat.  Scary stuff.
• Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer – This song, while on the surface a tale of an underdog who defied the odds, is actually an allegory for the importance of being popular.  None of the reindeer liked Rudolph until Santa noticed him, and then they were all gleeful.  Santa himself never noticed Rudolph until a foggy Christmas Eve, and then he used him for his own sadistic purposes.  What kind of message does this send to our youth?
• Nuttin For Christmas – When I was in high school, my mother would always make me come work with her on the last day of school before the winter break.  It was an exam make up day for us, and if I had no exams, I had the day off.  So since she still had to work (as a librarian in an elementary school), I had to help her.  On that last day, teachers would bring their kids into the media center and sing lots of songs.  The one that stuck out to me was “I’m Getting Nuttin For Christmas”.  The kids just belted out the chorus “I’m getting nuttin for Christmas / Mommy and Daddy are mad / I’m getting nuttin for Christmas / Cause I ain’t been nuttin but bad.”  The awful thing about this song is that the singer is reveling in his/her badness, and resolving to be good next year (no point this year).  I know it’s kind of a tongue-in-cheek song, but what a terrible message for out children!
• Frosty the Snowman – A magical snowman that comes to life only to die a horrific death that same day.  Kind of depressing when you think about it.  Even worse is his defiance of authority, only pausing a moment when a traffic cop orders him to halt.  He’s also a smoker.  What a nice role model.
• White Christmas – I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know.  What about all of us who never had a white Christmas?  This song does nothing but mock us.  I know I always felt like I was missing out.

OK, I’m kidding.  I love Christmas, and I love Christmas music.  But one of the perils of being a music therapist is that I tend to overanalyze lyrics.  Ah well.  Thanks for reading!