WDYD?



My idea of calm : )



What do you do when you need to calm yourself?  I was thinking about some phrases that have been used during my life, to urge others (or others directing me) to do so...remember "take a chill pill"? Chill out, calm or settle down, "chillax", be cool, "chill your grill" [I deferred to Google after these and found some strange/ funny ones, too :) ].  Regardless of the saying, generally when you hear it- especially with context clues- you're likely to understand the meaning...and hopefully get a grip, if needed.

When I'm creating songs for my kiddos, I always ask parents/ caregivers/ teachers/ therapists, etc. if any specific language is already being used to teach the topic.  It's really important- especially for those with special needs- to be consistent, and I do my best to carry that through songs that we use...not just in music therapy sessions, but maybe at home with mom or at school with an ABA therapist.  Better results have the opportunity to occur when everyone's on the same page!  Such is the instance here.

"Stop-Calm-Slow" also gives specific, concrete [again- important!] examples of ways that a child might hit pause and mellow out, after recognizing that a mood shift needs to occur.  Sometimes, the self-awareness that it needs to occur in the first place is half the battle.  With a young student, we literally practice moving at a fast, excited pace around the room- kicking legs, flailing arms, shaking head- accompanied by the faster guitar playing.  I verbally recognize that her body is in an "excited" state.  She's gotten to slowing herself down in harmony with the song, and also is able to perform the suggested actions on her own.  Now, we're working on translating it into in-the-moment occurrences during sessions.
Hope it may be of help to you!

STOP-CALM-SLOW

Sometimes I might get excited

A little too overexcited

And my body wants to go, go, go

But before I do that,

Think of how to react

Stop, and think calm and slow.

Take a deep breath,

Count to three,

Calm my body

Sing la-la-la-la-lee (ee-ee)

Give a squeeze
On my arms and my knees
Ask for help

If I don’t know what to do

(I need help, please)
Sing la-la-la-la-loo

You know….

Stop, and think calm and slow. (2x)

which comes first?

A melody or lyrics? When I'm writing songs, I typically look at wording before adding any sort of musical notations. This allows me to think about components of music, such as meter, key, dynamics, chords that may emphasize lyrics, etc...and parallel this to elements of spoken language (rate of speech, rhythm, type of utterance, emotion(s) of the speaker).  This way, I feel that I can better "attack" topics and really highlight them with music.  However, there are occasions when I'm driving along (and along and along!) my way to/from work and my mind is suddenly flooded with notes. It may be for a current project or something that I roughly record on the voice memo feature of my phone, and stash away for the "right" activity.

It just so happened that for today's song, the lyrics were already written for me. They were penned by an ABA therapist who I "share" a kiddo with. We thought that since music is such a motivator for her, putting the words to music seemed a natural fit. When I write, I, personally, usually look for  some sort of rhyme; this song doesn't, but to me- it works. The flow and message of the words are good, and during sessions, I've seen great success at learning, singing, as well as recalling afterward.
I like that the song offers empathy that yes- it's alright to be angry...we all experience this emotion!  However, there are ways of expression that aren't appropriate (and these can easily be modified to fit your needs); instead, alternatives are given.  I also made a lyric page with pictures to illustrate each "do not" and "can."

So, when it comes to song-writing, it may be a "chicken and egg" deal...other therapists, teachers, composers: how do you approach your creations? I'm interested to know your methods!

Getting Mad

Sometimes I get mad.
It’s OK to get mad.
I get mad when something is too hard.
It’s OK to get mad.


But…


When I get mad, I do not kick.
When I get mad, I do not scream.
When I get mad, I do not run.
It’s OK.


I can ask for help.
I can take deep breaths to feel calm.
I can count to 20.
Then I feel better.


Great job, Lucy*!

*name changed