"NTM" TME Challenge: TME Tuesday - Rhyming Words

Yesterday was a regular type of day. The kids who never participate didn't participate and the ones who always participate did participate. A couple of the ones that are typically passive actually engaged in our "New to Me" Therapeutic Music Experience which was nice to experience - engagement.

Let me explain.

I have this wonderful little Shareware program called Audacity. I downloaded it from the internet, for free, and it is a great bit of music recording nirvana for me. We started our "NTM" TME with a rhyming card game. Each person got half of a rhyming card set, we used a timer, and we tracked how long it took one person to find his/her matching card. The cards come in puzzle sets, so the person who was searching could either look at the words or the puzzle shape to find the match. This gave me an interesting glimpse into how my clients interpreted the information given to them. Some were not able to match using either method. Once everyone had their matches, I took out the computer and started up the program.

My original intent was to show them how to do some beatboxing patterns using words, but we never really got into that. The first person to record ended up improvising her own set of sounds, so that's what it ended up being - an entire set of sounds. At the end, it sort of sounded a bit creepy with its three layers of sound going on. I was assured that this was fine with the participants, so I saved our project and we moved on to other things.

I often fall into the trap of perilous thinking that leads me into thinking that complex therapeutic music experiences (TMEs) are more beneficial to my clients than simple ones. In my head, I had envisioned making background tracks to original raps created by my clients featuring, you guessed it, rhyming words. It all fit together quite nicely in my brain. It did not end up that way, and that is fine. In fact, with the amount of executive function happening with my usually passive clients, I was thrilled with what they decided to do with my original concept.

The lesson that I relearned yesterday??

 My plan may not be what my clients need from music therapy.

This is a lesson that I know, but I am often reminded of this as the entrance of real clients into my session strategy changes that strategy into something that I did not foresee. I did not realize that my plan to take our rhyming words and put them into beatboxing formats would not be interesting to the group in front of me in the moment. I thought they would be intrigued by this concept and would use their rhymes to create something pretty cool. They didn't like the concept and changed it into something that fit them so much better than anything I could have tried to make them do! (If you're wondering, trying to make adolescents do anything is the quickest way to lose any sort of therapeutic relationship that you have started!)

We reached all of my goals for my clients during that time. Clients matched rhyming words, using the methods available to them, and I was able to identify the ones who used word sounds and the ones that used the puzzle pieces and the ones who were unable to use either of the prompts available to them. We then moved from the rhyme idea into the computer program. Clients asked questions and were able to assist in the process of recording (social interaction, impulse control, sequencing, completion of multi-step directives). I gave instructions and then handed over the lead position to my first client...who took what I asked and stood it on its head! (Executive function here - making decisions on how to proceed!) My idea was no longer the way we were doing things.

Isn't that always the way, though?? Shouldn't that always be the way?? Shouldn't the client in the session be the one who is driving the session?? I think so. So, for me, this session was not anything even remotely close to being a failure. It was a tremendous success because we got to our goals. addressed them, did what was needed in the moment, and moved into something new!

I'm going to start with the same plan of rhyming words and Audacity to see if the next group will take it and make it their own or if my thought will be the way we do things. It will be interesting to see what happens today.

For now, though, I am going to write the statement that is in bold above to put above my desk at work. I think it is time for some fancy lettering and decoration on this first day of the month! I may even make it into a small sticker for my work bullet journal as a reminder to myself!!

There you go!