Finding Something Fun...and Then Making It Work!

I have a difficult relationship with technology. iThings and I do not speak the same language, so I avoid them like the plague. I have an iPod because Apple took over the mp3 market and it was easier to just give into the Apple thing than it was to try to navigate the world of Zune and other mp3 technology. As long as I don't antagonize it, the iPod does what I need it to do - keeps me entertained. I do not have many smart speakers around me - just the one in my Kindle Fire - and I am fine with not knowing things immediately. I am resisting the world of instant gratification and the need to always get information instantaneously.

I have a terrible success rate with Bluetooth things. My Dad got me a BB-8 robot many years ago that has never connected with my Bluetooth stuff. I FINALLY figured out how to work my speakers with my laptop, and I also can get my phone hooked up into my car system. I tell you this because I have a new toy to share with some of my clients next week - a DropMix system!

I am not sure where I got the idea that I needed this system, but it has been sitting in my home for several years now. I found out that they are no longer making this system, so I guess I found it at the right time. The current prices are about $70-80 USD - I KNOW that I didn't pay that much for this game. I guess I got this at the right time. I have never seen it used before - I probably just had it recommended and found that it was the right price at the time.

ANYWAY...

I found it during my move and decided that it was time to actually open the box and figure out how to use the system. I did not know that it was app-reliant, but the app was available for my ProBo, so off I went to figure things out.

I had my usual challenges with trying to get the app going. It kept losing the connection. It kept demanding a firmware update without updating. I was stuck in a frustration loop and required some creative thinking before things worked. I finally just told the app to work without downloading the update and, voila! Things started to happen.

Now, so you know, this system uses a console, an app, and cards that you use on the console to make different mixes. There are some flashing lights (which is a consideration for some clients). You can save the mixes that you make within the app - I haven't found out if I can save the mixes to my device or to my personal cloud account yet. Once I finally got things to work yesterday, I spent some time playing around with the cards. I think some of my clients will enjoy this console, AND...

I GOT SOMETHING TO WORK!

I have a clinical dilemma that I am trying to figure out.

I have some groups that are not responding to what I am presenting. I am quite frustrated with the lack of interest that some of my clients display. I am also in the down part of my hormonal cycle, so this lack of interest is feeling like a personal failure. I am not entirely sure if this is just how the group is put together and that they are showing this lack of participation in other areas as well. I know that some clients do these things in all areas. For some reason, my non-participators stick in my head more than the participators. I have so many more participators than non-participators, but the non-participators haunt me.

This will get the attention of some of my non-participators until they get a chance to try it. After that, they will no longer be interested and will withdraw from engagement. I can't seem to find a way into getting the attention of all clients in all groups all the time. This is an unrealistic goal, of course, but it is still one of the thoughts that happens to me. On a regular basis. When I wake up REALLY early and have nothing else to think about...

So, DropMix will be one of the things that I do with my groups next week. I think I will try some games - Song BINGO is always popular and I have several sets for different client groups. I do need to get some stickers for prizes, though. Add that to the list - go to the Dollar Tree to buy stickers for prizes. I have one group that has a child who does not celebrate Christmas, so I will do a different game for that group. We don't have to do Christmas-themed stuff at all next week, but it is fun to bring out the Christmas songs, and we are not doing a Holiday Sing this year  because of COVID, so why not bring it into the music therapy room? Just so you know, my clients are almost exclusively Christian-identified, but I do not use much Christian music in my clinic. We also acknowledge other traditions as appropriate for the clients that are in our care. At the moment, almost all of our students will be engaging in Santa-type celebrations this year.

I have seven sessions today. Three groups and four individual/dyad sessions. It will be a long day, but it should be a good one. After that, I have to move stuff around at home, get ready for an online meeting tomorrow morning before heading out to get the rest of my stuff packed and moved over to the house. At that point, all of my stuff will be here and no longer in two places. Next week will (hopefully) be cleaning and bed delivery week and steam cleaning will happen the next week. There is some interest in my apartment, so I can hope that I can get out of my lease very soon. I am eligible for jury duty for the next two weeks, so all of this can change in a blink due to that civic duty responsibility. It has happened again - every possible thing that could happen to me is happening at the same time! 

Time to get things started on this day. The blogging is over. I have about an hour to move boxes to the corners of the rooms so other things can come down here. The rest of the bookshelves will come over tomorrow morning, so I will finally be able to set up the rest of the office/craft studio space with the rest of the junk that I have available. All of my decor will be over here as well. It will be finally done...except for the unpacking...which will probably never be finished. That's okay.