It is Star Wars Week

It is time for my favorite themed week of the year. Star Wars week!

I am a fan of the Star Wars stories from long ago. Episode 4 was the first movie that I remember seeing in the drive-in theater. I know that I saw movies in theaters before that, but I only know that from stories rather than my own memories. This movie I remember with my own eyes - watching it from the back of our station wagon, late at night.

My junior intern will be doing most of the sessions for his assigned caseload this week. That will not change, but my senior intern is giving up her time with clients so I can do what I love to do... play with my clients! 

We are going to boss R2-D2 around. We are going to learn a bit about John Williams. We are going to do much, much more as well. We may use our pool noodles to conduct or to even do some highly restrained and supervised light saber battles. I want to find my mini flashlights to see if we could do some constellation stuff as well.

This is the week.

I do not usually focus on thematic programming. I love coming up with themes, but it is difficult to do themes at my facility with my philosophy of music therapy and what I think the role of music therapy is with my clients. This week is my exception. This week is all Star Wars, all the time!

The secret to good thematic programming is full commitment to the theme. If you decide to do a session based on healthy eating - then ALL TMEs are centered around healthy eating. Every single one, even the opening and closing TMEs.

So, I have Boomwhacker arrangements of the Star Wars main theme. I have information about John Williams, and I have all of the music on a prepared playlist. I have R2-D2, and I have the materials to make shakers that are R2-D2 characters. I also have some Darth Vader and other character containers that I can use to make shakers. I am going to make some Darth Vader and Anakin pictures to play a game about choices - good or bad - where my clients will move to the character that they think the answer is - good choice or bad choice. We will celebrate something that I love...

We have three more weeks of school before the end of our regular school year. After that, two weeks off! Two weeks! I haven't had two weeks off in so many years that I can't remember the last time I had this luxury!! Then we start our extended school year (ESY). For now, though, it is time to get started on my week. It is time! 

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