TME Tuesday: Gotta Gonna Go on a Trip

 Gotta Gonna Go On a Trip

Purpose: To develop concepts of life-long leisure planning; to reminisce about travel; to assess group members’ ability to sequence, plan, and act in logical manner; social interaction; geography awareness; travel; abstract thought development

Source: Original Song. © 2009 by Mary Jane Landaker, MME, MT-BC

Materials: Accompanying Instrument; pictures of objects people pack for a variety of trips (for example: keys, money, wallet, shoes, coats, others as appropriate for the types of trips to focus on. Some trips might be long vacations. Others may be errands to run around the town.); OPTIONAL: suitcase; actual items (rather than pictures); map or globe

 Environment: Group members need to be able to hear and see the therapist

 Song/Chant/Words: See sheet music attached.

i                                                                       V          i

Gotta gonna go on a trip to Fiji, gotta gonna go on a trip,

i                                                                       V          i

Gotta gonna go on a trip to Fiji, gotta gonna go on a trip,

i                                                                                 V

Gotta gonna get my wallet. Gotta get my swimsuit, too.

i                                                                    V          i

Gotta gonna get my passport. Gotta gonna go on a trip.

 Procedure: R = Reinforcement opportunities; C = Redirection/Cue opportunities; A = Assessment

1.      C= start singing song using visual aids to introduce topic of song.

2.      A= assess whether group members attend to therapist when music begins.

3.      A= assess whether group members can choose items for the first verse.

4.      R= reinforce all attempts from group members to complete song or for attentive behaviors. Redirect group members who do not appear to be paying attention through proximity, use of names, or sung redirections.

5.      C= ask one group member to choose a location.

6.      A= assess whether specific group member is able to name a place to go on a trip.

7.      R= reinforce all types of trips – errands, vacation locations, etc. Redirect conversation to travel if group member is unable to complete the conversation

8.      C= start to sing the song, filling in the chosen destination and asking group members to indicate items that would be needed for successful completion of the trip. ***NOTE: therapist can extend the portion of the song where items are named in order to include all suggestions by group members. Just repeat the third and fourth lines as needed. If group members are unable to choose a location, use a map or the globe to assist group members in choosing a destination.

9.      A= assess whether group members are able to identify items to pack for specific trips.

10.  R= reinforce all responses. Ask clarification questions about chosen items that appear to be incorrect to see if there is a logical explanation for why the group member chose that particular item.

11.  Repeat steps 5-10 until group members start to show signs of boredom, disengagement, or time runs out.

Therapeutic Function of Music:

The music provides the framework for addressing the therapeutic goals. The repetitive melody, harmony, and rhythmic patterns assist group members in engaging in discussion and making selections. The lyrics are simple and offer opportunities to adapt the music to accommodate the wishes of group members. 

Melody

Pitch

Rhythm

Dynamics

Harmony

9 note tessitura – repetitive melody line

Variable to accommodate group members’ needs and preferences

Repetitive; some syncopation; swing feel

Variable to accommodate group members’ needs and preferences

Minor tonality; i, V7

 

Form

Tempo

Timbre

Style

Lyrics

Strophic; AABA’

Variable to accommodate group members’ needs and preferences

Variable to accommodate group members’ needs and preferences

Blues

Variable to accommodate group members’ needs, preferences, and contributions

Chart adapted from Hanson-Abromeit, D. (2010). A Closer Look at the Therapeutic Function of Music. Presentation at 2010 American Music Therapy Association National Conference: Cleveland, OH.

 Adaptations:

·         Choose the trip locations prior to the session to limit or guide the group members into specific locations (based on goal needs)

Extensions:

·         Discuss previous trips by each group member. Ask what types of items they found useful during their trips. Ask group members to indicate what they wish they had taken with them during those trips.

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Anticipation Builds...

Ask any school teacher about the week before break and you will get the same response each time - ugh. We are entering that week at my place of work. I am dreading it, but am also looking forward to it. My plan is as follows - clients choose what they are going to do in (some) sessions. Last week, we played Name That Tune. Now, I always fix the games where I get points when my students display unsportsman-like behavior or inappropriate interactions with each other or where I stump everyone in the room with my music selections. I also always cheat at the end with the reckoning of points. Always. I lost. We set it up so that they get to choose what happens in the next session (with guidance from me) if they win. If I win, it's business as usual. Three of my groups will be choosing what they are going to do during their therapy hours. I anticipate lots of karaoke and movie watching during those three hours. I am getting ready for a short week as well as experiencing the week...
Read more

There's Always Something...

I am starting to fill up the gaps in my music therapy schedule with individual music therapy treatment times. This is a great feeling. I'll start individual treatment on July 11th when we come back for our second session of our Extended School Year. I'll get things going for three weeks, reevaluate, and then start up again when the regular school session starts. I am excited about getting back into this type of therapy. I've missed it, but there's something else going on. I'm a bit scared. You would think that my 23+ years of being a therapist would make things lots easier for me to jump back into this type of therapy interaction, but I am a bit scared still. I think most of these feelings have to do with forced light duty and almost a year of being out of my comfortable routine. I know that some of these feelings are rooted in fears of being hurt again. I don't want to be hurt again. I know that many of these feelings are somewhat irrational, but they sti...
Read more

Thoughtful Thursday: Values and Directions and Goals

Image
I've done it again. I've signed up for yet another challenge to do to help me figure out my newest path through life. This one is called the Biz Breakthrough for MTs , and I am working my way through the thought prompts slowly and surely. As part of this challenge, I have been thinking through my values and my visions and am starting to prioritize my goals. I do this often, but being part of a formal challenge helps me refine what I really want out of life. I know that my values are pretty set (at least, for the moment - values often change, and that is perfectly natural) and center around music therapy, family, friends, and financial security. I feel that I am doing pretty well at living a value-full life right now. My vision is also pretty clear - I know what I want to be doing with my business ideas, but my pathway is obscured by fog. So, I know what is next. I have to find my map. I am a visual learner and pictures are the best way for me to express myself and to ...
Read more