Music Therapy Group for Preschool age children with disabilities

Right now I am working with Idaho Parents Unlimited to try and get a music therapy group for preschool children with special needs.  We are asking for people to spread the word.  Please let people know.  The group will be working on social skills, communication skills, emotional expression plus much more.  All of this in a fun way so that we are working on the skills without the childretn feeling like we are working on the skills.  Have anybody who is interested contact me at matthewjordan@musicmakesconnections.com or they can call or text me at 286-5508.

Giving words to an aphasia patient through music therapy

It was been an awesome experience working with a woman who has had a stroke and can't speak because of the stroke.  The only word that she can say is, "no."  While working with her, we worked first to get her to match sounds while singing.  Now I have written some simple songs for her to learn with phrases that she wants to be able to say.  She can sing a lot more words than she can say right now.  Obviously the goal is to get her to be able to say rather than sing some things.

There was something amazing that happened at our last session.  One of her favorite phrases is "lock the door" because she is always trying to remind her family to lock the door at night.  For a while now she has been able to sing the phrases, and last session she actually said the phrase.  That was amazing.

Music Therapy with a young boy with autism

I recently went to see a young boy with autism at his home.  When I got there, I could hear him screaming when I was outside the door.  When they opened the door, it was clear he was upset.  He was wondering around, screaming asking for things, but not really wanting what he was asking for because when his mom would give it to hm he would just scream and ask for something else.

The mom looked at me and said, "go ahead and see what you can do."  I took out my guitar and strummed a chord.  The boy stopped.  He looked at me.  He came over and we sang and played instruments.  It doesn't always work that quickly and dramatically, but it has worked like that enough that I wasn't surprised.

Music therapy with a child with autism

One of the most exciting thing is the first time you hear someone speak.  I was working with a young girl with autism in a music therapy group.  She can speak, but I had never heard speak.  Obviously this is not uncommon with people with autism.  I gave her plenty of opportunities to speak during the group, but she would never take it. 

At the end of the group I was singing the good bye song.  Out of the corner of my eye I see her mouthing the words.  Maybe not singing, but definately participating.  That was exciting.  When the group was over, the staff working with her encouraged her to say good bye to me.  Imagine my surprise and the suprise on the face of the staff member when she looked up at me and said, "Good bye Matthew."

Seeing a smile from Young Man with Autism

I have been working with a young adult with autism in Mountain Home Idaho recently.  His attention span is short, and his interactions with me have been short too.  He will interact for a few minutes at a time.  But everytime I go he interacts a little bit more.  The last time I worked with him I saw something amazing.  He was more interactive with me than he has ever been.  He was playing music in time, following simple directions in the songs and even singing with me.  But my favorite moment was when he looked at me and gave me a big smile.  I had never seen him smile before, and it was a beautiful smile and a beautiful moment I won't forget.

Music therapy with an adult with Autism

It is exciting showing people music therapy for the first time.  A lot of times people do not know what to expect.  I went and did an initial music therapy session recently with an adult with autism who lives with his mother.  The adult is nonverbal and has very little interaction with people.  When I got there the mother said she did not think that he would sit down.

When the music therapy started, not only did he sit down the entire time, but he played on instruments, followed directions in the music, frequently made eye contact with me, and even smiled when I did some "musical jokes."  It was fun to see and to work with him.  The mother commented how she thought he would have some interaction, but she was amazed at how much he did respond and interact.

Music therapy and dementia in Boise

Check out this video that I did a while ago with a woman with dementi that I worked with.  Her speech was limited to 2 to 3 words, but she was able to interact through music.  It also provided an opportunity for her to interact with her husband which he loved.  I remember the first time I went her husband was in tears and he just kept saying, "You do remember."

I am doing a music therapy open house tomorrow at my clinic space at 10112 Overland Rd Boise for people with dementia.  It is free.  It is from 5:30-6:30.  I would love to have as many people as possible.

Music Therapy helps a young adult with developmental delays find his voice

Music therapy can be so exciting when a break through happens.  I have been working with a young adult with developmental delays in a group for about a month.  This young man is able to speak a few words, but I have never heard him say to words in the correct context.  Last session while working with him in the context of the song we were doing he answered a question with an appropriate response.  It was awesome.  I saw the look of suprise on his mother's face and I got so excited.  It is moments like this that make me so thankful to be a music therapist.

Connections without words with a non verbal young man in Boise

I named my company Music Makes Connections for a reason.  It is so exciting to be able to connect with somebody in a way that nothing else can.  I have a nonverbal young man in a group that I work with.  He has difficulty following verbal cues.  Well, when working with recently I noticed that he began playing in perfect rhythm with me.  I started changing the tempo, and watched as he was matching my changes perfectly.  I have only been able to connect with him a little bit with words, but it was amazing to have a connection without words.

Music Therapy at a Skilled Nursing Facility in Idaho

I started music therapy for at a skilled nursing facility yesterday.  It was my first time working with them, and it was exciting to see their reactions.  It was great to see how music therapy helps people who normally do not interact to make eye contact, sing, and talk about their lives.

The was one resident in particular who had an amazing interaction.  The facility wheeled in a woman who was sleeping.  The activity director said that she has never seen the resident interact with anybody in any way as long as she has been working there (around 9 months).  During the session, there were two times that the resident mouthed the words to the song.  The staff was amazed.  It was great to be able to facilitate a connection with someone who has been so isolated for so long.