It’s hard to believe that we’ve reached the end of our school year this week and next week we start summer programming. If you’ve been considering trying music therapy, summer can be a great time to “tune in” and “tune up”. I will be offering 1:1 sessions as before but I’m also excited to offer a new group class for children ages 5 – 9 who are working on social skills.
As musicians we all know how much we have to communicate verbally and nonverbally when working together as an ensemble. As a parent pointed out to me this past year, what better way to work on social skills then making music as a group? Along with that, research supports doing groups to better areas such as social communication. Called the Social Network Band, these 3 session group classes are available at the beginning of the summer session starting next week and at the end of the summer session. The groups are small with a maximum of 4 students in the group. Summer is the perfect time to get together with friends and jam. Making music as a group is the perfect way for children with special needs in areas such as social skills, self-expression and communication to learn and practice. Through music, social interaction, attention-to-task, and nonverbal and verbal communication are fostered because it is fun and motivating to make music together. Using instruments that are geared towards each member’s level of playing, we can create our own band. Being in a band requires us to listen to and work with our band mates, pay attention to our own playing, and attend to our band leader.
Each session is 3 weeks and a child can sign up for as many sessions as desired. Groups are kept small to allow for individualized attention within the group. Come join the fun! Please feel free to contact me at 425.644.0988 x158 or at pattimusic1[at]gmail.com if you have any questions.
