Secrets of Creating Inspired Themes

Image by val.pearl via Flickr

In this post I am sharing some of my secrets for creating and using inspired themes.  It is my hope they are helpful in kick starting a session, a week, a month, or a year for you. They are easy to apply ideas for the home, school, and long-term care settings. So here we go!

Where do you find inspiration for a theme?

You can find it everywhere. Really, I do: books I read, calendars, resource books, dreams, ideas from clients, local events. The secret is to capture them on paper, in a file, in a voice memo. Just capture them otherwise they tend to disappear from your thoughts.

What sources can be used to kick-start ideas?

• If the idea is triggered by a local annual event, often there are resources from this event to get you started.
• Many on-line holiday and special event calendars have links to starter sources.
• When it is free-floating ideas from my thoughts, clients, or dreams I often use Google as a starter point. Look into the suggested search terms that may pop up in your search

How to I build on an idea that doesn’t come with ready-made ties?

Ask questions about the theme to pull it into other events. For example, how I use a camping theme to create a cohesive week of events at an assisted living facility? The topic itself becomes something for reminiscing. Think of the images that relate to the topic. The equipment on might use can become the decorations and the physical objects that might help with the reminiscing. When you think of camping, it might help you think of smells  (pine tree, smoke, Mosquito repellent), tastes (hot dogs, smores, trail mix), movements (cutting wood, hiking, boating, horseback riding), sounds (insects at night, bird calls, wolves, songs around the campfire, and touch (rough cord, bark from trees, iron skillet, fabrics from tents). All these things can help you spread the theme into events: topics for Jeopardy, words to unscramble, movements for exercise, foods for cooking, songs to sing, just to name a few.

Hope this has helped. Recipients of the July 23, 2011 SPARKS newsletter received this and more! Join today by clicking here. Then you will be able to access this themed information in the archives.

Related articles

• Planning Made Easy with Themes (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Camping Theme Resources (musicsparks.wordpress.com)

7 Link Challenge – Music Sparks Version

Image by cmurtaugh via Flickr

My friend, Michelle Erfurt put out a challenge on Music Therapy Tween for a 7 link challenge. This seemed like a simple challenge. The questions only apply to the dates of August 2010 – July 2011. So here we go!

1. Your first post of August 2010: Music for All This was a short post sharing a link. Boy have my posts changed in the last year.
2. A post you enjoyed writing the most: Right Down to Your Toes I love being barefoot. I love getting a pedicure. Finding this poem and turning it into a song was a joy.
3. A post which had a great discussion: It surprises me that a couple tied: Time to Spring Forward and Singable Books: Patriotic.
4. A post on someone else’s blog that you wish you’d written:  Intergenerational Music at Cornerstone I wish I had a big hit post like this one on intergenerational music that was on my blog.  This may be a goal for this coming year. I wrote something that impacted the lives of those for whom I provide services.
5. Your most helpful post: Brining Australia to Kansas This post brought comments from Australia that informed my sessions. The residents were very impressed to have music suggested from around the globe.
6. A post with a title that you are proud of:  Yes, You Can! The title created interest and was a great summary of this video. We can each make a difference in the lives of those dealing with dementia.
7. A post that you wish more people had read: Singing Bowl Meditation Doing meditation with a group of older adults with a variety of backgrounds and diagnosis can be a challenge. But, this seemed to work.

Now, it is your turn! If you are a blogger, share your list of seven.

Other  articles you might enjoy:

• Top Intergenerational Music Blogs (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Who are my clients? (Part 1) (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Top Ranked Music Therapy Blogs (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Top 10 Blogs on Music with Older Adults (musicsparks.wordpress.com)

Top 10 Blogs on Music with Older Adults

Image via Wikipedia

Last week I shared a post on the top 10 music therapy blogs. Whether you are a music therapist or someone working with elders, these are some great resources. Todays list is from my search of Google for “music with older adults.”

10. Key Changes Music Therapy Services

9. 55 Places.com (A new find I am now following)

8. Connecticut Music Therapy Services

7. Bow Cliff Blog Site (This is an interesting find in many ways for me.)

6. Soundscape Music Therapy

5 .Rhythm for Good 

4. Victoria Williamson Music Psychologist (This was a new find for me)

3. Music Therapy Research Blog

2. Linda Coyle’s Blog (interesting that this is her old site)

1. Music Therapy Musings

I find it interesting that five of these are music therapy sites. It tells me that music therapist address this area. It also tells me there are other with influence in this arena. Finding new sites to follow provides me previously untapped sources for ideas.

My next top ten post will be on intergenerational music.

Related articles

• Top 10 Songs Long-Term Care Staff Should Know (musicsparks.wordpress.com)