Music Therapy Gift Ideas
If you’re anything like me, I always end up asking for music therapy supplies for Christmas and holiday gifts. It’s a great time to ask for things that you are wanting to try or splurging on something a little more pricey. So with holiday shopping season quickly approaching - here is a list of things that I either already have and love, will be asking for this Christmas, or would love to try in the future.
1. Yoga Cards
This year has been full of conversations about grief and coping skills. I’ve started to incorporate some stretching and relaxation to help my clients develop some coping practices that they can turn to throughout their weeks. One product I will be asking for this year is a deck of Yoga cards. These provide visuals for clients to learn a variety of movements, as well as some instructions on how to facilitate. I’ve also considered scanning these to use during telehealth sessions via screen sharing. This pack is specifically marketed towards teens, but there is also a pack for children and one more suited for adults.
2. Desk & Hand Bells
These were one of the first instruments I saved for as a new professional. They’re extremely adaptable - clients are able to play like a normal bell or tap the tops of them for those with limited motion. I also purchased a carrying case for them, which can be found here.
3. Coping Skills Resource Book
Another item on this year’s personal wish list. Emotional expression and developing healthy coping skills are frequent goals on my caseload & this looks like a promising tool for resources. Based on the preview, they provide worksheets and intervention ideas (not music therapy specific), as well as facilitation instructions. I’m looking forward to seeing how I can apply these into a music therapy context. This author also created the grief resource book mentioned in a previous blog with Mabel from Limitless Harmonies. Some other resource book topics for teens include: social skills, communication skills, self esteem, and stress. The author also has workbooks for adults, including ones on: anger & aggression, grief, managing trauma, and more.
4. Remo Green and Clean Instruments
In a time of an ongoing pandemic and with flu season quickly approaching, these drums may be just what we need to help keep everyone healthy. Remo designed these specifically to withstand the chemicals of cleaning solutions, so they’re durable and practical. They carry a variety of instruments in this series, including frame drums, an ocean drum, a tubano, and a bossa shaker. Sweetwater (my go-to music shop in town) has these available here.
5. Weekly Notepad
This is a product I actually own from one of my friends in town who is an artist. I love using this notepad to keep my week organized and the florals at the bottom brighten up my to-do list. If you’re a business owner like me, a student with a busy class schedule, or a therapist with a full case load, this is a great product to help stay organized and on top of your week. You can find this product here.
6. Airpods / Wireless Headphones
Pricey? Yes - which is why I was gifted these and hadn’t bought them on my own. I’ve had Airpods for about 3 months now and they have come in handy so many times (plus, I love the integration with my other Apple products). They’re great if you have others in the house while you’re doing telehealth or prefer the clearness of headphones. I love having the freedom to move freely, especially during sessions - I am able to facilitate movement exercises or play guitar without the hassle of attached wires. There are knock-off brands on Amazon that I haven’t tried, but could be worth looking into for cheaper options.
7. Musical Books
Several of my clients have goals related to speech and apraxia diagnosis. Musical books are my FAVORITE to use with these clients because it provides a visual to read and follow along with. This year, I’ve used “Happy” by Pharrell Williams frequently - it’s a pop song, but the pictures inside are of children. Other books based on song lyrics:
“Octopus’s Garden” sung by The Beatles
“What a Wonderful World” sung by Louis Armstrong
“Singing in the Rain” sung by Gene Kelly
“Puff the Magic Dragon” sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary
“Walking in a Winter Wonderland” sung by Peggy Lee (perfect for the holiday and winter season!)
“There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed…” series - I’ve heard these books come up frequently in the music therapy community, due to rhythm of the words.
8. iPad Stylus
If you’re like me, you use your iPad or tablet every single day for work. You may also have gone a while without having a stylus or one that you liked. I bought this Meko stylus about 2 years ago and don’t know how I lived without it before. This is great for taking notes, having clients sign documents on your iPad, or drawing visuals with your clients. They’re double sided with a thicker mesh sphere on one side and a finer tip on the other for writing.
9. Hapi Drum
I’ve seen a lot of talk about Hapi Drums lately and purchased one myself this year. It lives up to the hype - my clients have loved the sound and I’ve used it many a times in sessions for relaxation. It doesn’t have to be used for soothing purposes though - I have clients who just love the sound of vibrations or enjoying expressing themselves musically. I personally bought the C Major Pentatonic in the mini size, but there are other varieties and scales on the Hapi Drum Website.
10. Blue Snowball Mic
Lastly, this is a telehealth NEED - if you don’t already have a microphone, I would HIGHLY recommend investing in one. I asked for this microphone last year for Christmas and had no idea how much this would come in handy this year. I have also really loved using this during sessions to record my clients. Some of my favorite interventions have been recording songs written by my clients to give to loved ones & recording new sound effects for silent films.
I would recommend getting this case for the microphone for safe transportation and storage.
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