Spring Music Ideas and Resources for Music Therapists
Here in Indiana, spring is a breath of fresh air. The skies clear, the sun comes back out, and I personally begin looking forward to planting my flowers. It can be a great time to discuss seasons of life and growth, or just celebrate the birds coming out. 🐦 Here are some of music therapy intervention ideas that would be great for all ages (and for the music education classroom too!).
Pop Song Recommendations
First, I love giving some recommendations that can be used with teens and young adults! What’s popular can be ever changing and I know many therapists who can find it intimidating to try relating with teens. Here are my recommendations to use this spring for lyric discussions, songwriting, or other music therapy experiences:
“Flowers” by Miley Cyrus
“Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae
“Butterflies” by Kacey Musgraves
“Green Green Grass” by George Ezra
“Golden” by Harry Styles
“I’m Like a Bird” by Nelly Furtado
“Grow as We Go” by Ben Platt
“It Will Rain” by Bruno Mars
“Dandelions” by Ruth B.
“Daisies” by Katy Perry
Find an already-created Spotify playlist with these songs here.
“Flowers” Songwriting
I’ll start with my tried and true music experience - a songwriting template. I adapted “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus. I changed the message of the song slightly, to incorporate more discussion on self care. Whether a client is “on top of the world” or struggling with physical or mental health needs, I think it’s important that we put practices into place that will set us up for success as we deal with life’s demands. So I imagined this song would be used to discuss not just instant gratification self care (shopping, sweet treats, etc), but long term self care techniques (such as staying hydrated and getting enough sleep). Find a download of the songwriting at the bottom of the blog. If you need help coming up with long term self care opportunities or easy reminders for clients, you can find our flashcards available in our store here!
Spring Rhythms Worksheet
I have several clients with communication goals, and one way I love to support clients in this is to use rhythm worksheets. Each worksheet has themed words that clients will identify the number of syllables each word has. There’s a list of rhythms for clients to categorize the words under, and clients can play each word on a drum as they go! Find a download of the spring rhythm worksheet at the bottom of the blog.
Music Themed Books
Since I was turned onto music-inspired books as a new professional, I’ve created quite the collection of books set to song lyrics. Here are some that are fit for Spring!
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick & There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover (I’ll often sing these books along with a drum)
Spring Songwriting
A few years ago, I needed a songwriting on the fly and recreated “Daisy Bell” to discuss the outside spring weather. It’s a song I’ve done for years, so it’s familiar enough that the chords can be easily remembered and clients will catch on quick! Here’s a visual of how to facilitate - I love helping clients identify the flowers they might see, the color return to the plants, the sun come out, etc. You can ask clients to go look out the window, if they need help coming up with ideas!
DIY Easter Egg Shakers
Lastly, another music experience I’ve gone back to year after year is DIY Easter Egg shakers. I get empty plastic eggs from a local grocery or dollar store, along with bells or beans to fill inside. My time making these with my clients is a great fine motor, bilateral coordination, spatial ability, and executive functioning. After it’s completed, clients can use it for lots of music making!
Pro tip: I hot glue the egg closed, then put some fun washi tape over the seam to add a little more decoration. 🌼
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