Archive | March, 2011

VIDEO~ Drum Talk: What’s your favorite rhythm language?

By on March 25, 2011 in Drumming

Word on the street is that Babatunde Olatunji came up with a speakable language for African rhythms. Then he passed it on to Arthur Hull and others, who passed it on to me and you and many others.

Middle eastern drumming also has a speakable language.

You can extract a speakable drumming language from modern American music, too.

To say it so you can play it is really a great way to internalize music.

I shared the video below on Wednesday with subscribers who opted in to receive the eBook. Sign up over there → to get secret videos and announcements in your email every once in a while!

Drum Talk

Here’s what music therapist Carolyn said: It reminded me of some scat singing I once attempted with a female client who really liked jazz. It also inspired me to try using my voice more for rhythmic purposes in sessions, rather than just for singing “traditional” songs.

Here’s what drummer Jo said: I am in SW England and the way we say it is Bass, Rim, Slap –  Some times Boo Kaa Tin and with the children we make up all sorts of our own out of insects or food or toy names.

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VIDEO: Firework on Boomwhackers

By on March 22, 2011 in Boomwhackers®, Kids

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← This is Katy Perry.
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This is Katy Perry on boomwhackers ↓


If you’ve never seen a boomwhacker before, then check out 6 Slices of Boomwhacker Heaven for a full description.

To play this song with your group of kids (or fun-loving adults), all you need are some boomwhackers and octavator caps.

Click here to download the boomwhacker arrangement

To see Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas and more on boomwhackers, check out the archives!

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1:1 Drumming With A Child Who Has Special Needs

By on March 15, 2011 in Drumming, Kids

Click for a larger image of the MindMap.

Drumming with a child who has special needs

Click for larger image.

Rhythm For Good reader Ray Watters of Drum With Us in the UK, recently asked me for some fresh drumming ideas and rhythm games to play with kids who have special needs. He specifically needs 1:1 ideas (rather than group).

I figured the best way to start brainstorming was to create a mindmap. Last weekend, Nat Mullis recommended to me this really cool online mindmap maker, and that’s what I used to start asking questions. (See above.) This mindmap is only a start, and with each individual kid, there could be a million more questions to ask and ideas to explore….

But I’ll get down to the nitty gritty to answer Ray’s question. Here are a few 1:1 drumming experiences you can share with kids with various needs. These ideas should be adapted tailored to suit the needs of your client.

1. Hello groovy movement song. Adapt: let the student choose his/her own movement. Also give opportunities for the student to sing it back to you.

Listen to

2. Copy Cat. I learned this one from Terri Weiner, music therapist in Oceanside, CA: “Copy Kat is the name of the game. Whatever Kat does, you do the same.” [call & response drum pattern here] Repeat a few times, then switch it over to “Copy Billy is the name of the game. Whatever Billy does, I’ll do the same.”

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Online Zen 5: Online Adolescence and the Two Selves

By on March 12, 2011 in Online ZEN

I’ve been throwing stuff into the Cloud (Internet) only for a year. Online ZEN is just a little bit about how I’m using the Cloud more efficiently to make my life in the physical realm easier. Thanks for joining me in unveiling my rhythm in the Cloud! =)

 

In a brief portion of this beautifully-articulated presentation below, Amber Case describes how we have 2 selves now: our online self and our offline self. One thing these 2 selves have in common is the adolescent phase just before adulthood.

Teen shoes

Just like in real life, when we first start tweeting, facebooking, youtubing, linkedining, and the like, we feel a bit awkward. We seem a bit unusual to the regular folk. We have a learning curve to get through before things are working smoothly. We have to learn certain manners and etiquette in order for others to connect with us as “adults.” And it all happens outwardly in public in front of your friends and colleagues.

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Laryngitis And Letters To My Throat

By on March 8, 2011 in Kat's Musings, Music & Wellness

One of my most favorite blogs is run by Rachel Rambach at Listen and Learn Music. She is a blogging queen! And a great role model for anyone interested in (1) starting a blog or (2) improving a blog.

In one of her latest posts, she mentioned that she lost her voice. I commented and mentioned my month of silence a couple of years ago. Then she asked me over Twitter to explain more about my experience. And she wanted ALL the details. So, here’s what I remember! (Short story is that I lost my voice on a monthly basis starting in October 2008, until I finally took an entire month off work and didn’t speak a word in April 2009.)

The Trials and Tribulations of Fall 2008: In October of 2008, I caught a mild cold. I felt well enough to continue to work, and so I did. My schedule consisted of 3 adult sessions plus 1 or 2 early childhood classes per day. Sometimes I facilitated bedside music therapy, sometimes groups, sometimes individual home-based clients. But all the toddler groups were held in private homes with sometimes as many as 14 kids with their parents.

So, needless to say, I lost my voice in October. Gone. Poof. But, fortunately, I got it back quickly, and resumed work. I kept up my hectic schedule however. In November I caught another mild cold, and started to lose my voice. I canceled a couple of sessions, then resumed work soon thereafter again.

Same thing happened in December. I caught another cold, started to lose my voice. I continued to work, taking a few sessions off here and there.

The Frustrations of Winter 2008-2009: When I caught another cold in January, I felt pretty frustrated. My voice was raspy, tired, and weak. Again, I canceled when I had to, but being self-employed with no “sick days” pressured me into remembering the importance of paying rent. [Oh yeah - Gotta do that...]

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