Archive | May, 2011

VIDEO: Meghan Callaghan, Rhythm Renegade

By on May 31, 2011 in Rhythm Renegades

This week’s Rhythm Renegade is the multi-talented, beautiful Meghan Callaghan, board-certified music therapist. She’s a rebel with a cause: to change the world with rhythm!

Meghan talks about living in the woods and being an awesome music therapist. If you need some fun, useful camp ideas, she is your woman! Check her out at Flagstaff Music Therapy or her Facebook page. She plays a mean guitar around 4:20 ——->

 

Going for a commute? Download the audio and take it on the road!

How did I DO this? First, I Skyped Meghan in fullscreen, then I recorded the screen via ScreenFlow, then I uploaded the video to my YouTube account. Badda bing, badda bang. There you have it ~ a video interview online. Give it a try! Get Screenflow now.

If you like this post, then you’ll love these:
MythBuster #7: Drumming is for hippies only.
9 Tips: Drum Circles with Kids Who Have Special Needs
DrumTalk: What’s Your Favorite Rhythm Language?

Continue Reading →

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Memory Validation Versus Reality Orientation

By on May 26, 2011 in Older Adults
Music and memory

My friend Brent Rosenbaum, a conflict resolution expert, made an appearance yesterday on a Ventura-based podcast. When I was listening, I noticed that Viki Kind was also a guest on the podcast!

The crazy coincidence is that two months ago, when I was wandering around Borders reading this, that, and the other, I stumbled upon some great books. One of them just happened to be Viki’s book The Caregiver’s Path to Compassionate Decision-Making. If you work with older adults, I *highly* recommend getting this book!

The best story in that book is called “The Day My Dad Was Shot In The Dementia Unit.” She relays a story about a daughter who took a phone call from her father. In her father’s mind, he had literally just been shot. In our reality, he was safe and sound in his memory care community.

But in his own mind and body, he was experiencing a severe wound from a gunshot. He was feeling all the emotions. He was narrating the details of how it happened. He was scared and trembling.

What could she do? This brings up the comparison between reality orientation and memory validation.

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VIDEO INTERVIEW: Mark Powers, Rhythm Renegade

By on May 24, 2011 in Rhythm Renegades

Welcome to the first edition of RHYTHM RENEGADES! Today, our special guest is Mark Powers of Powers Percussion and The Donating Drummer. We talk about skydiving, drumming with kids, online/offline balance, blogging, hiring help, and living life to the fullest. Check him out!

Special thanks to our friend and French music therapist _Auwel_ for connecting us on Twitter!

 

How did I DO this? First, I Skyped Mark in fullscreen, then I recorded the screen via ScreenFlow, then I uploaded the video to my YouTube account. Badda bing, badda bang. There you have it ~ a video interview online. Give it a try! Get Screenflow now.

If you like this post, then you’ll love these:
MythBuster #7: Drumming is for hippies only.
9 Tips: Drum Circles with Kids Who Have Special Needs
DrumTalk: What’s Your Favorite Rhythm Language?

Continue Reading →

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Rhythm Renegades!

By on May 20, 2011 in Rhythm Renegades

I’ve been bouncing off the walls about this idea for a week and a half now, and I’m so relieved I can finally tell you. Here’s the plan.

I’ve already conducted a few interviews, and I’ve got a stellar line up: a professional jaw harpist, music therapists, drum circle facilitators, a percussion group who travels the world, and more… Here’s what it’s all about:

RHYTHM RENEGADES:
Extraordinary people who use rhythm to change the world

 

Now please go to Facebook, comment on the wall if you’d like to be a guest or if you have someone in mind who would be the perfect Rhythm Renegade!! Let’s get this party started!

If you liked this post, you’ll love these:
Boomwhacker Archives
ABCs of DrumSkype
VIDEO: DrumTalk, What’s Your Favorite Rhythm Language?

Continue Reading →

Comments { 3 }

Extra Extra! Music Therapy in the WSJ!

By on May 15, 2011 in Older Adults

Last week, the Wall Street Journal contacted me about a phone interview for an article on music and dementia. I was pretty floored, excited, happy, nervous, and more. The American Music Therapy Association was the first point of reference, and I highly recommend becoming an active member if you are a music therapist.

Music and Dementia

I figured it was worth writing home about, so I wrote an email to my Dad. First he replied with a congrats email, then he had a secondary response. You see, my siblings consist of an accountant/Marine-war-vet/business-owner, an MBA/computer-programmer/physics-major, an engineer/Marine, and then there’s me the oddball musician (and the only one to move out to California from The Deep South, the only one who is left-handed, the one known as the “delicate leaf” in the family and quite a bit sensitive). Here’s my dad’s secondary response~

Music and dementia

 

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