School Programs

When school is in, and even when it is not, we look forward to partnering with you to ensure every teacher, student and family has the best resources when it comes to music and music therapy. We are here for you.

Here is your copy of the TUNE IN book and companion WORKSHEETS.  *additional copies can be purchased here.

You will also find below:

• RESEARCH – some of the evidence behind what we believe, and what we provide
• A TEACHING VIDEO for putting together personalized playlists
• Additional STRATEGIES for using music in the classroom
• Actual FREE MUSIC for toddlers and preschoolers
• Our top 3 REASONS why music needs to be in every school

* Please note that we send out weekly, JBMT approved videos each week for all ages and abilities.  Just sign up for our e-newsletter right here on this page!

Keep in mind we provide:

• online music therapy for all ages
• group programs for all ages including FunDrum, Memory Lane Chorus
• webinars and workshops for organizations and teams

Here is RESEARCH for what we know music can do for students – and all of us really:

1. Relax the mind and lower stress levels
2. Stimulate creativity by increasing blood and oxygen flow to the brain
3. Create a clear passage to long-term memory
4. Change an individual’s emotional state

Our Suggested Strategy for Every Classroom – TEACHING VIDEO

Personalized Playlists. Begin collecting the music for your year. The music we use, and how we respond to the music in our life is unique to everyone regardless of our age, ability or affluence. It absolutely depends on each person’s preference and each person’s preference depends on their musical histories, interests, age, ability and personal interests. Here is a 48 min webinar to help you put together your purposeful playlists:

Additional IDEAS AND STRATEGIES for your classroom

Purchasing and Using Instruments. Classrooms may receive budgets to purchase new music-based resources; however, they often do not get a budget to research what resources (and perhaps training) would be best for their specific needs. All classrooms are unique and all teachers’ skill sets are unique. It is important to purchase resources that will be used on a regular basis and support your desired learning goals. Before spending too much money (instruments are expensive) speak to your Music Therapist and ensure you are getting the best for you and your school.  Remember it is best to use hand UNDER hand when sharing instruments with your students.

Use Music Intentionally. Do not have music playing all day. Use music intentionally at specific times of day. Select quiet, organizing music to use in the background as children enter the classroom. This creates a non-verbal message of intention to become more quiet and organized for the school day. Select short pieces of songs (one to two minutes) to indicate what is next: reading time, lunch, getting ready for gym. The teacher may have to say (for the first few days) what activity they are getting ready but afterward the music with speak to the students and inform them what’s next, just like a TV theme song.

Use Silence. Remember silence provides a pocket of space in which the sound just heard can be processed and consciously responded to. It is the listener’s opportunity to react and give something in return. Silence can often be the reboot our brain needs to prepare for the next thing.

FREE MUSIC for toddlers and preschoolers:

Our Top 3 REASONS Why Music Needs to be in Every School:

1. To foster connection and bridge culture and economic differences. Although we have more instant access to our friends and family via technology there tends be a lack of connection that can only come with human to human contact working and being creative together. Music is a celebration of who we are and an exploration into our diversity. If we truly value this and believe that it is a strong component of our social fabric then music can celebrate these differences in a non-threatening, positive way. Music gives us an opportunity to gain a wider perspective on cultural history and backgrounds by being exposed to centuries of rich heritage.

“Music is a magical gift we must nourish and cultivate in our children, especially now as scientific evidence proves that an education in the arts makes better math and science students, enhances spatial intelligence in newborns, and let’s not forget that the arts are a compelling solution to teen violence, certainly not the cause of it!”

Michael Greene, Recording Academy President and CEO at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards, February 2000.

2. To develop other academic skills. Music skills are proven to transfer over to study skills, communication skills, and cognitive skills; in other words, it is useful in every part of the curriculum. Music when done with the right intention is able to assist all children regardless of age or abilities, abolishing another potential societal gap. Aside from the social benefits, students in high school music programs have higher test scores and cognitive development. A U.S. Department of Education study found that those who reported consistent involvement in music programs during school years show significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12 – regardless of students’ socioeconomic status. Additionally, students who learn music develop a greater ability to learn a new language.11

3. To give students the opportunity to contribute to something greater than themselves. Each of us wants our children to feel successful in school, successful in employment, and successful in the social structures through which they participate. Music gives an opportunity to reach out to others, participate in a joint experience and then share….share with the audience, share with their cohort, share with parents who support them, share with the teachers that help them learn and share with the community that pays the taxes to ensure students receive life-giving education. Music gives something back and allows the listener to feel rewarded for their contribution in making it happen. Music is a two way communication that can make all people feel connected.

“Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation and by studying music in school, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective.” – Bill Clinton, former President, United States of America