By Olivia Harrington, M.M., MT-BC
Music Therapy is filled with a variety of activities and interventions within each session. One music therapy intervention that is vital to sessions is adaptive lessons. An adaptive lesson is focused on teaching a music skill like singing or learning an instrument, but the approach is designed to add support as needed. Support methods might include physical adaptations or cognitive adaptations to meet the needs of the student.
Adaptive lessons can be beneficial for all ages and abilities and is an inclusive form of music lessons. From learning a new instrument to building skills with therapeutic benefits, adaptive lessons might be a good focus for music therapy sessions.
What goals are addressed in adaptive lessons?
Within adaptive music lessons, there are different goals that can be addressed based on the client’s needs. Building musical skill increases self-confidence, self-esteem and enhances self-expression and creativity, which improves quality of life. Naturally, music is an awesome motivator for the brain and reaches your “reward center,” (Gottfried, 2011). This unique ability of music lends itself to the benefits of adaptive lessons in music therapy sessions.
Music therapists are highly trained musicians which gives them the ability to teach many different instruments. Music therapists have an education on music theory, aural skills training (singing), instrumental expertise, and an increased knowledge of music history. In order to get into a music therapy program, music therapists must audition into the school of music and get accepted on their primary instrument. This makes music therapists a great choice to teach music lessons in their sessions.
Why choose adaptive music lessons?
There are many benefits to adaptive music lessons that are not always a part of a traditional music lesson. There are five major benefits to adaptive music lessons including, but not limited to:
Ability to build a new skill set.
Instruction from a highly trained music therapist.
Affordable cost.
Increased quality of life.
Potential for therapeutic benefits.
Within the music lessons, there will be an introduction or increase of skills, both musically and cognitively. Adaptive music lessons are always facilitated by a board-certified music therapist at Motive Music Therapy, which ensures the best instruction being offered. Adaptive music lessons are affordable and at Motive Music Therapy, we are approved providers of the Step Up for Students - Unique Abilities scholarship, making it more accessible than ever. Additionally, an improved quality of life can be fostered through the success in music lessons. Finally, there is potential for therapeutic benefits beyond learning an instrument like increased coping skills and self-esteem.
What to expect during an adaptive lesson:
During an adaptive lesson, there will most likely be a common framework that the music therapist will use. This framework will depend on the previous knowledge of the client and work with the client to decide the pace of learning.
The music therapist will first introduce the instrument and ask the client what they know about the instrument / music in general. That will serve as an initial assessment of the client’s skill level. Then, the music therapist will develop a treatment plan with instrument goals like “learn how to read music notes on a treble clef by December 2024.” The music therapist will define multiple goals for the client like “independently practice 5 minutes a day for 5 weeks,” and reassess as the client meets each goal. The client will choose what kind of music they want to learn on their respective instrument. Some clients might choose to learn ‘pop’ songs to play piano chords while singing, and other clients might choose to learn Für Elise by Beethoven on piano. This increases autonomy in each client and allows for their full self-expression.
Motive Music Therapy currently offers the following adaptive lessons:
Violin
Piano
Guitar
Ukulele
Drums
To find out more about your specific needs and how music therapy can help visit https://www.musictherapy.org/research/factsheets/. To contact Motive Music Therapy in Tampa, FL email motivemusictherapy@gmail.com and follow us on instagram @motivemt.
(Updated May 13, 2024)
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