More conference fun! Remo Artbeat drums!

Did any of you attending the national conference for the America Music Therapy Association in Jacksonville see the new Artbeat line of Remo drums??  These drums have actually been around since 2010, but now they will be on sale for the public starting in January!

These drums have special textured canvas heads that allow several different kinds of permanent art medium like paints, chalk and more.  Here is a short video that shows the drum being used for art: 

 

I was impressed by the resonance and overall good sound that came from the drums when I played them at the conference! I don't have any links for the new drums yet, but I did play one of the buffalo drums similar to this one at Amazon, just with the new canvas head:
 


I was informed that the drums would soon be available in different sizes and will include frame drums, djembes and even rainsticks or paddle drums! My first idea is to use a large frame drum during a group session to create a large mandala! I have proposed to my students that will be seniors next year to think about doing a fund raiser to purchase a large frame drum and then create a group mandala on the drum as a senior project. This drum can then be donated to the music therapy program as a senior gift! They seem to like the idea and I am very exited about this idea as well as other therapeutic applications. You can find other ideas about combining music and mandala art in one of my other posts here. 

Happy Thanksgiving and happy drumming!

Remo's New Versa Drums!

I had a chance to try out the new Remo line of Versa drums at the American Music Therapy Association national conference.  I was really impressed!  

They were amazingly light, but still had the good sound of a Remo tubano or djembe.  In addition, the ability to stack them and use the heads as hand drums makes them extremely versatile!  I think the name fits!

These drums are definitely worth checking out!  And great for the mobile music therapist!

  

Robin Spielberg: Celebrity Spokesartist for the American Music Therapy Association

Robin Spielberg performed at the opening session of the AMTA national conference in Jacksonville, FL this year. She has been a spokesperson for music therapy since 2000.  She was a wonderful performer and wove her stories in between the playing of some of her favorite original piano compositions.  Her new book is:


My wife and I particularly love this album:

Thank you, Robin, for all you do for music therapy!!

21st Century Tools for Educators and Supervisors: There's an App for That!

Here is the handout for our presentation at the 2013 AMTA national conference!  This outline will basically serve as a place to take notes and follow along.  Since we will be demonstrating most of the websites and apps live, there will not be a powerpoint or prezi with the details.  You will just have to attend to find out the details! 

AMTA2013Handout

Deciphering the Affordable Care Act: Its Effect on Music Therapy

• Here is the Prezi from our presentation at the 2013 American Music Therapy Association national conference in Jacksonville! This is just an outline, so please let me know if you have questions. 

• You can also join in the conversation at our Obamacare and Music Therapy Discussion Forum by clicking here or by clicking on the tab at the top of the page. Let's keep the discussion going! It is very important for music therapists to get and stay informed regarding the Affordable Care Act!

References: Deciphering the ACA

Statements Related to Survey

The Affordable Care Act: Effect on Women and Children and Access to Music Therapy

This is a copy of the powerpoint slide presentation from my part of the Institute session November 20, 2013 at the American Music Therapy Association National Conference: Medical Music Therapy for Infants and Children. After a brief review of the timeline, my focus was on parts of the new law that may impact women's and children's access to insurance or medical care, and in effect, their possible access to music therapy. Since this is just an outline, please let me know if you have any questions!