Welcome Home!

From the start, Capital MTS has come into our clients' homes, schools, and camps for music therapy and education. Now, in our second year, we are very excited to be able to welcome you to our home!

Our first very own clinic space will be located at the offices of Washington Speech-Language Pathology, PLLC. We are sure that this nice space will soon be filled with wonderful music and memories for years to come! Stay tuned for updates as this space evolves.

Contact us today if you are interested in music therapy services at our clinic.

Reaching Out This Summer

The Capital Music Therapy team has a pretty busy summer planned:

• We will be working with Fairfax County's Department of Neighborhood and Community Services for their amazing Therapeutic Recreation Services Summer Camp program for the next five weeks. Classes will take place once a week at Lees Corner, Laurel Hill, and Wakefield Forest Elementary Schools.

• We will be joining the team of Soaring Over Seven Summer Camp for the rest of July.

• ... and more to be announced soon!

We hope that through these partnerships, we will be able to help many more children than ever reach their full potential through making music.

If we meet you this summer, share your child's experience with music therapy on our Facebook or Twitter!

2013 Holiday Gift Guide

by Josh Schrader, MT-BC

With less than a week to go until the big day, the procrastinators amongst us might begin to feel a slight sense of panic.  Especially if you have a music lover you need buy for.  Here are some holiday gift ideas for the music-lover on your nice list:

1. A 1-Year Subscription to an Online Music Service:  $100 - $149.99/yr

There are many to choose from.  The one I personally recommend and use with my family is Rhapsody.  One premium subscription is good enough for both my wife and I to share.  With that subscription, we get access to over 18 million songs on up to three different mobile devices and 3 different computers.  This means, both wife and I’s phone, our shared tablet, my work laptop, my personal desktop and my personal laptop can all have the software installed.  If I need more devices, I can simply access my Rhapsody account via the internet on any browser.  Once logged in, all my playlists and purchased tracks are available.  Need to go somewhere where there is not a data connection or wifi, you can download the tracks to your device so they are available for a limited time.

So, if you want to listen to that new album that was released last month without having to purchase it, this is the way to go.  Other options include: Spotify, Rdio, Google Play Music All Access

2. Klipsch S4i II In-Ear Headphones: $39.99

These headphones have award-winning sound and deliver nice deep bass.  I personally have and love an older model of these.  They are super comfortable and come with 3 different size ear fittings.  This newer model has a 3 button volume and play control feature.  There is both an Android version as well as an Apple version.  They have a gold-plated connector and come with a handy case to store them in too.

3. Headphone Ear Muffs: Varies.

Perfect for the cold-weather commuter or exerciser.  

4. Jam HDMX Wireless Bluetooth Speaker: $30-$50

These little guys have great sound.  The classic version fits right into the cup holder in your car.  This great for listening to podcasts and Rhapsody playlists on the go.  The larger Jam Plus version has even greater sound.  The selling point on those particular ones is that you can pair two of them for wireless stereo sound.  My wife and I personally each have one of these little ones.  They come in several different colors as well.

5. Concert Tickets: Varies

Lets not overlook the obvious.  A gift-certificate to TicketMaster is a great gift for any music lover

6. Ticket Stub Diary: $12

This is the perfect gift for a teenage concert-goer or a person who likes to see live shows.  This diary allows space to keep the ticket stub and then has space in the margin to document the memory.

7. Bach Neck Tie: $45

This hand-drawn necktie is perfect for the music educator, performer, or music enthusiast on your shopping list.

8. Rap Makes Me Feel Invincible: $24

It’s just funny.  That’s why.

9. Drumstick Pencils: $7.95

At the first sign of a rock-n-roll emergency, these mild-mannered #2 writing utensils flip to become a pair of dynamite drumsticks, laying down some rhythm for that song on the radio or the music in your head.

10. Sterling Sliver Personalized Guitar Pick: $32

This sterling silver guitar pick hand stamped with the names or sayings of your choice. They also have over 200 design stamps that they can use with your words.

11. Cordoba Ukulele Pack: $89.99

This is the same ukulele that I personally own and the one that Capital Music Therapy Services, LLC recently gave away in their mailing list raffle.  It is made of mahogany with a rosewood fretboard.  It comes with a bag, tuner, two picks, and chord book.  It has excellent sound and the extra goodies make it a great value.

12. Floor Drum: $30.25

This excellent little drum sits on the floor and comes with two mallets.  It’s made by Remo and therefore has great construction and sound.

13. Rhythm Instrument Kit: $69.95

This kit comes with a 20" Chilean rainstick, an agogo bell, a monkey drum (Djen-Djen),a pair of Latin American maracas, a Latin American wooden fish guiro with striker, a pair of ankle bells, a pair of hardwood claves, an instructional DVD, and a reusable container with lid.

Happy holidays and happy shopping!

.

7 Music Instruments You Didn’t Know You Have!

Marie-Louise Lyon, MT-BC

I recently saw this video floating around facebook and it got me to thinking, “what are some super basic things you have at home that make super awesome instruments?” And so began a list of 7 creative ideas for music instruments you didn’t know you have!

Drums:

My son absolutely loves to drum! I think he started drumming long before he was born! Using tubs, coffee cans, oatmeal and formula containers, or something similar, you can make an awesome drum! Just put the lid on the container and there you go! You can beat on the drums using your hands or any kitchen utensil. 

Shakers:

Shakers are a great tool to develop both gross and fine motor skills. Shakers can be made using any size container or jar filled with small foods such as rice or beans. You can vary the sounds by the size of the container and the amount of rice or beans you put inside. Make sure to close them tightly though, because nothing is worse than cleaning up tiny bits of rice! 

Guiro:

A guiro, or as my husband would say, the fishy instrument, is a great instrument to capture the attention of kids! It has a unique sound and provides great sensory input for kids. To create the sound use a cheese grater and a wooden spoon. Run the spoon over the large bumps on the grater and voila! This will produce the cool sound and vibrations similar to the guiro. 

Water Xylophone:

This idea is generally better for older kids because it takes a lot of muscle control. Put water into glass jars or cups to create a water xylophone. Each jar should contain different amounts of water to create the different pitches. The more water, the deep the sound, the less water, the higher the sound. You can add food coloring or glow sticks to the water to create an even cooler experience!

Another great variation of this would be to use 2 liter bottles. To create the sounds, you can either blow across them (a great skill to teach breath control!) or tap the opening with a spatula.

Chimes:

A cool instrument, even for babies, is a wind chime. Not only do they sound pretty, but they are visually stimulating too! To create a wind chime, attach some nails, bolts, and other metallic items to string, then attach them to a wooden stick (like a dowel rod). You can play the chimes using your hands or using kitchen utensils. You can spice them up by painting the metal with spray paint or adding colorful ribbons.

Castanets:

Castanets are a great instrument to use when dancing around! They fit nicely into the palm of your hand, and who doesn’t like to pretend to be a flamenco dancer or bull fighter? Attach two bottle caps to a small, folded piece of cardboard or cardstock. Put it in your hand and open and close it (like you’re making a puppet talk), and you have your very own castanets. For younger kids who will have a hard time holding on to them, you can add some string to make a hand strap. You can also put sandpaper on the outside of the cardboard to give it some grip. Put on some music and dance away!

Here is a great flamenco song to play-along to:

Bass:

This has always been one of my favorite homemade instruments! Take a large box and put a small hole in the bottom. Tie a knot in some string and thread it through the hole so the longest part of the string is on the outside of the box. Attach the string hanging outside the box to a tall stick. Now you have yourself a bass! You play the bass by moving up and down the stick while plucking the string with your other hand. My son loved the sound and used the box as a drum to make a band!  

With a little research and some elbow grease, you can create a variety of instruments to use at home. They are fun to create with your kids and add another element to your music jam sessions. Let us know about the instruments you create!

Using Music to Reach Your Full Potential

Proudly Serving Northern Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland

www.CapitalMTS.com

5 Reasons To Be Thankful

As we approach Thanksgiving, many of us take the time to look at our lives and find things to be grateful for. Today, we want to share the reasons we are grateful.

1. The families and facilities that we work with

We are so incredibly grateful to be a part of your lives and to share beautiful moments filled with both struggles and joys with you and your family. It is an honor to be welcomed into so many families homes to share in the joy of music and it’s power to transform. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share in those precious moments with you!

2. Our colleagues

Over the past 6 months, our company has expanded and grown to include five incredible music therapists. We are incredibly lucky to have such a close network of talented people who can help encourage and celebrate our challenges and successes as we build Capital Music Therapy Services. We are blessed to be able to work within a great network of music therapists!

3. Music

Without music, life would be boring. Music opens doors and help connect people in a way that nothing else can. Music is a universal language that everyone understands, regardless of age, race, or ability. Today we are ever thankful for music as it helps to bring our families together and our communities together.

4. Opportunity

Capital Music Therapy Services has been blessed with all the opportunities it has had over the past few months. We have grown in size, connected with some great professionals, estabilished partnerships with great organizations, and attended various events where we got to meet amazing individuals! Our first six months has been amazing and we are thankful for every lesson we have learned along the way!

5. Our families and friends

Finally, we would like to say a huge thank you to our friends and families! Through many tough and long days, they have stuck by us and supported us as we continue to work towards our vision. They have been our cheerleaders, our sound boards, our shoulder to cry on, and our partners in celebration. Thank you!

What are you thankful for today?

Using Music to Reach Your Full Potential

Proudly Serving Northern Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland

www.CapitalMTS.com

 

Fall for Fairfax KidFest

Josh Schrader, MT-BC

Last weekend our company had the great pleasure of exhibiting as a vendor for Fall for Fairfax KidsFest at the Fairfax County Government Center. This was our first large-scale two day event.  We where were exposed to over 20,000 people, got 109 of them to sign up for our email list, and 8 new customers.  We had a great time getting to know lots of new people and reconnecting with a lot of old friends.  We played instruments with lots of kids, talked about our services, and handed out tons of information to people! We also got to inform people about the groups we are offering starting in January.  All in all, it was a highly successful event!

Using Music to Reach Your Full Potential

Proudly Serving Northern Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland

www.CapitalMTS.com

 

3 Simple Ways Anyone Can Use Music At Home with Their Child

Marie-Louise Lyon, MT-BC

It seems as though every day a study is being published about what you need to do to make your child grow up smarter, funnier, stronger, healthier. I don’t know about anyone else, but some days it is a victory that everyone got out of bed, out the door, and to their destination on time! Although there are numerous studies documenting the benefits of using music with children, as parents it does not always seem to be practical and usable advice.

One of the most popular pieces of advice out there is to enhance your child’s home environment by using music in as many ways as possible. That is great advice if you feel confident with music, but many of us adults do not believe ourselves to be musical people. So how can a person who feels they are not musical use music at home? Below are three simple ways that anyone can use music at home with their child.

1. Make up songs about your day. The best and easiest way to incorporate music into your day is to use your voice! It’s cheap and it’s easy. Your child will not care whether you have a great voice or a mediocre voice; they will enjoy making music with you!  Remember, your child has been listening to and enjoying the sound of your voice far before they entered this world.  If you are feeling confident, compose your own songs by using a common method used in music therapy called the piggyback method. Take any familiar song and change the words to fit your daily routine. Below is a little girl using Row, Row, Row Your Boat to sing about brushing her teeth.

If you are not comfortable making up your own words, the Sing A New Song has some great piggyback songs that you can use. You can also google search almost any routine and find a variety of resources! Pick something that you will enjoy singing!

Remember to take it easy! Don’t try to make up a song for every routine on your first day. Enjoy learning each song one at a time. Focus on that song until you and your child gets comfortable and it becomes part of the routine before adding more songs. Adding one moment of music making together a day will have a profound impact on your child’s environment!

2. Share your favorite music. I’ve often heard a common myth that the only kind of music that makes children smart is classical music, mostly Mozart. However, the only thing your child will learn if you hate classical music is to hate classical music! Children learn by watching and modeling the behavior of others. Therefore, it is important to share your love of music with them, no matter what kind of music it may be. My love of music developed during fun times dancing around the kitchen with my dad, rock and roll music blaring! Although those moments just seemed like playtime, they were defining moments that developed my love for music and enriched my learning.

3. Attend concerts together.  Another myth about children is that they should not attend concerts because they are too young, would not enjoy them, and would be disruptive. I love going to concerts! Live music, the atmosphere, and interacting with other people who share my passion! Don’t those sound like great advantages to take your children? During the summer months, there are a variety of (free!) outdoor concerts that are the perfect venue to take your kids to. However, just because the summer has come to an end does not mean that the music has to as well. Many area symphony orchestras offer special incentives to children to attend concerts. The Kennedy Center has developed a series of sensory friendly concerts that have better lighting and sound levels for children. If you are willing to travel a little bit further, The Musical Autist also puts on sensory friendly concerts in the Baltimore-Annapolis area. Attending a concert together is not only fun, but helps to encourage a love for music and learning.

Using Music to Reach Your Full Potential

Proudly Serving Northern Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland

www.CapitalMTS.com