Well, one last blog from Cayman...
We are sitting in the airport, just about ready to head back to Boston with all of our experiences and memories. We did a little wrap up this afternoon, and we all agree that this trip changed our lives. We've all got a new little music therapy spark that we will continue to pass on. :)
Again, we are eternally grateful for all the support from friends, family, classmates, MT professionals, and others that made this trip a reality.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Channing Friday/Saturday
This week has quite honestly been one of the best weeks of my entire life. I feel so blessed to have been surrounded by such beautiful caring people. Not only have I grown from this experience but I have gotten to witness six other lives change. We truly have become a family. Stephanie is our loving caring mother on this trip, keeping us in check from our own "blog about it" moments. Jeniris, our peppy sister who consistently finds the joy in every moment. Seneca our brother, protecting us and bringing his fun spirit. Ranjana, our youngest sister, with a heart of gold, bursting with energy, willingness, and love. Mariza, our crazy aunt that never fails to make us laugh. And of course Julianne, our fearless leader and wise mentor who has put up with all of our "clitch" moments and continues to help us strive to be better music therapists. We have become closer than I ever would have imagined, and I am so proud, honored, and humbled by the love I am surrounded by.
Yesterday I was able to see all of the hard work that we have put into fundraising, spreading the word, and working with the children, accumulate in an amazing concert. At the end of the concert, we were met by tears of joy from parents who had never seen such focus from their children, or parents who were so proud of what their child had accomplished. The children who had literally kicked, hit, bit, and punched us in the beginning, had embraced us by the end of the week and would not let us go. It is at times like these that I know I am where I am supposed to be.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to our amazing experience, whether it was money or good wishes, our hearts are overflowing with love for each of you.
Today, I think we will relax :)
Thank you to everyone who contributed to our amazing experience, whether it was money or good wishes, our hearts are overflowing with love for each of you.
Today, I think we will relax :)
Ranjana Srinivasan-Friday August 19th 2011
As it has been said many times before, all good things must come to an end. Today we had the kids perform in a final concert, and it was a truly amazing experience. During the day we had a dress rehearsal and after the camp at twelve we had all the parents come in to watch the kids show off their many talents. We had each group perform a number. They also entered the concert singing our theme song “Beat The Heat” to the tune of “Stir It Up.” Following this the group as a whole performed a movement song called “ I’m So Excited” which was written by our own Channing Shippen. After this the first group, the yellow team, performed. Over the week they created their own band called “J.J. and the pink berets” and today they sang the song “La Bamba.” The next group, the red group, was our toughest one this week. They performed a song called “ Play The Drum” and each had a drum solo. This went surprisingly well and we were all so proud of them! The last group that performed was the blue team. They played song “ Hound Dog” on the drums and did an amazing job. After this a little drum team and dance team performed routines. To end the concert Team Cayman performed a song that we wrote together called “The Beat Of My Heart” and dedicated it to the kids. Many parents in the audience were very touched by our performance and almost all of us were in tears. I saw one of the mothers in the audience shedding some tears and I immediately started to as well. I think this whole process was very emotional because we all worked hard to raise the money and make sure this camp happened, and after it was all done we finally got to be proud of our hard work. What also made it an emotional process was the fact that these children will special needs in the Cayman Islands are treated poorly on a regular basis. Instead of learning about their needs, many parents are embarrassed by their children and discipline them by hitting them and hiding them from the community. It broke our hearts to find this out and we were so glad that our camp gave them a chance to express themselves in a positive way through music. We really tried to explain to each parent the progress their child has made and how proud we are of them. The parents seemed very grateful that their children were able to come. Many kids became very upset when they realized it was the last day. It was sad to see but now we know that this camp has made a difference in their lives. For many kids they became passionate about certain instruments such as the guitar and the drums, and now their parents are working to enroll them in music lessons. Our goal coming to Grand Cayman was to promote music therapy and show how it positively effects children with special needs. I believe that we accomplished this and I am very proud to be apart of such an amazing team. I will end this blog by quoting Mariza in saying, “ If we can put on a concert with the kids in one week, imagine what we could do in a year.”
Friday, August 19, 2011
Friday-- Steph
I can't even believe the week with the kids is over...
Today was absolutely unbelievable. During the first part of the day, we did our little dress rehearsal for the show, and most of the time, I was honestly wondering how we were going to pull it off. The change in the structure of the day was a lot for the kids and there was some general confusion/hyperactivity that was taking place. However, we had just experienced the whole week with them, so we had some tricks up our sleeves and were able to keep the chaos at a moderate level.
The amazing part was the show, of course, and it was really moving to see many of the parents showed up to watch their kids perform. As we began, I did feel we were taking a little leap of blind faith. Our dress rehearsal had been quite iffy, so we hadn't exactly had a real run-through. I had to remind myself that most of the real work had occurred over the course of the week, and this was just icing on the cake.
However, the kids totally stepped up to the plate and impressed everyone in the room. The singing, dancing, and drumming were incredible, and the kids were eager to participate in their own ways. Our line up was pretty solid:
Beat the Heat-- (to the Stir it Up tune), intro song, all the kids came in dancing
I'm So Excited-- (Channing's movement song), the entire group moved along with the song
La Bamba featuring "J.J. and the Pink Berets"
Drumming tune
Hound Dog with drum solos
Boy's drumming group
Girl's dancing group
Our team's song "Beat of my Heart"
Goodbye song
So, that was it. Of course, I had so many touching moments over the course of the week, and I think I've received more hugs from little kids than I've received in my whole life. One of my favorites was when the group of us were singing "Beat of my Heart." One of the little girls, who has had difficulty staying engaged with the group, came right over to join us and sat in my lap. She was totally proving she was part of the whole group.
As we said goodbye to everyone, so many parents came up to thank us, giving generous hugs and kind words. One of the representatives from the Ministry of Education on Grand Cayman came to our show and gave us a special thank you as well. It was absolutely amazing to hear parents say their kids were raving about the music at home and their new friendships.
All the hard work certainly has paid off, and now we have 2 final days here on Cayman to explore and take a break from music therapy (at least, in the formal sense).
ciao for now!
Today was absolutely unbelievable. During the first part of the day, we did our little dress rehearsal for the show, and most of the time, I was honestly wondering how we were going to pull it off. The change in the structure of the day was a lot for the kids and there was some general confusion/hyperactivity that was taking place. However, we had just experienced the whole week with them, so we had some tricks up our sleeves and were able to keep the chaos at a moderate level.
The amazing part was the show, of course, and it was really moving to see many of the parents showed up to watch their kids perform. As we began, I did feel we were taking a little leap of blind faith. Our dress rehearsal had been quite iffy, so we hadn't exactly had a real run-through. I had to remind myself that most of the real work had occurred over the course of the week, and this was just icing on the cake.
However, the kids totally stepped up to the plate and impressed everyone in the room. The singing, dancing, and drumming were incredible, and the kids were eager to participate in their own ways. Our line up was pretty solid:
Beat the Heat-- (to the Stir it Up tune), intro song, all the kids came in dancing
I'm So Excited-- (Channing's movement song), the entire group moved along with the song
La Bamba featuring "J.J. and the Pink Berets"
Drumming tune
Hound Dog with drum solos
Boy's drumming group
Girl's dancing group
Our team's song "Beat of my Heart"
Goodbye song
So, that was it. Of course, I had so many touching moments over the course of the week, and I think I've received more hugs from little kids than I've received in my whole life. One of my favorites was when the group of us were singing "Beat of my Heart." One of the little girls, who has had difficulty staying engaged with the group, came right over to join us and sat in my lap. She was totally proving she was part of the whole group.
As we said goodbye to everyone, so many parents came up to thank us, giving generous hugs and kind words. One of the representatives from the Ministry of Education on Grand Cayman came to our show and gave us a special thank you as well. It was absolutely amazing to hear parents say their kids were raving about the music at home and their new friendships.
All the hard work certainly has paid off, and now we have 2 final days here on Cayman to explore and take a break from music therapy (at least, in the formal sense).
ciao for now!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Mariza Thursday 8/19
The camp went by pretty smoothly today. Four kids were absent and it really made a difference in the dynamics of the whole group. Especially in our session, the children were sitting in their chairs, listening and being focused for the majority of the session, which was something phenomenal compared to the previous day. That also allowed us to work towards music therapy goals and focus on the children that could benefit from extra one on one time.
I am proud of our group and how much we are growing as therapists and people. Today at the beach we each talked about one thing that we like about each other and it was a very bonding experience. Also at night, we practiced our theme song that we wrote for the trip and it was really intense and emotional. I will definitely be very sad when I leave these islands... :(
I am proud of our group and how much we are growing as therapists and people. Today at the beach we each talked about one thing that we like about each other and it was a very bonding experience. Also at night, we practiced our theme song that we wrote for the trip and it was really intense and emotional. I will definitely be very sad when I leave these islands... :(
Channing Thursday August 18th
I think one of the most important lessons I have learned on this trip is that nothing is predictable, especially children. Today was one of the best days we have had in group. We decided that we would institute the use of the parachute, given the children would behave appropriately, and it worked. There was far less chasing today, as the children entered the sessions in what seemed to be a far more centered energy. In case you are not familiar as to what a music therapy session can entail, or maybe you and are interested in what we are doing, here is what Ranjana and I used as our outline today. I say outline very loosely as it is nearly impossible to predict the emotional stability of these children.
Welcome Jam
I've got the Joy - Parachute activity
Simon Says
Twinkle Twinkle
Goodbye
Ranjana and I composed a welcoming song to be sung a capella with parachute movements. We established this at the beginning of the week to establish a sense of stability in the beginning of the sessions. At this point, most children have begun picking up some of the words and singing along, aside from picking up the movements.
I mentioned previously that Ranajana and I had a hard time focusing the children, due to their varying disabilities After some great advice from Julianne, our supervisor, we decided we would institute more structure forms of activity. Today we began by easing them out of the parachute with an activity I had learned in a christian camp I attended as a child. Because of the religious demographic on this island, we have been encouraged to implement christian songs. This song offers a call and response between two sides of the parachute, Ranjana would lead one side and I would lead the other echoing each others movements. The structure of this activity allowed the children to feel more in control of themselves making them less likely to act out.
As the movement room, we also make it a point to really get the kids moving to the best of their abilities. Keeping along the lines of structural continuity, Ranjana and I wrote a song that plays the game Simon says with musical and physical instructions. These instructions range from fine motor movements such as finger wiggling, to gross motor movements including running or rolling around the room. This echos the feel of the first song where the children feel more in control of themselves as they make the decisions to actively follow the instructions. The children also offered suggestions which Ranjana implemented into the song using their names instead of Simon. She also echoed the choices made by the children in her active music making, supporting the actions of run and hop with appropriate musical choices, increasing tempo, or decreasing dynamics.
After playing simon says for a decent amount of time, the children were actually asking if they could rest or lay down. This was the first time this had happened, previously the children had been begging for more running activities. So today instead of having our active scarf activity with twinkle twinkle little star, we had each of the children lay down with their feet tucked under the parachute as if they were tucking themselves into bed. While laying down we gently ruffled the parachute to create a "night time breeze" effect, and sang twinkle twinkle little star. This provided the appropriate calm atmosphere we wanted the children to have when transitioning to the goodbye song and leaving with before heading onto their next session.
----------------
In other news!
We went to a recording studio today called Hopscotch Productions to meet a traditional Caymanian band called Swanky. They play a style of music called kitchen band, comprised of kitchen instruments, a fiddle, guitar, and percussion. This experience was absolutely incredible. They were so knowledgeable about the history of the island and the music on the island. I felt incredibly blessed to have this opportunity! We ended up jamming with them with their Caymanian music and they recorded us!
Welcome Jam
I've got the Joy - Parachute activity
Simon Says
Twinkle Twinkle
Goodbye
Ranjana and I composed a welcoming song to be sung a capella with parachute movements. We established this at the beginning of the week to establish a sense of stability in the beginning of the sessions. At this point, most children have begun picking up some of the words and singing along, aside from picking up the movements.
I mentioned previously that Ranajana and I had a hard time focusing the children, due to their varying disabilities After some great advice from Julianne, our supervisor, we decided we would institute more structure forms of activity. Today we began by easing them out of the parachute with an activity I had learned in a christian camp I attended as a child. Because of the religious demographic on this island, we have been encouraged to implement christian songs. This song offers a call and response between two sides of the parachute, Ranjana would lead one side and I would lead the other echoing each others movements. The structure of this activity allowed the children to feel more in control of themselves making them less likely to act out.
As the movement room, we also make it a point to really get the kids moving to the best of their abilities. Keeping along the lines of structural continuity, Ranjana and I wrote a song that plays the game Simon says with musical and physical instructions. These instructions range from fine motor movements such as finger wiggling, to gross motor movements including running or rolling around the room. This echos the feel of the first song where the children feel more in control of themselves as they make the decisions to actively follow the instructions. The children also offered suggestions which Ranjana implemented into the song using their names instead of Simon. She also echoed the choices made by the children in her active music making, supporting the actions of run and hop with appropriate musical choices, increasing tempo, or decreasing dynamics.
After playing simon says for a decent amount of time, the children were actually asking if they could rest or lay down. This was the first time this had happened, previously the children had been begging for more running activities. So today instead of having our active scarf activity with twinkle twinkle little star, we had each of the children lay down with their feet tucked under the parachute as if they were tucking themselves into bed. While laying down we gently ruffled the parachute to create a "night time breeze" effect, and sang twinkle twinkle little star. This provided the appropriate calm atmosphere we wanted the children to have when transitioning to the goodbye song and leaving with before heading onto their next session.
----------------
In other news!
We went to a recording studio today called Hopscotch Productions to meet a traditional Caymanian band called Swanky. They play a style of music called kitchen band, comprised of kitchen instruments, a fiddle, guitar, and percussion. This experience was absolutely incredible. They were so knowledgeable about the history of the island and the music on the island. I felt incredibly blessed to have this opportunity! We ended up jamming with them with their Caymanian music and they recorded us!
Thursday-- Steph
Hi blog followers--
We have adopted a new phrase around here... "well, why don't you blog about it?" Mainly, it's pertaining to things completely unrelated to this blog, but it's totally catchy. In particular, Mariza loves to pour cups of water on us at the beach and say, "blog about it, blog about it." It makes us smile! :)
I'm feeling a little sun-zapped right now. I definitely think today was our best day in the sun (although we've been fortunate to have nice weather the whole time we've been here). We spent our afternoon on the beach, as per usual, and practiced some music while floating in the water.
After the beach, we were quite busy planning for our final performance tomorrow. Mariza, Jeniris, and I are planning a mini in-service on music therapy for the parents. The kids while then be performing a series of songs that we've prepared with them over the week.
Today we also went to a recording studio and learned about traditional Caymanian music from the local band Swanky. It was AMAZING. We jammed with them, learned about the musical history of the island, and Ranjana totally rocked the guitar in the key of F. Samuel, the band's leader, was a really amazing and interesting man, who also really believes in the power of music therapy. It is really inspiring to see the different ways people use music to build a community.
Seneca's improving guitar right now and Channing and Ranjana are doing some vocal improv on "Ain't No Sunshine." I have to say, the music around here never stops, and I love it. :)
We have adopted a new phrase around here... "well, why don't you blog about it?" Mainly, it's pertaining to things completely unrelated to this blog, but it's totally catchy. In particular, Mariza loves to pour cups of water on us at the beach and say, "blog about it, blog about it." It makes us smile! :)
I'm feeling a little sun-zapped right now. I definitely think today was our best day in the sun (although we've been fortunate to have nice weather the whole time we've been here). We spent our afternoon on the beach, as per usual, and practiced some music while floating in the water.
After the beach, we were quite busy planning for our final performance tomorrow. Mariza, Jeniris, and I are planning a mini in-service on music therapy for the parents. The kids while then be performing a series of songs that we've prepared with them over the week.
Today we also went to a recording studio and learned about traditional Caymanian music from the local band Swanky. It was AMAZING. We jammed with them, learned about the musical history of the island, and Ranjana totally rocked the guitar in the key of F. Samuel, the band's leader, was a really amazing and interesting man, who also really believes in the power of music therapy. It is really inspiring to see the different ways people use music to build a community.
Seneca's improving guitar right now and Channing and Ranjana are doing some vocal improv on "Ain't No Sunshine." I have to say, the music around here never stops, and I love it. :)
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Channing Wednesday August 17th
Hey there!
The passed two days have been absolutely insane, and I love it! Yesterday seemed to be a complete 180 from Mondays hectic first run, and then it seem that today we stepped back about ten steps when we had only really taken two steps forward. The energy of the kids today was really unfocused. As Ranjana mentions in her previous post, we run the "movement room", but we have officially be deemed the "parachute room" by all of the kids.
Today we attempted to not use the parachute, as yesterday the parachute activities got slightly out of hand as the kids began turning our movement room into a gym class. Today several kids were upset when they did not see the parachute when they came in. I find it important not to cave into pouts and to stick to the over all idea of the plan. This will help them adapt in the future to different circumstances that do not necessarily play out in their favor. However, I should also have expected the resistance. I would love to fill you in on what happened in the sessions today, however I spent most of my time collecting children from the hallway, pulling them down from tables, or off of each other. I have acquired some minor scratches, but in the end seeing the children maintain focus for even one song, is worth it all. Ranjana has continuously impressed me with her ability to adapt to any circumstance that is handed to here, especially as most of the time she is alone while I collect the kids. Today she made up an incredibly effective stop and go song, with incredible use of space and dynamics as well as tempo... (shout out to Kimberly Khare!)
We got to explore a little of Georgetown as Ranjana had previously posted. Ranjana, Mariza, Seneca, Jeniris and I went swimming in a beautiful area called Sunset. We snorkled and it was PHENOMENAL... however each of learned an important lesson, dont mess with Sea Urchans.
The passed two days have been absolutely insane, and I love it! Yesterday seemed to be a complete 180 from Mondays hectic first run, and then it seem that today we stepped back about ten steps when we had only really taken two steps forward. The energy of the kids today was really unfocused. As Ranjana mentions in her previous post, we run the "movement room", but we have officially be deemed the "parachute room" by all of the kids.
Today we attempted to not use the parachute, as yesterday the parachute activities got slightly out of hand as the kids began turning our movement room into a gym class. Today several kids were upset when they did not see the parachute when they came in. I find it important not to cave into pouts and to stick to the over all idea of the plan. This will help them adapt in the future to different circumstances that do not necessarily play out in their favor. However, I should also have expected the resistance. I would love to fill you in on what happened in the sessions today, however I spent most of my time collecting children from the hallway, pulling them down from tables, or off of each other. I have acquired some minor scratches, but in the end seeing the children maintain focus for even one song, is worth it all. Ranjana has continuously impressed me with her ability to adapt to any circumstance that is handed to here, especially as most of the time she is alone while I collect the kids. Today she made up an incredibly effective stop and go song, with incredible use of space and dynamics as well as tempo... (shout out to Kimberly Khare!)
Ranjana Srinivasan-Wednesday August 17th 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Ranjana Srinivasan-Tuesday August 16th 2011
What a difference a day can make! I can honestly say that today, the camp has completely turned around from the chaos that was yesterday. The previous days craziness really gave us clarity for what we should be focusing on for today. We woke up focused and ready for camp. We restructured the routine so that the day would begin with some coloring and non-musical activities so we could bond and talk with the children. Following this we had the group come together and did a hello song as well as a few other popular tunes such as "If you are happy and you know it" and "Peanut Butter and Jelly." The beginning quiet time really allowed us to get to know the children on a deeper level. For example I was able to connect with one boy in the group, and during the musical activities he was more comfortable participating with me and expressing himself through music around me. We then split up into our separate groups. The movement room was more structured than the previous day. Channing and I came up with a series of activities for each group based off of their needs and how we interacted with us on Monday. We knew what to generally expect from them so it was easier to make up new songs and games to use that would engage them in movement no matter what physical or cognitive level they were at. We used songs and chants such as " Monkeys Jumping On The Bed" and "The Wheels On The Bus." For some songs we added hand movements for them to imitate and we frequently asked for their input to fill in the blank for the songs. Overall today was a successful day! The children were actively participating because the games were based off of their individual and group needs. As a whole, all the groups were really in sync today and we walked away feeling like we are on the right track. Of course there were other issues, some major and some minor, but the kids were really enjoying their time at the camp. Afterwards we cleaned up and did an overview of what happened that day. We then ventured back to the beach with some snorkel gear! It is always nice to take a mental break just for a few hours to bond with the group and collect our thoughts. I was able to see many exotic fish while enjoying the warm water. Many new inside jokes were made! We soon came back to the house and Channing and I immediately began our session planning again. We have been best friends for awhile, but after this experience we have been able to recognize how well we work together therapeutically. It feels like we are always thinking the same thing and work well together on our feet. It is great to have a partner that you trust and has a similar creative mind. For example we were able to make up a song to use in session tomorrow in about five or ten minutes. I feel this is because we work really well together and I am grateful for this experience! Now off to get some sleep and prepare for day three!
Tuesday~~ Stephanie (a.k.a. stevie)
Hi everyone--
I wish I could write a book about the experiences between yesterday and today, but... I am sitting in the little un-air conditioned clubhouse using the internet. Point is, I'm quite sweaty.
I guess to wrap it up, (and I see that many of my group members did), today was beautiful. I was joking that we could have made a music therapy documentary out of the day, because our day ran so seamlessly with the kids. I am totally proud that we stepped up to the challenge that Monday presented, we did some problem solving, and we walked in this morning with a fresh look on the day. I wish there was a way I could capture the energy from Monday and today and put them side-by-side. I guess that's for our memories, but it was such a confidence-booster... we can really do this work! In fact, we're pretty good at it, and the kids are loving it! :)
Seneca and I have been running the Rhythm Group. This is entailing mostly drumming, which kids tend to love anyway. I'm not sure why kids tend to love the biggest drums and prefer playing the loudest possible, but I think it's a great opportunity for them to just let all that out. We did some fun dynamics exercises, where I conducted with body language to play soft or loud. In terms of music therapy goals, that's a great exercise for kids to practice self-regulating and follow others' cues.... and they still find it fun!
We also started working on our songs that the teams will perform on Friday... we have Hound Dog, We Will Rock You, and a call-and-response tune. We have some awesome drum solos coming on Friday. Watch out, Buddy Rich.
So, we finished our day with the children and proceeded to do really intense, grueling work, which involved lying on the beach. Rough day. :)
Until tomorrow~ Steph
I wish I could write a book about the experiences between yesterday and today, but... I am sitting in the little un-air conditioned clubhouse using the internet. Point is, I'm quite sweaty.
I guess to wrap it up, (and I see that many of my group members did), today was beautiful. I was joking that we could have made a music therapy documentary out of the day, because our day ran so seamlessly with the kids. I am totally proud that we stepped up to the challenge that Monday presented, we did some problem solving, and we walked in this morning with a fresh look on the day. I wish there was a way I could capture the energy from Monday and today and put them side-by-side. I guess that's for our memories, but it was such a confidence-booster... we can really do this work! In fact, we're pretty good at it, and the kids are loving it! :)
Seneca and I have been running the Rhythm Group. This is entailing mostly drumming, which kids tend to love anyway. I'm not sure why kids tend to love the biggest drums and prefer playing the loudest possible, but I think it's a great opportunity for them to just let all that out. We did some fun dynamics exercises, where I conducted with body language to play soft or loud. In terms of music therapy goals, that's a great exercise for kids to practice self-regulating and follow others' cues.... and they still find it fun!
We also started working on our songs that the teams will perform on Friday... we have Hound Dog, We Will Rock You, and a call-and-response tune. We have some awesome drum solos coming on Friday. Watch out, Buddy Rich.
So, we finished our day with the children and proceeded to do really intense, grueling work, which involved lying on the beach. Rough day. :)
Until tomorrow~ Steph
Seneca Tuesday August 16th
I feel my eyes drooping while I try to stay awake to type this, its been a long but awesome day. We revamped our session plan last night and came prepared this time. The atmosphere felt very calmed and controlled. I was also having a "good day", and (with the team) led a great (and really long) hello song. I feel proud of it haha. The day was SO different from yesterday, It was miraculous. I am excited for tomorrow !
Mariza Tuesday 8/16
Awesome day!! The 3 hours of music therapy that we did today were equal to everything that I have done so far in all of my practici. It was such an intense experience and the fact that i didnt have any support behind me and that i wasnt evaluated allowed me to be completely free, enjoy myself and have a good time while playing the guitar. Day 1 and 2 were like night and day. In day 2, we were more prepared and focused and we really stepped back to appreciate and let people lead the group. We trusted more on each other and ourselves and the results were definitely beneficial for both us and the children. I could talk about a lot of things but I am only going to talk about one: We now have an official Beat the Heat band!! It's called "JJ and the pink birets" (children decided on it) and it's comprised of Jeniris, myself and 5 other children. We are awesome and we are going to perform at the final concert!
Cayman so far for me...
Hello, Cyber World!!
I have finally found the time to sit down and share my thoughts and feelings about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!!
For starters, I AM SO HAPPY WITH OUR TEAM!!! This group of amazing people have made me learn something new every second I spend with them, and since the fact that none of knew what to expect from this trip, I am extreeeemely relieved that we have been able to bond and develop new methods and strategies to reach our goals with the children in music.
Speaking of the children, I don't think I have ever had such a rewarding experience. This is my first, but certainly not my last*** service trip, and I could not have asked for a better birthday present!!!!! (it's this Saturday)...
I absolutely LOVE all of them!! It's been great to get some serious hands-on experience with music therapy because although our program at Berklee is intense and definitely well-planned, a week of *unsupervised* therapy with a group of children we have never met is uniquely educational.
Day 1 was a challenge, I must say, and I was really worried about not having the knowledge or experience to handle this project, but today was a wonderful day that I will probably never forget.
Yesterday, we were able to give the children some interesting musical experiences, but they seemed impatient and not very involved, so we were all collectively worried about how to deal with the situation.
After today, I have to say I am really proud that we were able to give every child a moment to shine!! Our first group, the Yellow Team, started a band called J.J. and the Pink Berets (picked by them), our second group created an imaginary train and sang all of the lyrics, and our third group had a massive jam session during which they expressed a plethora of emotions through drumming solos and duets, and well as guitar playing and a campfire song for closing.
Our welcome songs for the entire group were AMAZING, with some wonderful leadership skills that Seneca brought, and our entire energy was just on a whole new level of positivity.
I honestly can't wait for tomorrow!!! We have many plans for the final concert on Friday, and I'm just smiling in my heart all of the time, because for me, this is a huge dream coming true.
This Saturday, August 20th, I will be particularly thankful for another year of life, with a special feeling of gratitude for being blessed with the chance to make a difference in these children's lives.
Keeping everyone posted,
Jeniris
8.16.2011
8.16.2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Mariza Monday 15/8
Yay! Honestly, I feel excited and touched that we are here. 2,5 months ago it wasn't even certain that we would make this trip happen but here we are now in this blessed island actually doing serious and substantial work. Lighthouse School is an awesome place and at this moment is providing us with everything we really need. Jeniris and I have the "Singing Group", in which we do improvisation and singing. Today we focused on getting to know the children and understand group dynamics. We played "The trip song" that Karen Wacks taught us, which turned out a fun activity that the kids enjoyed. That also helped with getting to know everybody's names better. We decided that a jam would be nice, so we made a drum song, in which we used a lot of syllables, call and response and rhythmic exercises.
I was sooo rusty from this summer and the fact that a dog bit my finger didn't help in practicing a lot of guitar before I came to the island, but this day reminded me of all the things that I have learned, all the practicum experience I have had and my future life on the field. It got me back on my feet again and now you can bring it as much as you want! I am ready for more.
I was sooo rusty from this summer and the fact that a dog bit my finger didn't help in practicing a lot of guitar before I came to the island, but this day reminded me of all the things that I have learned, all the practicum experience I have had and my future life on the field. It got me back on my feet again and now you can bring it as much as you want! I am ready for more.
Ranjana Srinivasan-Monday August 15th 2011
Today was our first day of camp, and what a day it was! We woke up bright and early to head to the school and prepare for the day. As the kids started to role in, we were welcoming them and singing a couple of songs. We then introduced ourselves and did a hello song to introduce all the kids to each other. After this activity, we split up into groups and Channing and I got to lead the first movement session. Just to give an overview, a session is a series of musical interventions that are created to meet the individual and group needs of the kids. For Channing and I, today was really an assessment/trial day in which we attempted many different activities to see what the children reacted to. The big hits of the day were the parachute activities in which we lifted a big colorful parachute up and down in a circle to say hello to music as well as a game called "Find The Puppy." We also had a musical activity in which the children picked a body part that they wanted to move and could fill in the blank into the song. We then walked around the room moving that body part with the music. Overall today was an amazing learning experience. We had to adapt to a lot of different situations based off of their physical and cognitive levels. It was a bit chaotic at times because some were more hyperactive and distracted than others but I think we all worked well in our teams and had a great first day. Afterwards we were able to go to the beach again for a little bit. It allows us to have a little time off to refocus so we can get down to business and plan once we get home. As usual it was beautiful. It is truly paradise. I do not think I could ever get sick of the amazingly blue water. Afterwards we did some quick shopping at the grocery store, where Channing and Seneca went on an epic candy search. They tried to find all the different kinds of candy that they have never seen or eaten before and got a little bit of everything! I joined in a little bit by getting a few selections. So far so good! We soon came home and Mariza made an amazingly epic pasta dinner for us! She made a delicious sauce with peppers and mushrooms, which went perfectly with the pasta. It is now about 11pm and Channing and I have completed our session plan for tomorrow! We are all so excited to make more music with the children in Grand Cayman. :-)
Channing Monday August 15th
Monday? Really? Because I definitely like its at least Wednesday!
Today was quite the adventure, we were up a little late last night planning for today's session, and then today we were up a little early in order to prepare for the session. After having a wonderful breakfast made by the fabulous Jeniris, we were off to the Lighthouse School.
Lighthouse school, is a school specialized in teaching children with special needs. The facilities are fabulous! Each of us are able to have our own room with our separate groups. I am not all too knowledgeable as to how everyone elses group went, but Ranjana and I have the movement group. Within the movement group we are facilitating activities for children with a wide range of different disabilities, and often finding group exercises to accommodate everyone can be difficult. We went in with a plan... and as usual in the true fashion of music therapy... that plan went right out the window! I think the experience really speaks to the fact that people should be defined by the abilities they have rather than the disabilities. Children with similar disabilities by no means have similar personalities, which does means that each child has their personal activity and music preferences. To try and define a child by their disability is limiting, and in all seriousness inaccurate. It took today to interact and assess each child to really be able to devise a plan for the week that could best suit each child and assist in achieving their personal goals. Now that Ranj and I have gotten together and devised a plan for the week, I am thinking that tomorrow will go far more smoothly.
I know you are all dying to hear more about coconuts...
Today we went grocery shopping for the house, and I must say that while everyone was searching and pillaging the shelves for sustainable food for the week, Seneca and I went off to find the most interesting candy, and soda possible, and let me tell you our search rendered fruitful! We bought watermelon soda, ginger beer soda, something called man power?, and coffee soda!
We also got a large amount of chocolate, and I think it was agreed upon that the "Oh Henry" bar took the cake.
OK and now for the coconut.
So yesterday we found this coconut under the palm tree (which is next to a banana tree) by our little apartment, and Seneca and I decided that it must be cracked open and devoured immediately. I have never seen a wild coconut, I always figured that they are simply plucked off of the tree looking like brown bowling balls. I was wrong, they are green and not round in the slightest. They are also incredibly durable. However, we were in-fact successful in opening one!
Today was quite the adventure, we were up a little late last night planning for today's session, and then today we were up a little early in order to prepare for the session. After having a wonderful breakfast made by the fabulous Jeniris, we were off to the Lighthouse School.
Lighthouse school, is a school specialized in teaching children with special needs. The facilities are fabulous! Each of us are able to have our own room with our separate groups. I am not all too knowledgeable as to how everyone elses group went, but Ranjana and I have the movement group. Within the movement group we are facilitating activities for children with a wide range of different disabilities, and often finding group exercises to accommodate everyone can be difficult. We went in with a plan... and as usual in the true fashion of music therapy... that plan went right out the window! I think the experience really speaks to the fact that people should be defined by the abilities they have rather than the disabilities. Children with similar disabilities by no means have similar personalities, which does means that each child has their personal activity and music preferences. To try and define a child by their disability is limiting, and in all seriousness inaccurate. It took today to interact and assess each child to really be able to devise a plan for the week that could best suit each child and assist in achieving their personal goals. Now that Ranj and I have gotten together and devised a plan for the week, I am thinking that tomorrow will go far more smoothly.
I know you are all dying to hear more about coconuts...
Today we went grocery shopping for the house, and I must say that while everyone was searching and pillaging the shelves for sustainable food for the week, Seneca and I went off to find the most interesting candy, and soda possible, and let me tell you our search rendered fruitful! We bought watermelon soda, ginger beer soda, something called man power?, and coffee soda!
We also got a large amount of chocolate, and I think it was agreed upon that the "Oh Henry" bar took the cake.
OK and now for the coconut.
So yesterday we found this coconut under the palm tree (which is next to a banana tree) by our little apartment, and Seneca and I decided that it must be cracked open and devoured immediately. I have never seen a wild coconut, I always figured that they are simply plucked off of the tree looking like brown bowling balls. I was wrong, they are green and not round in the slightest. They are also incredibly durable. However, we were in-fact successful in opening one!
Seneca Block monday, august 15th
I woke up today in a strange bed and didn't know where I was, then I remember "oh yeah Im on the island". The music therapy camp began that morning, and we didn't really know what to expect. The group were varied and had their own needs and considerations. I felt it was super chaotic, with a touch of structure and a dash of control. Atleast we found some great ideas when working with everyone and are going to be well prepared for tomorrow!
Oh yeah, I busted a cocoanut opened and drank its insides with Channing ! Fun times,
Its so funy, I feel like Ive made a months worth of memories in 1 day - Seneca
Oh yeah, I busted a cocoanut opened and drank its insides with Channing ! Fun times,
Its so funy, I feel like Ive made a months worth of memories in 1 day - Seneca
Monday, Monday!~~ by Stephanie
Hey blog followers and fellow music therapy enthusiasts!
I see that Channing filled you in on our wonderful all-nighter/bonding experience that ultimately got us here to Grand Cayman. What an exhausting 24 hours that was...!
Today was our first day with the kids. We got up bright-eyed and bushy tailed (not really, we are still quite exhausted), and Jeniris made eggs for the group. We loaded up Julianne's car with a ton of instruments and cleaning supplies. I have to say, we are really beginning to master the art of squishing into cars and shuffling around guitars. We got to the Lighthouse School at about 8 this morning and set up for everyone to come join us for music!
Our structure is a team/rotation format. We broke the 25 kids into three teams of 8-9. Then, amongst the the six of us, we split into pairs and adopted a focus. Mariza/Jeniris became the Singing Group, Ranjana/Channing the Movement Group, and me/Seneca were the Rhythm Group. We met as a large group first thing in the morning, and then broke into teams to rotate throughout the morning.
I think it would be safe to say our first day was difficult at times, as we're getting to know the kids, each other, our routine, and a new country. Everything was foreign. That said, everything was new. I think we were able to establish as a group what kind of leadership needs to take place and what kind of schedule will best fit the kids' needs. Also, our team had a little awakening to the musical details like which songs work best and which instruments work best.
The diversity in the group is also really wonderful. Our youngest is 4 and our oldest is 18. Some of the children have special needs, and some do not. I particularly was struck by the fact that although we had a list of the children and their particular diagnoses/special needs, I did not really have any recollection of it during the sessions. I thought it was amazing that we were able to approach the children without any preconceived ideas and start fresh as a group. Also, kids have such an innate ability to care for each other, and I find it really inspiring to watch the ways that they are able to treat each other unconditionally.
This all said, I think it's important to say again that the day went well and the kids expressed that they enjoyed themselves. At the end of the day, they had an opportunity to say what their favorite part of the day was, and they seemed eager for tomorrow.
More to follow!
~~Steph
I see that Channing filled you in on our wonderful all-nighter/bonding experience that ultimately got us here to Grand Cayman. What an exhausting 24 hours that was...!
Today was our first day with the kids. We got up bright-eyed and bushy tailed (not really, we are still quite exhausted), and Jeniris made eggs for the group. We loaded up Julianne's car with a ton of instruments and cleaning supplies. I have to say, we are really beginning to master the art of squishing into cars and shuffling around guitars. We got to the Lighthouse School at about 8 this morning and set up for everyone to come join us for music!
Our structure is a team/rotation format. We broke the 25 kids into three teams of 8-9. Then, amongst the the six of us, we split into pairs and adopted a focus. Mariza/Jeniris became the Singing Group, Ranjana/Channing the Movement Group, and me/Seneca were the Rhythm Group. We met as a large group first thing in the morning, and then broke into teams to rotate throughout the morning.
I think it would be safe to say our first day was difficult at times, as we're getting to know the kids, each other, our routine, and a new country. Everything was foreign. That said, everything was new. I think we were able to establish as a group what kind of leadership needs to take place and what kind of schedule will best fit the kids' needs. Also, our team had a little awakening to the musical details like which songs work best and which instruments work best.
The diversity in the group is also really wonderful. Our youngest is 4 and our oldest is 18. Some of the children have special needs, and some do not. I particularly was struck by the fact that although we had a list of the children and their particular diagnoses/special needs, I did not really have any recollection of it during the sessions. I thought it was amazing that we were able to approach the children without any preconceived ideas and start fresh as a group. Also, kids have such an innate ability to care for each other, and I find it really inspiring to watch the ways that they are able to treat each other unconditionally.
This all said, I think it's important to say again that the day went well and the kids expressed that they enjoyed themselves. At the end of the day, they had an opportunity to say what their favorite part of the day was, and they seemed eager for tomorrow.
More to follow!
~~Steph
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Ranjana Srinivasan-Sunday, August 2011
We have arrived in Cayman and we are so excited! We ran into a few minor mishaps such as lost luggage, and problems with guitar cases, but we are ready to start this adventure! The house we are staying in is beautiful! Channing, Jeniris and I will be sharing a room this week. Today we were able to see the school in which we will be running the camp. We have split into pairs to lead different musical themed groups that will rotate each day. There are about 25 kids total. Channing and I will be leading the movement group. We have created different musical interventions that will help them express themselves through movement and music. The other two groups are a rhythm group and a songwriting and improvisation group. At the end of the week we will have the children put on a performance of what they have learned! I am excited to see what tomorrow brings! Team Cayman has been able to bond in a very short amount of time. We made the decision to pull an all nighter last night because our flight out was at 5:30AM. This gave us a chance to learn about each other and our musical styles. On the plane rides we had many laughs. Unfortunately my baggage as well as Marizas' baggage went missing once we arrived in Cayman. Mariza was such a great friend and helped keep me calm throughout the day. I really believe that it brought us closer because we were going through the stressful situation together and we were able to get through it! One of the best things about today was visiting the beautiful Grand Cayman beach. The water was so blue and warm. We made some great memories relaxing on the beach and watching the sunset. We are now session planning for tomorrow and getting ready to get this camp going! Wish us luck!
Channing Sunday Aug. 14th
Wow!
I am simply blown away by the beauty here on Cayman!
We had decided the night before, that we would pull an all-nighter to catch our 3am cab to Logan. I cant say I really regret that decision, because we had a blast and really had the chance to get to know each other and bond a bit.
Example A.
After two, less than ideal flights, from Boston to Miami and Miami to Grand Cayman, we arrived at around 11:05 this morning, I think it is safe to say that I am EXHAUSTED! This is my first trip to anywhere tropical, and some life long dreams are being fulfilled. Today I accomplished the following: I swam in warm ocean water, that was not murky green, I went on a fish finding exhibition in the coral, and I FINALLY SAW A PALM TREE and coconuts too! I suppose my obsession has become a little bit of an inside joke here. Seneca found a decent sized coconut that we are going to attempt to crack open, however we have no machete, so we will have to get creative. I still really want to attempt to actually climb a coconut tree and get one down.. I will certainly be updating more on that :)
Today, we have planned out our beginning session for tomorrow, and goals we would like to reach at the end of the week. We got to check out the space and arrange the rooms at the Lighthouse School in preparation for tomorrow. We will be going in to do some final touch ups such as mopping, and sweeping , and a little bit of personalized decorating! I could not be more excited to meet all the children and see how it all goes :)
Here are some extra pictures from our beach trip today!
<3 Channing
I am simply blown away by the beauty here on Cayman!
We had decided the night before, that we would pull an all-nighter to catch our 3am cab to Logan. I cant say I really regret that decision, because we had a blast and really had the chance to get to know each other and bond a bit.
Example A.
After two, less than ideal flights, from Boston to Miami and Miami to Grand Cayman, we arrived at around 11:05 this morning, I think it is safe to say that I am EXHAUSTED! This is my first trip to anywhere tropical, and some life long dreams are being fulfilled. Today I accomplished the following: I swam in warm ocean water, that was not murky green, I went on a fish finding exhibition in the coral, and I FINALLY SAW A PALM TREE and coconuts too! I suppose my obsession has become a little bit of an inside joke here. Seneca found a decent sized coconut that we are going to attempt to crack open, however we have no machete, so we will have to get creative. I still really want to attempt to actually climb a coconut tree and get one down.. I will certainly be updating more on that :)
Today, we have planned out our beginning session for tomorrow, and goals we would like to reach at the end of the week. We got to check out the space and arrange the rooms at the Lighthouse School in preparation for tomorrow. We will be going in to do some final touch ups such as mopping, and sweeping , and a little bit of personalized decorating! I could not be more excited to meet all the children and see how it all goes :)
Here are some extra pictures from our beach trip today!
<3 Channing
Seneca Block sunday, august 2011
OK, we have arrived to the island. It has been a grueling and lucid day, but it has been full of beautiful new memories that I will hopefully remember when I find time to sleep! We were graciously welcomed and shown around the island by Julianna and Lee. We worked at the summer camp for a bit and then found our way to the seven mile beach were we watched the sun set on crystal blue waters. Tomorrow begins day number one of the camp. Let the planning begin - Seneca
Monday, August 8, 2011
Welcome!
We are a team comprised of 6 music therapy students from Massachusetts and Julianne Parolisi, our liaison in Cayman Islands from "Music Therapy without Borders". We will be working with children with special needs this summer at a music camp called "Beat the Heat!" Please follow us on our journey!
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