Music TO THEIR EARS

BY sue lovejoy

AtPerkins School for the Blind in Watertown, where Alexandra attended the infant/toddler program, Meciak learned about musical therapy, but said she had difficulty locating a music therapist in the Millbury area.

courtesy of appletree arts The goal of music therapy is "to increase a person's quality of life," says board-certified music therapist Jennifer Lentz (pictured) with a student. Then, quite by accident, while at a parent group meeting, she discovered Jennifer Lentz, a board-certified music therapist, who now works regularly with Alexandra.

Six-year-old Alexandra "...has neurological impairments" and is "completely blind," said Meciak. Non-verbal and immobile, "she also has sensory impairments, which make it hard for her to touch and hold things."

Meciak's initial intuition about music therapy has proven true.

"After a few sessions of Jen's specialized version of Old MacDonald's Farm, including wonderful animal sounds, she (Alexandra) seemed to come out of herself and sing, dance, and laugh in her own little way," she said. "I cried and Jen cried. It was a joyful event to see Alexandra actually having fun."

According to the American Music Therapy Association, music therapy is an "established healthcare profession that uses music to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals of all ages. ... Music therapy interventions can be designed to promote wellness, manage stress, alleviate pain, express feelings, enhance memory, improve communication, and promote physical rehabilitation."

"Music therapy is an art and a science," said Lentz, who works with organizations including Grafton's Appletree Arts, public school systems, and private practices.

Lentz was required to take several categories of classes including courses in music, psychology, science, and mathematics, to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in music therapy from Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. She also completed a six-month internship, passed a board certification exam, and must continue to take courses to maintain her certification.

The ultimate goal of music therapy is to "increases a person's quality of life, said Lentz.

By tapping into different areas of the brain, including centers for motor movement, organization, speech and patterns, "music therapy offers the opportunity to connect with children that can sometimes be difficult to reach," she said.

For example, this type of therapy may get through to a child with autism spectrum disorder, where other educational methods have failed.

"Open, honest, frequent communication with parents and other professionals working with the child is key," said Lentz. "This is extremely beneficial to the child, because the same goal can be worked on in different ways, in different settings, and therefore, the goal could potentially be accomplished quicker."

For Lentz, the benefits of using music therapy seem almost endless. It can help those living with Alzheimer's, cancer, mental retardation, autism, visual and hearing impairments, Down syndrome, and even physical challenges, such as a cleft palate.

Cara Papagni, 10, of Hopkinton, who has Down syndrome, works with Lentz once a week.

"Music therapy is not included in her IEP (Individual Education Plan), although I wish it was; and I hope that school systems will begin to see the educational value of music therapy for kids like Cara who are extremely motivated by music," said her mother, Jean Papagni. "It is a perfect tool for learning for her."

"Many of the students I work with have music therapy written into their IEPs and the school system pays for this service as they would with speech or OT (occupational therapy)," said Susan Warren, a board-certified music therapist. "It is best to have a music therapist screen a child to see if they are a good candidate. ... Almost all parents report that their child 'loves music,' but in order for a service to be included in the child's IEP, it must be determined that the child could make clinical therapeutic gains and measurable progress through working with a music therapist," she explained.

Music therapy can be offered in group and individual sessions.

"There are many benefits to group sessions such as peer interaction, communication, and listening skills; but most of the students that I work with have very 'child-specific' goals that are better dealt with individually," said Warren.

Typically, a music therapy session consists of an introductory Hello Song, individualized activities, and a concluding Goodbye Song.

"After understanding the client's needs, I plan an age-appropriate session," Lentz said. However, she noted that the spirit of the moment drives instruction.

This traveling one-woman-band, of sorts, easily transforms from a guitar-toting therapist to a maraca-shaking, drumbanging, triangle-tapping, foot-stomping goodtime provider who offers "different shapes, sizes, methods of play, and a variety of timbre for the ears."

When heading to sessions, Lentz often jokes about the many instruments, props, toys, and books she totes, referring to herself a pack mule.

"I pack and take different materials, depending on which session it is and what time of year it is," she said.

Every session with Lentz "...is tailored to Alexandra's needs," said Meciak, who told of a particularly meaningful lesson when Alexandra was able to use adapted drumsticks to play chimes. "...Alexandra consistently would play them..." she said. "This let me know that she understood a lot more than we realized."

For Cara, "music therapy serves as stressrelease... and as a big vehicle for her selfexpression," said Papagni. With the goal of learning social skills and manners, Lentz and Cara "take turns being choreographer, director, and leader." Cara's specific music lessons include "exercises of expressing different emotions; performing "shows" that consist of singing (which can strengthen speech), acting, dancing (sometimes with props like a scarf) and playing musical instruments."

By incorporating dance into the sessions, Lentz helps Cara improve gross motor, sequencing, and balance skills with the added benefit of burning calories. Academic skills such as rhyming, counting money, and learning a home phone number are made fun.

"In the very beginning, Jen helped Cara learn her phone number by writing a song using our number to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle," Papagni said.

In many ways, music therapy, though prominent throughout history, seems to be in its infancy.

"Today, many people still do not know what music therapy is or the benefits it has to offer," Lentz said. "The major challenge then is to promote awareness..."

Seeing children flourish in a fun-filled learning environment without boundaries is sure to be music to all of our ears.

Sue Lovejoy is a freelance writer, who lives with her family in Holden.

Resources

Massachusetts Music Therapy Alliance
(MMTA) P.O. Box 578, Malden, 02148
www.mmta.us

American Music Therapy
Association, Inc. (AMTA)
8455 Colesville Road,
Suite 1000
Silver Spring, MD 20910
www.musictherapy.org
301-589-3300

Certification Board for
Music Therapists (CBMT)
506 East Lancaster Avenue,
Suite 102
Downingtown, PA 19335
www.cbmt.org
1-800-765-2268