Although the weather is getting warmer (a special treat for us Minnesotans), older adults within the community are still isolated and likely craving all of the pleasures that spring and summer may bring. Whether that be the sunshine on their skin, the songs of the birds or the tart taste of fresh lemonade, music is a great gateway for accessing those sensory experiences. Calling attention to our sight, taste, smells and touch encourages us to be mindful, and even provides won

The first time we met, he (mid-nap) burst into rich, bass singing as I strummed and sang "Down In the Valley". I almost leapt out of my chair at his impromptu musical entrance to, what I thought was, music to prompt meaningful sleep. As we got to know each other, I associated him with some of my coldest sessions (mid-winter absolutely jamming on his porch), richest stories of World War II and deepest laughs. I walked with him as his once-detailed memories became foggy and sha

Happy Friday, world! How are we doing? Some words I've heard floating around include fearful, helpless and frustrated. We are all collectively feeling these challenging emotions. One way our team at Keynote is trying to support our community these days is by providing helpful resources for self-care, connection and musical expression. Although our area of focus is on older adults and their loved ones and caregivers, we know the benefits of music for healing is profound for al

We are back with another week of resources! If you are a caregiver, facility staff or loved one of an older adult, these are for you. There are so many uncertainties and questions during these times, but we hope to empower you in bringing these tools and the comforts of music to your community. "Songs For Mealtime (Memory Care)" Playlist This playlist has been thoughtfully curated to encourage engagement and orientation with familiar tunes and transition to relaxing, slower-p

Need I say it? The elephant in the room, the topic that has been on all of our minds; springtime! I am kidding, of course. It is the coronavirus, or COVID-19. Our team at Keynote is well aware that many of our incredible clients and facility partnerships are now restricting any visitors or therapists. We are also aware that facility staff as well as family and loved ones may be asking the question: “How can I support my loved one/residents during this time?” We are here to he

We are excited to introduce you to our newest team member, Jennifer! Hello everyone! My name is Jennifer Blair and I am the newest board-certified music therapist on Keynote’s team. I am very excited to get on the road and start making music with Keynote clients! From a love of singing at an early age, to singing in choirs in high school, and then as a voice major in my undergrad program, music has always played a huge role in my life. I came to music therapy after seeing the

Part of our mission at Keynote Music Therapy involves making connections within the community in order to advocate for the field of music therapy. Some of the ways we have made strides towards our vision include... Hosting seminars for facility staff on ways to utilize music with memory care residents throughout the day Being present at conferences that provide caregiver resources Attending and facilitating services at Alzheimer's and dementia community groups In addition to

American Music Therapy Association national conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota (November, 2019) Each year, professionals, students and even those in allied disciplines gather in a large and musical way for the national conference hosted by the American Music Therapy Association. Attendees of this event can expect to be greeted with many opportunities for growth in clinical knowledge, musical skills and self-care. It was incredibly exciting to be able to welcome our colleagu

-As a group of older adults enters the music therapy circle, they hear their name being sung within a hello greeting song. -A child is prompted to use ASL and communicate “all done drum” before switching to a new instrument. -When an adolescent is admitted to an inpatient unit, they are encouraged to pick a song that depicts their current emotional state and analyze the lyrics or musical components. All of the above examples display the ways in which music therapists support

♪♫ You say goodbye, and I say hello, hello, hello! ♪♫ (The Beatles, anyone?!) My name is Carolyn Meyer and I am proud to introduce myself as the newest board-certified music therapist on Keynote’s stellar team. Becoming a community music therapist and getting to create new and meaningful relationships within the Twin Cities is what drew me to Keynote, and I absolutely cannot wait to tune up my guitar and hit the road! Whether I was learning the cello in the school orchestra,

In my work with Keynote Music Therapy, the majority of my clients around the Twin Cities are older adults with mental health/memory care needs. Residents in my groups also tend to range in age from 50 to 80+. Recently, I have been interested in incorporating more art into my music therapy sessions but have struggled with the logistics of bringing art supplies into a facility (and cleaning up in a timely manner) and creating an intervention that can meet the needs of various a

Spring is finally here!!!!!!! If you’re reading this and call the Twin Cities home, you’ll understand the necessity of all those exclamation points! After an extremely cold and snowy winter, I have been soaking up this spring weather. Spring themed music therapy interventions are always my favorite and I have been bringing as much spring into my music therapy sessions as possible! Today I’m going to share a spring themed music therapy intervention that my memory care groups h

As a music therapist, I primarily work with older adults and infant/toddler aged children. I really love this aspect of my job as it means I have a lot of variety in my work. The only downside is that I have invested in a lot of instruments typically used with young children (egg shakers, lollipop drums, rhythm sticks, etc.) but have always felt it was inappropriate to use them in my older adult groups. The past few weeks I have been mulling over the idea of putting my older

Kayla Shafer, one of our co-founders here at Keynote Music Therapy, had the opportunity to be interviewed by Classical MPR’s Dan Wascoe last month. She was able to shed some light to the Minnesota Public Radio world on benefits of music therapy. One of the central points the article explains the difference between music therapy and therapeutic music. Music streamed from MPR or even music being performed for the pleasure of listening is not music therapy, it is therapeutic mus

There are many things about loss that are beyond our control. Death has a way of reminding us of our human limits. While medical support provides assistance, a part of us knows that we cannot control when and how a loved one dies. After a loved one dies, we may wrestle with other things that we cannot control. Unfortunately, we cannot change past events. And when grieving, we cannot completely control the overpowering feelings that we experience as we face being separated fro

This playlist was made over two rainy weekends in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Keynote Music Therapy is a composition in progress. Thanks for listening. Ben https://open.spotify.com/user/1240376426/playlist/4hz6LnY5VRd7gJOgihYUjZ?si=UlasS7fE #NekoCase #StVincent #Playlist #healthcare #MusicTherapy #health #welness #FleetwoodMac #BigThief #TwinCities #TwinCitiesmusictherapy #angelolson

"Can your musicians provide entertainment for a birthday party coming up?" As a new small business, it is tempting to say 'yes' to these offers, and I admit, we have, from time to time. These requests often come from well-intentioned assisted living or long-term care facilities hoping to schedule meaningful activities for their residents. By saying yes, we have held the hope that our birthday party entertainment will help us "get our foot in the door" or provide the chance to

In addition to being a small business operator, my day job is to provide grief therapy to people who have experienced losses. Therapy is a creative process. At a minimum, both therapist and client are trying to create growth in the midst of hardship. When working with grief, I believe one of my tasks is to assist the mourner with creating their preferred way of grieving. Co-developing a preferred way of grieving often requires me to soften fear-based avoidance, name existing

Feelings of guilt are a common experience. We may experience guilt on the job when we make a mistake, fail to meet expectations, or make a decision that has unintended outcomes. In our personal lives, we can feel guilty about our behavior in relationships and our daily choices. People often recognize the presence of guilt in “could of, would of, should of, and if only” type thoughts. If you, a co-worker, or a loved one is experiencing guilt, here are five ideas that may be us

A practice that has been useful to me, both professionally and personally, is that of receiving and acting upon the helpful “messages” of my feelings. I have encountered elements of the “feelings as purposeful messengers” metaphor in the work of psychotherapists Richard Schwartz, James Hillman, and Stephen Gilligan. Most recently, I read a passage courtesy of Jungian Analyst, James Hollis (Creating a Life - Finding Your Individual Path, p. 36), which reads: ...schools of ther