Making Connections with Music Therapy

Amanda received her BA in Music Therapy, with a minor in Psychology, from Montclair State University. However, her commitment to connecting with special needs individuals through music is lifelong. Amanda’s brother, who is four years younger than her, went to Harbor School for fifteen years. He graduated from Harbor School in 2014. Despite being severely autistic and requiring around the clock care, Amanda’s brother would sing songs with his big sister, when he was not even able to use words. 

That feeling of connection would not end there. Amanda would go on to volunteer at the schools. She would attend sibling groups. The exposure to other students made her realize that her brother was not the only one that responded to music. She grew up performing, playing piano and singing. Initially, she went to Montclair intending to focus on music performance, but she ended up switching her major to Music Therapy.

At Harbor and Alpha, Amanda primarily plays guitar and piano. However, her work with her students incorporates a wide assortment of percussion instruments, such as drums, bells, maracas, and rhythm sticks. Rhythm sticks are a pair of plain or notched wood sticks that are struck or rubbed together to produce various percussive sounds. Rhythm sticks are primarily used by young children in rhythm bands. Amanda, however, has found her own unique way of incorporating them into her music therapy program. 

Amanda’s breakthrough approach is based on matching instruments to behavior. It continues to be about the connection for her. You might say she has found her rhythm in life.

When asked about success stories, Amanda was quick to offer two of her favorites. One student, in his late teens, was receiving private music therapy and taking adaptive piano lessons for a little over a year. He would look at the letters, which indicate notes, and play simple melodies on the piano. His chief limitation, however, would be that he could only play them with his pointer fingers. Anyone forced to sit for piano lessons as a child would be happy to be able to do that. Yet, Amanda knew her pupil could do better. After a full year of pointer fingers, she decided to place numbers on the student’s fingers and then place those corresponding numbers above the notes. Within ten minutes, the approach she initiated had the student playing with all of his fingers.

The other story that Amanda proudly recalled involved a student who was nonverbal. Rather than use his voice, he would express himself using his I-Pad. Each day, Amanda leads the students in a “Hello” song. It is highly motivating and incorporates a call and response where students can say “hello” or wave. Normally, this student would turn to his device. Recently, the youngster used his voice and said “Hi” when it came to his turn.