Jamming #2.....

Last night I was procrastinating from study (as is happening a lot lately!) so I decided to pick up my guitar. It had been a good couple of weeks since I had last played - I had had a really busy two weeks and hadn’t made the time for it. I get to a point where after a while I just can’t go without doing this activity, it’s really important to me and I have a need to engage in this aspect of life – essentially the need for this activity is the essence of being me. I need to do it on regular basis, because as soon as I deprive myself from playing/singing I feel like something is missing. Ray Charles states the need for music perfectly, “I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water” (“Ray Charles Quotes”, n.d.).

I set up my room as usual and started to play my favourite songs – I usually start with an Eva Cassidy song or Jimi Hendrix' ‘Little wing’, these have been my favourites for years – I find it amazing how my tastes haven’t really changed that much over this time.

I had only been playing for a couple of minutes when my flatmate knocked on the door. She said she had heard me playing and wondered if I wanted a jam. Of course!! She grabbed her djembe and we again went straight to ‘Black silk ribbon’ – it still remains to be seen as our favourite song. We didn’t discuss the beat or harmonies like we sometimes do, and continued to sing the song 4 or 5 times before we went onto another one. I find that singing/guitar is the highest form of me. I feel very confident in performing and I play how I think it should be. Even so, when my flatmate plays with me we really gel.  It’s the highest form of expression. I know who I am when I am interacting with her person because she jams back.

We played through a range of different songs for over an hour, swapping instruments at times. Although no words were directly spoken, we both knew we were coming to the end of the jam when we started to really go for it, I was playing random chords on the guitar and my flatmate started really mixing up her drum beats. This continued until we both looked at each other and stopped!

“Ray Charles Quotes” (n.d.). Retrieved, 9^th October, 2011 from http://thinkexist.com/quotes/ray_charles/

Blogs I’ve commented on:

Matt, Jo, Elise, Shilmoni

All References:

Gaiman, N. (2005). Anansi Boys: Harper Torch.

 

Hargreaves, D.J., Macdonald, R. & Miell, D. (2005). Musical communication. UK: Oxford University Press.

Hopkins, H.L., & Smith, H.D. (1983). Analyzing occupation and activity: A way of thinking about occupational performance. In E. Crepeau, E. Cohn, & B. Schell (Eds.), Willard and Spackman’s occupational therapy (10th ed., pp.189-198). Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

“Ray Charles Quotes” (n.d.). Retrieved, 9^th October, 2011 from http://thinkexist.com/quotes/ray_charles/

The History of Folk Music (2007). Retrieved 26^th September, 2011 from www.music-folk.com

Jamming in the car at the beach!

Having a jam...

Yesterday I asked my flatmate to have a bit of a ‘jam’. We hadn’t played together in months and I was really missing sharing music with her. She was really enthusiastic when I suggested it and immediately went inside to get the instruments.  I got out my guitar to play with, and found her sitting outside already with her older guitar. This is how we always did it – she uses her guitar and I play the djembe or we swap roles.  Before I sat down I decided to get my songbook as we often fumble around trying to remember the chords and lyrics to the songs we play and because of this, we had written song chords and lyrics down when we last played together. I got my book and the djembe and went and sat on the couch with her. I loved the familiar feeling of sitting with a musical instrument in hand waiting before the start of singing with someone else. We chose a song that we always love to sing – it’s our ‘go to song’ called ‘black silk ribbon’. We both love it for its tune and harmonies and sometimes find ourselves singing this song over and over, trying to refine the harmonies, but never getting sick of it. Just before we started playing, my flatmate asked me to play the guitar instead of the djembe, as this is what we usually do when we play this song. I’m a bit better at the strumming and she knows the beat on the djembe really well. I was happy to play, but fumbled a wee bit in my transitions as I hadn’t played guitar in a couple of weeks. Her guitar is a rather old, nylon stringed guitar that always sounds a bit out of tune. However I didn’t get my newer, more tuneful guitar as it didn’t seem right – this is how we’d always done it, so why change a good thing? We sang the song over once, and immediately sung it again. We didn’t even have to say ‘shall we go again?’ we just knew that we both loved it and would sing it until one of us would say ‘ok how about xxx song……..’ Our voices were a bit rusty, but because we had sung it so often in the past, the essence of the song was still there and eventually we started hitting all the right notes. The end of the song is a real problem however.  I can’t stand singing the ending as it’s a funny change of tune but my flatmate always keeps going and it just fades out. Although we both mentioned yet again that we need to change the end, we didn’t! And I wonder if we ever actually will! My flatmate then suggested that we sing the ‘train’ song. I was thinking of another song that we usually sing and said ‘don’t you mean the boat song?’ and proceeded to flick to the page in the book that the ‘boat’ song was on. However she described the song she wanted to sing more in detail and it dawned on me that I had forgotten about the ‘train’ song - probably because we had only played it once or twice together when we last jammed. We sung this song through once, then my flatmate suggested we have a verse to sing each. I love changing songs and singing them a bit differently – which I usually do to this song when I sing it by myself, but my flatmate is the exact opposite – she sings the song exactly like it is on the recording. So everytime we sung the chorus together, we would sing it a bit differently - but being a bit of a self confessed musical perfectionist I wanted it to sound the same, so I found myself singing the chorus to her way and hoping that the original way wouldn’t get stuck in my head when I would next sing the song by myself. The fear of becoming too ‘samey’, or trying to sound exactly like the artist that the song was from is an innate fear of mine! As we continued to play and sing together, we didn’t swap the guitar over like we usually do in order to have turns on the drums. We were both happy in our roles, and as it was my songbook, I think there is an unspoken sort of rule that says – your music, your lead (the guitar leads the tune of the song). However we both really enjoyed playing together and this was evident when we finished and simultaneously exclaimed "we need to do this more often!!" I felt so happy and relaxed having a wee jam. I remembered how much I miss the social interaction (or lack of) when I’m singing by myself, and I absolutely adore making harmonies with someone else. I find it fascinating that two people can sing different notes, but they sound so lovely together! The communication between my flatmate and myself is so important. No more do I have to take just myself into consideration, but I must also be aware of my actions and their influences on the other person. Developing our social relationship, by shared meaning and understanding, results in both of us wanting the same outcome – play music together, whilst developing a relationship with the other person. We are both reliant on each other for singing different parts, being on tune and playing in time together.

After we had finished, I went to my room to get ready to go out, and found myself humming the last song’s tune over and over. It was stuck in my head - must have been a good song! As I passed my flatmate outside I found her whistling the same tune, “Songs remain. They last…that’s the power of songs" (Gaiman, 2005, p.451).

Gaiman, N. (2005). Anansi Boys: Harper Torch.

Affordances : Aesthetics

 "It is through our activities that we…practice skills, express our feelings, experience pleasure…” (Hopkins & Smith, 1983, pp. 191). 

Singing and playing guitar is an affordance that definitely lends itself to the expression of feelings and beauty. When I was last at Church singing within a group of hundreds of others, I was reminded of the beauty that harmony and expression of spirituality can bring. After this, I was extremely motivated to go home and practise my singing as a way of emotional expression. Reciprocal motivators – go to Church to sing and sing by going to Church! 

Over my years of playing and singing, my tastes for the type of music I most enjoy playing have only marginally changed. I tend to classify my music as easy listening/folky and continue to find this type of sound the most soothing and enjoyable to practise and perform. Traditionally, folk music has been passed down by oral tradition and has evolved over thousands of years to what it is today ("The History of Folk Music”, 2007). I find it amazing that the true essence of folk music - the expression of life or stories of struggles and happiness, are expressed through song that is still evident in the music that I play today. My ability to mould songs and give them my own flavour enriches my playing pleasure and is the opportunity to work on enhancing the sound of the song - however this is totally subjective!

Hopkins, H.L., & Smith, H.D. (1983). Analyzing occupation and activity: A way of thinking about occupational performance. In E. Crepeau, E. Cohn, & B. Schell (Eds.), Willard and Spackman’s occupational therapy (10th ed., pp.189-198). Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

Singing at a wedding

The History of Folk Music (2007). Retrieved 26^th September, 2011 from www.music-folk.com/

How dost thou communicate?

Last Saturday I communicated my love for music in an hour and a half long solo performance.  When performing, my task doesn’t require a responsive audience as people have the option of wandering around the building or sitting and listening to me whilst the PA amplifies my performance around the entire 5 floors of the building. However, responsiveness from the audience aids my internal drive to put on a polished performance and never fails to be a confidence booster. 

The body language of a receptive audience is clear as day.  “(Music) provides a means by which people can share emotions, intentions, and meanings even though their spoken languages may be mutually incomprehensible” (Hargreaves, Macdonald & Miell, 2005). Last Saturday I watched two Argentinian foreigners closing their eyes for some songs (I took this as positive reinforcement!), clapping and verbally thanking me for the music. The relationship between me as performer and the audience members is built by a mutual respect – me respecting their participation as an audience member, and them respecting my music and performance. However, miscommunication can occur just as readily – an unresponsive or impassive audience blurs the lines of communication and makes my task extremely challenging.

In sharing my interest with the audience, I am creatively expressing myself and showing a part of my individuality that is special to me. Therefore, preventing a ‘bad’ performance is imperative and the leg work leading up to the performance is very important. The expectations of the audience i.e. tuneful, easy listening singing, good guitar playing, clear sound and familiar songs, means I have to work my body to ensure I can perform for an hour and a half without breaks. The muscle memory of my fingers on the fret board and toughening of my finger-tips when playing the steel strings is all part of the hardening up process to ensure that by the time I perform it looks as though I do it with ease.  This may or may not be a cultural expectation – the necessity of occupationally inflicted damage for the greater good. As the old adage says, ‘no pain, no gain’.

Sometimes I struggle with singing in front of people I know (possibly because I respect their opinion more); however positive reinforcement by these people and other audience members is one reason that I continue to perform. Signs with the score '10' on them were held up by family and friends on Saturday’s performance - reinforcing the positive communication that was occurring between us!

Hargreaves, D.J., Macdonald, R. & Miell, D. (2005). Musical communication. Oxford University Press: UK.

Ergonomically Speaking...

As a student (and spring chicken at the age of 25!), my busy lifestyle influences how and when I practise. I’m at an age where everything I do is for ‘me’ – I cook and clean for myself, motivate myself to study, tell myself when to go to bed, when to eat, when to exercise and when to practise my singing/guitar playing. Over the past 11 years that I have been doing this activity, I have had lulls and highs in my motivation to practise and I again find myself in a period of frequent practise. I find that when my life is busy and I may have undesirable tasks to do i.e. study; this task provides me with a good excuse to stop the undesirable task – “because I need to practise for my next gig” (I tell myself). Maybe it’s just a good de-stressor.

The first thing I do when I sit down for practise is ensure I’m in my comfy clothes. I usually sit in the same position for hours on end, and jeans just don’t cut it! The environment I frequently play in is my bedroom. My bedroom allows me the pleasure of sitting on my bed with my legs splayed out in front of me and my song-book and guitar sitting on my lap. Unfortunately performance venues don’t allow for me to sit so leisurely or in my round home clothes! Not only would it be socially unacceptable, but our culture tells me that I may not get as many gigs if I don’t look the part of a folk singer.

The longer I practise, the more aware I become of my body’s ‘deficits’.  My fingers and shoulders have an uncanny ability of reminding my body that they are in an unnatural position - by becoming sore and my fingertips calloused.  My voice – temperamental at times, can also get sore if I don’t look after it with warm up exercises and warm liquids.

I have an old guitar that I use as my back up for performances if my lead guitar breaks a string. Going back to this guitar is a challenge, as the higher action (strings higher off the fret) and heavier steel strings, gives it a different feel and sound. My body feels differently when I play this guitar as my fingers struggle to push down on the thick strings and the sound it emits is harsh. I feel rather incompetent when I’m playing this guitar as I’m unable to produce a good sound, so I always ensure I only briefly practise on the old guitar, then make a quick transition back to the new (I don’t want that incompetence feeling to become ingrained….!).

Blog One - Singing & Playing Guitar

Welcome to Semester Two:

Singing and playing guitar is a form of play that allows me to creatively express myself. When I first think of this activity the words ‘relaxation’ and ‘enjoyment’ spring to mind. I feel so relaxed when I do this activity that I can sometimes play and sing until my voice goes hoarse. I love the creative license of moulding other artist’s songs, in doing so making them my own. Unfortunately no artist would be proud of my guitaring, as my skills have stagnated over the past 10 or so years!

Performing is one way I can communicate with others without actually directly speaking to them. Regardless of the fact that my voice or guitaring might sound a bit rough at times, I have always had positive experiences when performing.  I think that people are so receptive to the music I play as they appreciate the challenges associated with getting up in front of a group of people and singing. The voice is a very fickle instrument and without practise, care and fine tuning, it can sound very rusty. When I’m performing I can see people’s appreciation by their body language – smiles, clapping or tapping a foot, or some make an effort to come over and give positive feedback. Although there is always an element of nervous anticipation, I get a buzz out of performing and enjoy having the ability to give others enjoyment in that moment.

The task of playing and singing for two hours each week over nine weeks, is a challenge that I am willing to accept. Mindful practise is a good reason to stop watching ‘Shortland Street’ and do something that I find productive and enjoyable. This is also a good excuse to stop ‘cramming’ in practise the night before a gig!

And so it begins...

Proloquo2Go - Communication made easy!

The Proloquo2Go is great for people with verbal dyspraxia. It provides augmentative and alternative use of speech and communication, as well as providing vocabulary and symbols to help the user communicate with speech-to-voice.

Verbal dyspraxia affects the child’s ability to correctly pronounce sounds, syllables and words, as well as making speaking very difficult. Accessing vocabulary can also be a problem for the child and prove to be very frustrating for the child when trying to speak (American Speech Language Hearing Association, 2011). The Proloquo2Go provides a range of opportunities for clients with these difficulties. It provides a natural sounding text-to-speech voice, allowing clients to voice their intentions and communicate with others - which they find extremely difficult otherwise (Child Apraxia of Speech Association, 2011). A default vocabulary of over 7000 items allows the client to easily choose what they want to communicate by the simple push of a button. As expressing emotions can be very hard for people with verbal dyspraxia, this application can successfully aid emotional expression (Child Apraxia of Speech Association, 2011). Subsequently, vocabulary can be added by the user to adapt it to their personal communication style. The Proloquo2Go has 8000 symbols that represent real life situations and objects eg. Dog, or fork. Access to recently spoken items allows for ease of use and conversation (AssistiveWare, 2010).

What a great invention!

http://youtu.be/BD_1sdNEwfg

AssistiveWare. (2010). Proloquo2Go: AAC in your back pocket. Retrieved 11^th May, 2011, from http://www.Proloquo2Go.com/

American Speech Language Hearing Association. (2011). Childhood apraxia of speech. Retrieved 12^th May, 2011, from http://www.asha.org/ public/speech/disorders/childhoodapraxia.htm

Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association. (2011). What is childhood apraxia of speech? Retrieved 11^th May, 2011, from http://www.apraxia-kids.org/site/apps/nlnet/content

The Internet and Online Communities

The following three online communities I'm going to discuss regard intellectual disabilities:

http://www.specialfriendsonline.com/public/

http://www.abilityonline.org/

http://www.thearc.org/page.aspx?pid=2543

Purpose of ‘special friends online’ :

People with intellectual disabilities get support by developing friendships with other parents, carers and professionals all over the world.Take away the feelings of being isolated by enjoying online chatting and joining in with the general and specialist forum. Users get peace of mind by utilising our 24 hour helpline manned by people who care.Learn more about conditions like Aspergers, ADHD, Downs Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and many others.

Purpose of ‘ability online’:

It provides people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to experience friendship, support, and skill development at a time when they need it most. Young people with disabilities and illnesses connect with all kinds of possibilities that address their needs for friendship, support and information.  They meet and chat with other people like them in a virtual world that goes beyond boundaries and barriers. They make friends, get tips from mentors, and freely participate in an atmosphere of collaboration, companionship and support.  

Purpose of ‘the arc’:

Learn about a range of intellectual disabilities, including aetiology and diagnosis. Has access to ways of being involved in the intellectually disabled community, and access to other support services.

Services provided on each site:

‘Special friends online’ :

• Very interactive with photos, videos and a 24-hour helpline and instant messaging.
• People can contribute by becoming a sponsor or member of the community
• People contribute support and information for other people with/family members with intellectual disabilities.

‘Ability online’:

• Is very interactive, the site has many pictures and has a positive feel to it. It allows members with intellectual disabilities to chat online 24 hours a day in a safe environment. The text of the website can be changed to allow people with visual difficulties to access the site also.
• People can contribute through chatting, giving donations and attending events advertised on the site.
• Contributing time and a listening ear/support is what people contribute when interactively using the site.

‘The arc’:

• Access to events and other support services. Site isn’t very interactive, made up of 4 major tabs with headings, although these are very clear.
• People can contribute by ‘getting involved’ in the community and giving money to the organisation.
• Very informative and provides clear information regarding different disabilities, this could be very helpful for people without this knowledge.

People choose to contribute to each community as they may seek support from others experiencing the same unique disability. Gaining understanding from others and information regarding their condition is also important and offered in all of these communities. Information is reciprocated in the instant messaging functions. The help-line is information that is also shared both ways also, and is a good way for families of intellectually disabled people to gain an insight.

This excerpt is from a poem written by a mother with a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). People can discuss and post these poems online.

"His temper's outrageous" "He has hands in his food".
He hears this and wonders, just what's wrong with me?
I tell him, "You're special, you have A.D.H.D.".

Tracy Nicolaus (http://www.specialfriendsonline.com/public/)

Ethical issues that may arise in online communities are lack of privacy when chatting online. Not actually knowing who you are chatting too may result in abusive behaviour by the other party. This could also lead to a lack of accountability for negative behaviour. Run by volunteers, money issues may also lack for accountability if funds were to be handled in a dishonest manner.



Understanding Epilepsy

The following videos explain, or show some examples of epileptic seizures that can go unrecognised:

http://youtu.be/e10FSjHvV74 “Understanding Partial Seizures”

http://youtu.be/JPUp5LwtQ_k “Complex Partial Seizure”

http://youtu.be/z9V2sNmIoJk “Absence Seizure”

http://youtu.be/lkd5cCEE1g4 “De ja vu Seizure”

http://youtu.be/-ENP6NSkmTU “De ja vu Seizure”

http://youtu.be/wPnuH1zCga8 “Simple Partial Seizure”

Society’s knowledge of epileptic seizures often only goes as far as ‘grand mal’ or what is now referred to as ‘tonic clonic’. These seizures see a person falling to the ground shaking uncontrollably. However, I have personal experience of four other types of epileptic seizures – complex partial seizures, absence seizures, simple partial and de ja vu seizures which are less commonly known outside of the medical field. Some of these seizures can go unrecognised by the untrained/unaware eye, and the person experiencing the seizures may simply be perceived as acting very strange. In epilepsy, the brain's electrical circuitry doesn't work properly. Normally, the brain sends electrical signals throughout the body to control movement. In epilepsy, the brain sometimes creates an electrical storm - called a seizure - that scrambles these signals. While it lasts, a seizure affects how your brain works. That's why you can suddenly experience uncontrolled body movements, unusual sensations, or changes in behaviour or awareness (http://www.epilepsy.org.nz/main.cfm?id=49, 2011). A person experiencing ‘absence seizures’ has no recognition that they are having the seizure at the time, although it may look like they are just off in a daze. All of these seizures can be very detrimental to the person experiencing them, as extreme fatigue and nausea after every seizure (not to mention embarrassment!) can last for a day, and many seizures can occur over the period of a day. These types of seizures are diagnosed by an electroencephalogram (EEG) and CCTV video of the epileptic. All these seizures can be medicated with anti-convulsants, however for many people this is a very arduous and long process in order to find the right mix of medication. Driving for 18months -2years after your last epileptic seizure is forbidden for safety purposes. The long term effects of these seizures can include medication side-effects and memory problems.

So what is YouTube anyway?

YouTube is a social networking site on the Internet, that allows people from all over the world to share videos for free. YouTube allows users to develop video blogs, partake in e-learning and potentially become famous (Justin Beiber!). Unlike television, users aren’t interrupted with advertisements in the middle of watching a video, however businesses can advertise on the YouTube website which appears alongside the videos. The wide variety of site content is accessed by simply typing in keywords and phrases to identify the topic of interest. Not only can businesses advertise, they also offer products and services for free by placing a video clip on the site. Anything and everything is now offered on YouTube, from comedy spoofs to sports games and movie clips. See the spoof video ‘What is YouTube’……

What is YouTube? (2008). Retrieved 4^th April, 2011, from http://what-is-what.com/what_is/youtube.html

So what is YouTube anyway?

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology in occupational therapy enables people with disabilities to gain independence and control over their learning and functioning.  According to a definition in Cook and Hussey, assistive technology is “Any item, piece of equipment or product system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customised that is used to increase or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities” (1995, p.5). Put simply, assistive technology refers to a variety of equipment, services and practices that help people with disabilities improve their functional capacities.

An assistive technology device used to help people with learning difficulties like dyslexia, allows the user to hear speech instead of reading it - by turning the text into speech. It also provides assistance for writing text and spelling. This software can be easily downloaded off the Internet for $30 USD,  converting any text into speech and allowing the user to dictate the pace and pitch of the voice that is speaking.

In using the text-to-speech, the user can gain independence with their written work, whereas previous to the software, they may have had to rely on others to read documents out loud for them. Mastering the control of the programme, allowing the user to choose the type, pitch and speed of the voice also allows for increased independence.

http://actualdownload.com/Microsoft-Text-To-Speech_popular.html (Link for downloading ‘text-to-speech’).

Cook, A.M & Hussey, S.M. (1995). Assistive technologies: Principles and practice. USA: Mosby.

Verbal dyspraxia/apraxia of speech

On my placement, I observed assessments with some children who had verbal dyspraxia/apraxia of speech.Verbal dyspraxia is a neurological speech disorder that affects some children into their adulthood. It affects the child’s ability to correctly pronounce sounds, syllables and words and makes speaking very difficult. Accessing vocabulary can also be a problem for the child and prove to be very frustrating for the child when trying to speak.

See below for some links regarding verbal dyspraxia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYmm23EPXjU (Video of a 4-year old girl speaking with verbal dyspraxia).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKGGMfngRa4 (Short documentary about apraxia in children, this includes how they are tested and interviews a mother with two children with verbal dyspraxia).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXlDxHZRAKA (Example of a child with verbal dyspraxia attempting to say everyday words).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eLYfs1aiFo (Video podcast with Nancy Kaufman, director of the ‘Kaufman’s Language Centre for speech, language, sensory-motor, and social connections’. She talks about the importance of recognising and treating verbal dyspraxia early).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHa4fRAvr_E (Verbal dyspraxia exercises for people with the condition).

So what is YouTube anyway?

YouTube is a social networking site on the Internet, that allows people from all over the world to share videos for free. YouTube allows users to develop video blogs, partake in e-learning and potentially become famous (Justin Beaber!). Unlike television, users aren’t interrupted with advertisements in the middle of watching a video, however businesses can advertise on the YouTube website which appears alongside the videos. The wide variety of site content is accessed by simply typing in keywords and phrases to identify the topic of interest. Not only can businesses advertise, they also offer products and services for free by placing a video clip on the site. Anything and everything is now offered on YouTube, from comedy spoofs to sports games and movie clips. See the spoof video ‘What is YouTube’……http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZakerKWA_PQ

What is YouTube? (2008). Retrieved 4^th April, 2011, from http://what-is-what.com/what_is/youtube.html