I discovered this new app from Smule the other day and I love it! I have a client that loves it! It is a great app for kids or teens who like to rap or listen to Rap music. It is extremely easy. All you do is say a few sentences into the microphone and it creates a beat and auto-tunes your voice to fit the time. Anyone can sound like a pro! Plus it's FREE!
Even though I posted a whole month worth of iPad apps, being the enthusiast I am, I cannot resist to continue posting my favorite new apps for music therapy. Today's post is centered around the app, "Falling Stars." It is similar to "Soundrop" but in my opinion way more awesome! With this app, you get to drop the stars on different lines that you drew. The fun thing about the lines you draw is that they can be leaves, squiggles, etc. Each type of line makes a different sound such as percussion, marimba, etc. I love this app. I showed a few of my clients today and they were having a lot of fun. I actually found myself drawn in listening to the sounds and went over my session time because I was so immersed. Let me know in the comment section if you love this FREE app too!!
Well folks, I had a great time putting together this list of apps. I hope you found at least a few on this list that will serve you well with clients, students, work, or just for fun. Now if you don't mind, go to the bottom of this post and press one of the buttons to share this blog with other iPad enthusiasts. Here are all of the apps listed by day. Click to view each post:
Aeolian Harp is a relaxing app showcasing different sounds and colors. Within this app there are 4 different sections of sounds. You can choose what instrument you would like for each section. Some instruments include marimba, xyllophone, etc. As you play, notes and colors follow your finger and stay behind.
MT Applications:
1. Relaxation 2. Fine Motor Skills 3. Choice Making 4. Reward
Well that's all folks!!! Stay tuned for more great posts to come! I hope you enjoyed my 30 day iPad series! Please share with other iPad enthusiasts! Tomorrow I will make a post including links to every post created this month so it can be accessed all in one place.
So sorry for the delay in apps! I was a bridesmaid this weekend and was very busy! Hopefully I can make it up to you by posting 3 apps today. And tomorrow is my last day! Don't worry I won't stop posting after that. I have another series in mind but it probably won't be a daily series. I need to rest before I try that again! Here goes:
Day 27: Dust Buster
Description:
Dust Buster is a piano lesson app designed for kids and adults alike. You can either practice the touch piano on the iPad or practice with a real piano using the app. It shows a grandma dusting the germs off keys every time you play. It is similar to my app Dr. Seuss Band but uses the piano.
MT Applications:
1. Fine Motor Skills
2. Sequencing
3. Impulse Control
4. Attention
This is a wacky app that has three spheres with different sounds attached. You can press one sphere to play melody, one to play voice, and one to play the beat. If you play all three together you get music in all corners of the screen. Move the spheres around to change it up.
MT Applications:
1. Fine Motor Skills
2. Reward
3. Sound Discrimination
Pitch pipe is just what it sounds like. It is a pitch pipe. If you need to hear a pitch to sing or play on an instrument, this is the right app for you.
iMovie is a really neat app that allows you to edit video and slideshows. You can incorporate pictures, video, sounds, etc. It allows you to choose from different styles of video whether it be neon, modern, or travel. You can also create trailers for movies, life, or for fun.
MT Applications:
1. Self Expression 2. Emotional Expression 3. Life Review 4. Social Interaction 5. Choice Making
Autsim Xpress is an app that allows people to choose a face that represents their emotions. There are many options including: happy, sad, nervous, hungry, angry, etc. Once you press a face, the screen changes to that face's reaction. If you press happy, the face starts to laugh. This is a great way for nonverbal clients to express how they are feeling.
This version of simon says is free and uses musical instruments. Basically "Abby" talks you through the game. She tells when to "listen" and when to play. It is great for clients needing extra instruction. The premise of the game is to press the same buttons as the game. When you miss, you get a score at the end.
MT Applications:
1. Sustained Attention
2. Impulse Control
3. Sequencing
4. Fine Motor Skills
Glee is an app that allows you to sing familiar songs from a list. With this app, auto-tune can be turned on or off allowing anybody to sing on pitch. Each song cost a certain amount to purchase. You can also compete with others around the world gaining points.
MT Applications:
1. Self Expression
2. Choice Making
3. Speech Articulation/ Fluency
Ukelele sounds very similar to the real instrument and allows you to pick songs to play. It positions the chords in order and you play them while singing the song. You have to be familiar with the song already if you want to accompany yourself with Ukelele.
MT Applications:
1. Fine Motor Skills
2. Improvisation
3. Choice Making
4. Sequencing
Magic is a fun and interactive piano app that allows you to play songs from a large list, play with other people around the world, and play 3 different whimsical pianos just for fun. This is one of the apps that I use all the time and my clients love it!
MT Applications:
1. Fine Motor Skills
2. Attention (they follow the lights to play correct notes)
3. Sequencing
4. Improvisation
5. Reward
6. Impulse Control
Sound Brush is a unique app in which you can paint a picture and music will sound. The music is very soothing and relaxing when you paint. This app is 1.99.
MT Applications:
1. Relaxation 2. Fine Motor Skills 3. Color Identification 4. Emotional Expression
Here is a video explaining more about its capabilities:
Choice Board Creator is an app where you can attach pictures, text, and/or sound to a number of boxes. You choose how many boxes you would like on screen up to 6 I believe. You can incorporate anything you want to. In the picture above, I used this board for the song "Old McDonald" having clients point to animals being sung about.
MT Applications:
1. Client Preferences 2. Visual Aids 3. Communication (in particular for nonverbal clients) 4. Sequencing
If you run a music therapy private practice, this is a great thing to have! Download the app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android and go to square.com. You can receive a free Square card reader! All you do is put in your bank account information where you will be receiving funds from others and for every swipe, square receives 2.75%. Not bad considering this little item is free and easy to handle. I think it's much easier than bulky credit card machines that still take out a percentage. With square, you can receive funds anywhere from your phone or iPad. Tired of cashing all those checks, get Square and you don't have to. Funds go directly to your bank account every night after you have swiped.
Check out the website here and receive your free Square today.
This app isn't a whole lot different from Percussions+ which I discussed a couple of days ago. The difference is that this one is FREE. I would have posted this one first but I just found it. It does not have the option to play your own music but you can create loops that can be positioned within the app. You can play multiple percussion instruments and record your performance.
MT Applications:
1. Fine Motor Skills
2. Emotional Expression
3. Impulse Control
4. Reward
5. Sound Identification
6. Improvisation
7. Attention
Here is a video demonstrating how to use this app:
I have found this to be the most realistic iPad piano app. The keys can be magnified to the size of real piano keys. You can start on any keys you want. For example, you could show C-C, D-B, etc. You choose what is on the screen. You also have the option to make two keyboards with different octaves or two keyboards facing opposite directions. Virtuoso Piano is free too!
MT Applications:
1. Fine Motor Skills 2. Social interaction (due to showing opposite keyboards allowing more than one player) 3. Reward 4. Letter identification
Percussions + is a great app that provides percussion instruments of all types. These instruments include bongos, congas, tambourine, egg shaker, DJ scratcher, claves, cowbell, and so much more. You can change the size of these instruments allowing for many per screen. Play instruments loops in the background changing volume, speed, and reverb. You can also turn on background music found on your iPad that will play during instrument manipulations.
MT Applications:
1. Fine Motor Movements 2. Sound identification/ discrimination 3. Reward
4. Attention
5. Improvisation
6. Impulse Control
Sign Now is a free app that allows you to import pdf's or documents and lets you sign your paperwork. You can import from many places such as dropbox, e-mail, a photo, etc. You can then save and send your work where it needs to go.
MT applications:
1. Have clients sign paperwork on iPad, iPhone, or Android 2. Save paper and ink!
Thumbafon is a type of xylophone instrument that provides 8 colored squares with different tones. You can change the scale to 6 different modes including Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, and Aeolian. You can also change the sounds with 5 different sound options.
MT Applications:
1. Improvisation (you can accompany mode on piano while client improvises) 2. Self Expression/ Emotional Expression 3. Color Identification 4. As a reward 5. Attention (play an instrument at the same time stopping, speeding up, louder, etc.)
Pandora is an internet radio that has been made into an easy access app for your iPhone, iPad, or Android. I love Pandora because you can type any artist, song title, or album, and that station will play music related. You can save your own stations for later and add as many as you like.
MT Applications:
1. If your device has 3G, then you can access Pandora anywhere 2. Great for client preferred background music during instrument play 3. Free! No need to purchase a ton of music 4. Categorize stations for each client
Go Rewards is a rewards system where you can create your list of activities, behaviors, etc. For each list you have up to 10 stars that you can reward. You can also separate each reward chart by name if you have multiple clients. Each time they receive a star, a sign pops up with a positive remark.
MT Applications:
1. Build up stars for a musical reward 2. Reward stars per session and once they get so many, give a big reward 3. Increase Participation 4. Appropriate responses receive a star
Vid Rhythm is a fun and entertaining app that calls for no music experience. You make up your own sounds and fill them into the video. You can choose the song and the style. It is pretty entertaining because it is fast and unpredictable. Check out my video below to see my demonstration.
MT Applications:
1. Self Expression 2. As a reward for participation 3. Speech/ Vocalizations 4. Just for fun!
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