“Beautiful Autumn Season” is here! Although yesterday was a rainy, drizzly day, creativity, rhythm sticks, song writing, singing and music making energized, empowered and engaged the Senior Champions of the Innovative Senior Champions Program at New Zion Baptist Church in a “beautiful” themed Music Therapy session. We are so grateful to have an additional senior champion join us who is 103 years old!
Our session began with a relaxing wellness and deep breathing exercise to an instrumental Song. We were greeted with Rhythm Sticks to a lively tune adapted from the folk song “She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain” incorporated their name, a gross motor movement and a feeling.
Then we discussed the beautiful fall in Williamsburg and worked as a team to design our own Tree including rhythm sticks, the table decorations (leaves and pumpkins), green scarf and apple shakers. I took a short break and sat next to the Apple Tree!
From the discussion we changed the lyrics to the original greeting song to write our own Autumn song … the senior champions love the song that we sang several times and recorded it!
Lastly the senior champions played the song “America the Beautiful” on the tone chimes! It was a perfect beautiful ending to a drizzly rainy day. We closed with a deep breathing activity to an instrumental song and invited Senior Champions to share reflective comments. Their words included: Reflective comments included: “seasonal, so blessed, grateful, Relaxed, calm, energized, invigorated, wonderful, lovely, FUN, and fabulous!”
