Music Therapy: Nickel Pickle's Childrens Songs for Developing Social Skills

As a pianist with more than ten years of experience, I have always been interested in musical composition. I have also been curious about how music can affect people’s emotions and behavior positively. For my Capstone project, I began by investigating the field of music therapy. I read college textbooks and met with a music therapy professor. I learned from this research that the music used in therapeutic sessions rarely used original compositions and was usually chosen by the client from already-existing albums. I pivoted to focusing on creating children’s songs that would help with social skills. This enabled me to use my musical knowledge and skills, while also creating music to help others.

I researched children’s literature and music to understand what typically works for specific age groups. I chose to focus on children aged four to seven. While the lyrics for my songs are simple, it took many drafts for me to find the right amount of repetition and active movement. I learned how to use GarageBand and worked with Ms. Sector, Laurel’s middle school music teacher and department head, to develop the compositions. I piloted the songs with Laurel’s early childhood students to gauge their responses and made changes to make them more effective.

After more rounds of recording and editing, I copyrighted the songs and released them on all official streaming platforms, including Spotify and YouTube. I reached out to several pre- and elementary schools in the area for them to include the songs in their curriculums. So far, my songs have more than 6,000 views. What I found most meaningful about my Capstone experience was how much I enjoyed the independence of making all the decisions and professional contacts myself. I also valued the willingness of all the staff members at Laurel to help me.