Harmonizing Education in Tomball and Beyond: The Impact and Innovation of Music Therapy
The official definition of music is “a combination of vocal or instrumental sounds combined to produce beautiful harmonies that are often an expression of emotions.” Harris County Department of Education’s Music Therapist, Allison Landes, takes her definition one step further, describing music as universal, a gateway that connects humans to one another and fosters an environment of learning.
“Music is powerful, and it’s a wonderful tool to help overcome challenges,” Landes said. “Some of my students with autism won’t respond to spoken language and aren’t engaged, but when I introduce music strategies, they come to life. They will sing, snap their fingers, sit with me and look at the instruments I’m playing.”
March is Music Therapy Awareness Month, and HCDE is celebrating the harmonious work Landes and her therapy colleagues perform with students across Harris County.
Symphonies of healing and growth have been a part of Landes’ life since she was in fourth grade, where she participated in choir and band, led worship at church and learned to play various instruments. Her studies continued through college at Sam Houston State University, perfectly fine-tuning her craft to help those in need with a degree in Music Therapy.
Music Therapist Allison Landes leads a music therapy class by playing a pop song on her ukulele. (Source: HCDE)The 28-year-old worked as a home-based music therapist for five years before joining HCDE’s School-Based Therapy Services division in 2022. Her melodies reach far and wide, spanning 19 campuses in Tomball, Spring and Waller independent school districts. Music therapy is provided to students in special education as a related service when needed to assist a student with making progress toward their educational goals. Landes works with elementary to high school students with disabilities through carefully crafted activities, songs and dances, addressing a spectrum of academic and social-emotional challenges that students may encounter.
“I can give my students song or instrument choices if we are working on communication,” Landes said. “Say we want students to take turns and be social with their peers. We can play music games that involve passing the instruments. Or if we want to practice counting, we can do some rhythmic exercises. Music therapy looks different for every kiddo depending on their Individualized Education Program (IEP).”
Middle and high school learners can also use music therapy to help with academic goals in English. Landes encourages them to write or ad-lib songs during their sessions, which fosters support in handwriting, forming sentences and critical thinking. Once students have a few verses on the page, the music therapist helps bring their words to life with rhythm and harmonies.
In February, Landes and the Related Services Lead in Tomball ISD, Elizabeth Goodrich, struck a chord of innovation, securing a $5,000 grant from the Tomball Education Foundation to create a music instrument library for special education teachers in the district. She describes the future treasure trove of resources as an opportunity to increase the carryover of music strategies into the classroom.
Music Therapist Allison Landes, center right, and Related Services Lead in Tomball ISD, Elizabeth Goodrich, center left, “I’m operating with most of my personal instruments and can’t leave them with the teachers,” Landes said. “This library will be a wonderful resource for our teachers to incorporate music in their own lessons, to tell stories and to get students more engaged.”
Funding will support the purchase of various instruments, including drums, keyboards, bells, a guitar and more. Teachers will also have the opportunity to check out music books and visual guides for instrument use. The music library project is expected to be fully operational in Fall 2024.
While Music Therapy Awareness Month comes to a close at the end of March, the work that Allison Landes does with students will not stop. She joins nearly a dozen music therapists within our School-Based Therapy Services division who remain steadfast in their dedication to empowering students through the transformative power of music.
“The interaction and ability to support these students, see their growth and see them successfully interact and take turns with their student is a beautiful thing to be a part of,” Landes said. “It makes you realize that you are part of something larger than yourself.”
To learn more about HCDE School-Based Therapy Services, visit hcde-texas.org/school-therapy.
Source: HCDE
