Music Therapy in the Summertime: Camp Sing-Along

July 14, 2016

Part of the summer camp experience at Bridgeway Academy includes a half-hour camp sing-along for every classroom once a week. This summer Miss Liz and Ms. Kristin have been leading a variety of music activities, including echo songs, chants, finger plays, dances, and more.

History of Camp Sing-Along
The tradition of singing camp songs dates back to the late 1800’s. While it originated in camp gospel revival meetings, it has transformed throughout the years and now focuses on songs that are fun and easy to remember, instilling a sense of community and fostering positive relationships.

Camp Sing-Along at Bridgeway Academy
Camp sing-along at Bridgeway Academy is a large group music therapy setting and therefore targets many of the skills our students find challenging. As they participate in songs, chants, finger plays, dances, and clapping games, students become a part of their class and school community, focusing on positive social interaction. There is an emphasis on joint attention, thus promoting an awareness of the environment. Research shows that during group music therapy experiences students exhibit an increase in following directions, conversational skills, responsiveness, and eye gaze and eye contact.

Other skills that are targeted during large group music therapy are eye-hand coordination, problem solving, creativity and choice-making, persistence, self-control, keeping a steady beat, and listening. Almost all of these skills are targeted during one half-hour camp sing-along, and all of these skills are targeted using fun, playful activities that are easily remembered and reproduced in various settings.

If you have any questions about your child and camp sing-along, please feel free to contact Kristin Kummer, MT-BC (kkummer@bridgewayohio.org) or Liz Woolley, MT-BC (lwoolley@bridgewayohio.org).