Muse - Madness (Lyric Video) LUV THIS!!!

Just a Little Update

Hello friends! It has been a minute since I have blogged. I am steadily working on getting my business up and running.

Please check out my website at: www.elizabethjcampbell.com

Click on the Rock Band tab to see what I am doing to help keep music alive in the lives of children and teens.

Hello friends! Please check out my MUSIC campaign on INDIEGOGO!! Thanks so much!!


http://www.indiegogo.com/bethemusic

My Website

Please check out my website! I just updated it and it should be full of all sorts of fun info! Yay!

I've just updated my website, check it out. http://elizabethjcampbell.com/ via IntuitWebsites http://on.fb.me/IntuitWebsites

Music Rocks! (like you didn't know that already) :)

Dear Friends, As all of you know, I LOVE MUSIC! It's my life and my passion. I also love helping people. So, I have decided to turn my two loves into a business. I call it Wanna Be a Rock Star. In a nutshell, I wanna help kids and teens get the ultimate rock star or hip hop experience thru 12 week long workshops. In these workshops we will (depending on level) - write, record, and perform an original or cover song - learn a new instrument (private lessons) or become more skilled on electric or bass guitar, keys, drums, or vocals - grow musically through learning more about rhythm, volume, tempo, etc. - have an amazing experience!! My ultimate goal is to make this program aimed at gang prevention and youth development. No one can do this alone. That's why I am putting together a fundraiser on this amazing site called indiegogo.com. How you can support me/my project: 1) Go to my project on indiegogo (I will send you the info once I have posted the fundraiser.) For each amount you give (minimum of $1) you will get some kind of reward. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am hoping to have my fundraising page up and running within the next two weeks. I will let you know. 2) Like my Facebook pages www.facebook.com/bethemusic and www.facebook.com/musiclizzyjayne 3) visit my website www.elizabethjcampbell.com Thank you.....Merci........Gracias........Danke And remember...."After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." Aldous Huxley

No Music Talent Required

Children have an innate love for music. They absorb it with every fiber of their being. Most children show their appreciation by dancing to the beat. Accompanied by the dancing is usually lots of smiling and contagious laughter. You see it all over youtube.

What about those children who feel like they have a constant fast paced dance going on inside of their head? Sarah is 8 years old. She was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) two years ago. ADHD can be defined as a "persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequently displayed and is more severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development." (source: DSM IV) Sarah has trouble focusing at school and is a handful for her parents, to put it mildly. Her teachers and parents are becoming very frustrated and she has very few friends. Sarah is living a lonely life. What can help her control her ADHD and make her feel more "normal?"

Sarah's parents decided to try music therapy, as Sarah is resistant to talk therapy, and medication alone is not enough. She loves music, so why not give it a try? For Sarah, considering her diagnosis, it is most important to improve her ability to focus, decrease impulsivity, and achieve a sense of calm. Would she be open to trying music therapy? Yes, she would! Sarah agreed, because she loves music. Music is non-threatening, so it makes children more open to the idea of working with a therapist, and it's fun! Children with ADHD can be quite creative, so are very drawn to music and music therapy can also bring out hidden musical talents.

For the first time Sarah was excited about the prospect of a form of therapy. To help her focus, the music therapist engaged Sarah in various instrumental rhythmic exercises. How did this help her? The rhythmic aspect of the music provided Sarah with a structure to organize movements and participation, which improved her impulse control, and focus. This helped increased her academic performance, and improved her behavior at home. Listening to and playing music also helped Sarah. She learned how to express her emotions and needs more appropriately and her communication skills improved (through singing). Her interactions with both her parents and teachers improved, and Sarah was making more friends. She was starting to feel....well more..."normal," which also raised her self-esteem. Sarah was feeling good about herself and it showed. She was smiling and laughing more often, and feeling like a "normal" kid who looked forward to going to school every day, because she was getting better grades and had people with whom she could spend time. To add, Sarah was excelling at music. She was a talented singer, who was learning skills on the piano. Not only did music therapy change Sarah's feelings about herself and life, but it also gave her parents a renewed sense of faith in their daughter.

Music therapy grabbed her attention and kept it.

The Day She Raised Her Voice

It starts with a pulse inside my head. The beating of my heart; hard as lead. Can't get the music out of my mind. The rhythm of the words, the melody, the time. Melodies of sorrow, melodies of hate; used to be my story, but now that's changed. I found a shining light and a brand new way, to live the rhythm of my life. The words have changed, the story's rearranged; to fit a life lived with a little less pain, but with joy...joy for the music, the music that saves. 

This is a story of a young girls whose life was changed and saved by her love of the music. "Jennifer" was 15 years old when she was first admitted to "The Home." Angry and depressed about her life and family, she resorted to physical violence and self-mutilation to cope with her feelings. She had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder; something she would have to live with for the rest of her life. Let's get clinical for a brief moment...very brief: Bipolar disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a lifelong condition that can affect both how you feel and how you act. It is a mood disorder thought to be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain that can result in extreme swings in mood—from manic highs to depressive lows. To be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you must have experienced a high period (mania). Bipolar mania is described as an "extreme high," or feeling unusually great. Most people with bipolar disorder when ill or when symptomatic experience more lows (depression) than highs. Doesn't sound fun, huh? Like most people with labels, she decided to live up to the reputation of being "that way." She got into fist fights with peers and argued with adults until exhaustion took over and anger became tears. Her family had let her down and she saw no way out. "Jennifer" was stuck. Stuck in the anger, and stuck in the pain. What could save her from this downward spiral; this black abyss? She wanted to cry out for help, but didn't know how. Like most depressed girls her age, "Jennifer" stuffed her feelings. She didn't know how to express them in a healthy way.

 

One day "Jennifer" wandered into one of my music groups. At the surface, the groups was about learning how to sing or play the piano. At a deeper level, issues like low self-esteem, poor anger and stress management skills, fear of of failure, and disempowerment were addressed. "Jennifer" expressed an interest in both singing and piano, but her heart was with her voice. She started off shy, not wanting to sing songs she didn't already know and fearful of performing in front of her peers. She was afraid of her voice and of other's judgement. "Jennifer" doubted her vocal abilities and would give up if she felt she wan't singing up to her standards. As time passed. "Jennifer" and I worked together to help her gain faith in her ability to sing; in her ability to succeed at something. She had no difficulty believing in a higher power outside of herself, but her own self worth was non-existent.

"Jennifer" began by attending music group twice a week, and slowly grew more comfortable learning unfamiliar songs. Her ability to express her feelings was first to improve. She sang songs that touched her at a deeper level, and would often lead to an emotional catharsis; sometimes for both of us. As months passed," Jennifer" began seeking me out for more music groups, and started expressing a desire to perform. She began wanting to sing in front of five or fewer peers; performing duets with me, as I was her safety net. Throughout this process, I noticed "Jennifer" engaging in fewer conflicts with both peers and adults, and being able to focus more in school, as her grades were slowly improving. Her signing voice was becoming something of which she was proud, and her self-esteem was getting higher. For the first time, she was both discovering and owning her strengths.

Our annual Awards Night gala was quickly approaching, and I was looking for singers and dancers. "Jennifer" approached me wanting to sing....a solo! She was glowing with happiness! We brainstormed and found the perfect song; a simple, yet catchy tune. What came next? Weeks of rehearsing, minor breakdowns, and "Jennifer" ultimately mastering the song; as well as she was able. She performed beautifully; a shining star! The brightest star, in fact, and she owned it. She owned it in front of an audience of over 100 people! Was her performance perfect? No, but what was perfect was her ability to surpass her fears and take pride in herself; for who she was and what she accomplished. This was a success, not the failure she had been conditioned to. 

"Jennifer" just turned 18 and is about to graduate from high school. She sings solos with her church choir on a weekly basis, is taking piano lessons regularly, and just finished performing a lead role in the school's fall musical performance. "Jennifer" does not have a recording contract, nor is she the next American Idol, but she loves what she does. She loves music! She seems, well....happier. 

"Jennifer" continues to have her daily struggles, but is better able to deal with them with music in her life. You, dear reader, are now witness to the power of music.