Jam Sessions from Banding Together
Experiencing Jam Sessions during my internship at The Music Therapy Center of California was truly a wonderful thing to be a part of. I had heard that Banding Together hosts free community Jam Sessions for individuals with special needs, and that they were very cool. I really had no idea how cool they were until I got to experience it firsthand! The first thing I noticed was how excited all the participants were when they were arriving to the Jam Session. It was clear that everyone was very enthusiastic and excited to be there. When the Jam Session began, I was taken aback by the amount of positive energy in the room. As I looked around, I observed how engaged everyone was. It was obvious that this was their time to rock out and have fun! I came to learn that these one-hour Jam Sessions are not just structured to have fun, but to increase skills in socialization, emotional expression, and communication. From the very beginning, I saw how the music motivated the participants to converse with each other, and how drum circles were facilitated to increase attention skills, confidence, and personal expression. Jam Sessions also feature guest artists who are musically active in the San Diego scene! These artists perform a couple of tunes and answer questions from the group. After experiencing these sessions for about 6 months, I witnessed how a lot of the individual’s showed improvements with expressing themselves, willingness to socialize, and increased communication. Jam Sessions from Banding Together is truly a wonderful thing. Please check out the Banding Together website at, www.bandingtogethersd.org
-Brandon Wright
