© 2012 Sesame Workshop Music therapist Lee Morris handing out rhythm sticks to preschoolers.
© 2012 Sesame Workshop The music therapy group making shakers out of empty bubble bottles and drums out of oatmeal containers.
imagine 3(1), 2012
at the jam session at the culmination of the video, he has brought a cylindrical box to beat, just like the drums that were made in the classroom music session. A crowd of children and other puppets make up the rest of the impromptu band, using orchestral instruments such as trumpet and violin, culturally diverse instruments such as djembe and guiro, “found” or non-traditional instruments, such as trash can lids and a peck-able corn cob, and body percussion such as clapping and stomping. What’s more, the viewer is invited to play along to the jam session’s catchy song “That’s Music!.” According to Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President for Outreach and Educational Practices at Sesame Workshop, the response to Music Works Wonders since its release about 10 years ago has been profound. “Parents realized that they could expose their children to music in a variety of ways,” Dr. Betancourt recently reported, adding “educators found the materials easy to use and incorporate,” and many others appreciated “how easily you can engage young children in the music experience.” Anecdotal praise was joined by wider and formal recognition as the video garnered 11 different awards, including a Cine Golden Eagle award, Aurora awards, and International Film & Video awards. Dr. Betancourt remarked that at the advisory level, AMTA was critical to the success of the project and likened Dr.
Deforia Lane to a music therapy ambassador, “guiding the transfer and integration of information between worlds.” Although the funding to support the outreach initiative is no longer in place, the video is still available and can be downloaded for free from iTunes. Search “Learn Along with Sesame” and select “Music Works Wonders.” For the Spanish version, click on “Aprende con Sesame” and select “¡Maravillas Musicales!” The video can also be accessed through Amazon Video On Demand. The partnership between the music therapy world and Sesame Street has been productive and symbiotic, and I look forward to reporting on future collaborative projects like Music Works Wonders. The author wishes to thank Jeanette Betancourt, Ed.D., Marcia Humpal, M.Ed., MT-BC, and Deforia Lane, Ph.D., MT-BC for the details and comments they provided and for their work in ensuring that music is an integral part of the lives of young children. Additional information was obtained from http://www.namm.org/initiatives/ member-programs/sesame-streetmusicworks.
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