Interview with Daryl Silberman, DLC teacher at West Salem High School

What does DLC stand for?

Developmental Learning Center.

What is the range of disabilities in the class you teach?

All of my students have some kind of severe cognitive disability. In addition to this a lot of the kids have another disability as well such as Down syndrome, autism, multiple sclerosis, and all sorts of stuff.

What kinds of instruments do they get to play?

It is all based on the skills and abilities of each individual student, we mainly use early childhood rhythm instruments. Higher functioning students can sometimes play on real instruments, touch the keys of a piano or the strings on a violin.

Everything we do is based on the foundations of music; loud and soft, fast and slow. We use our body to make music. We listen and sing, color to music, dance to music, sometimes we take field trips to the orchestra or choir and listen to them.

What types of adaptations are made for them to use the instruments?

A lot of my students have small hands so it is hard to hold instruments. There are always other adults in class room who help out, we do a lot of hand over hand assistance. The teacher will hold the instrument and let the student hit it so they are the ones making the music and experience it.

Do you have any specific activities that you do with them?

We do a lot of rhythm activities with claves (thicker and easier to hold than rhythm sticks with a more soothing sound). We will listen to a fast and slow song and use the claves to keep the beat, they have to listen to hear the difference in the speed of the song.

Another activity we do with the claves is to go around the room and everyone thinks of a different way to play the claves and shows everyone. They tap it on different parts of their body, hit it above their head, move it in circles without making any sound, anything they can think of. We also can play follow the leader where one student is the leader and picks a way to use the claves and everyone copies them.

 http://www.songsforteaching.net/keeping-childrens-attention-music-changing-tempo