Ian Franklin

Words from my long time teacher and mentor, Siri Gian. 🙏

All of life is music! Music is our breath, our heartbeat, the cadence of life, ebb and flow of the seasons, the rhythm in nature. 🌷

Music is the frequency we each generate and contribute to the symphony of life. ✨

My favorite thing in the world is helping other people find thier authentic melody, thier unique voice, and most alive expression! 🌱

There is nothing more beautiful or more satisfying than witnessing someone find the song within them, waiting to be sung! 🎵

In music therapy, music becomes more than sound—it becomes a pathway to balance, connection, and growth. 🌱

We have all experienced the power of a song. 🎵
But when we use music as an intentional tool for growth, a song becomes much more. In a therapeutic setting, music can…

➡️Supports regulation of over-and under-responsive sensory systems
➡️Uses rhythm and predictable patterns to create a sense of safety
➡️Encourages motor coordination through movement and beat
➡️Enhances emotional expression in a non-verbal, low-pressure way
➡️Improves focus and attention through structured musical activities
➡️Strengthens social skills with shared music-making experiences
➡️Provides calming or alerting input based on individual sensory needs

For clients that have had limited success with other modalities, music can be a key to creating powerful shifts in cognitive and behavioral health, and for building self-esteem. 🥁

kidstherapy powerofmusic

Your nervous system is your control panel. 🎮

Most of us don’t realize that our internal state is not only our own responsibility, but also our place of true power. 🔥

When we outsource our mental and emotional wellbeing to external events or to the behavior of others, we suffer, and we can have miminal positive influence on the world around us. 🌎

When the intensity in our outer world ramps up, so must our committment to tending our nervous system so that we can:

👉🏼Feel without getting consumed
👉🏼Discern without being controlled by fear
👉🏼Act from a place of true sovereignty

Breathwork is a powerful tool that reminds you of your agency.

This is the healing the world needs now. It needs those who are courageous enough to take responsibility for thier own healing and step into self-authorship, so we can respond instead of react to a world in a time of great uncertainty. 🌱

breathe

Word has been getting out about my Beats and Breath Bootcamps! These classes are intended to be accessible to anyone who is curious about Reichian breathwork and is interested in more self expression!
🪘
We combine breathing with percussion - tapping into our primal energy, the rhythm of the body, and the pulse of life force. The drum beat allows your body to:

➡️Relax
➡️Drop in
➡️Find your flow
➡️Let it all go!

I keep these groups nice and small so as many people can get individual attention and support as possible. If you are in the Meridian or Boise, ID area, check out the dates for my upcoming Breathwork Bootcamps (link in bio) and follow my page for more content! 🎵

Do you know why using percussion with kids on the autism spectrum or with other developmental differences is so widely supported in music therapy, special education, and occupational therapy ?

The reason is that percussion is so accessible, regulating, and expressive. 🥁🎵

There is no fine motor precision or pitch accuracy required! Anyone can succeed immediately by tapping, shaking, or striking, which reduces performance anxiety and frustration. 🪘

We can use percussion instruments to build gross motor skills such as :

✅ Large arm movements
✅ Bilateral coordination
✅ Fine motor skills such as finger tapping
✅ Cross-body movement
✅ Pattern recognition
✅ Sequencing and reinforcing cause-and-effect

Not least of all, percussion instruments provide predictable sensory input:

➡️Deep rhythmic input can be calming
➡️Repetition helps with emotional regulation
➡️Volume and tempo can be adjusted to meet sensory needs
➡️Steady beats often help organize attention and reduce dysregulation

The goal is not musical performance.
The goal is engagement, regulation, communication, and JOY! 😀🥁🎵

kidstherapy