We all tend to have pretty repetitive conversations.
Around the dinner table it might sound like:
How was your day? Yes, you need to eat your veggies. What did you do today in school? Do you have any homework? You know it’s your night to do the dishes!…
Or consider a phone conversation with your parents who live several hundred miles away:
How’s the weather? Have you been shopping? What did the doctor have to say? No, not much new here…
Even in senior living communities, the conversation can get repetitive.
Is your daughter visiting today? How are you feeling? Is it time to eat?
Some of these repeated questions are important. Some of these are important questions or statements.
However, sometimes it is fun to branch out into new topics – topics that help know and understand the other person. There are lots of fun ways to do this including a jar on the table filled with questions and sentences to complete (from The Dating Divas), a card deck of “would you rather” statements (via The Measured Mom) or placing statements on Jenga blocks to complete/answer (from Rec Therapy Ideas). All of these examples include great conversation starters.
While music surrounds us on TV, the movies, during team sporting events….there are few if any music questions included. Let’s make Monday’s music inspired conversations.
Here are a couple ideas:
- What is your favorite instrument? Why?
- Where have you heard music today? What kind was it? Did you like it?
One of the ways I incorporate these types of questions in my music sessions is by playing “musical questions”. It’s played like Hot Potato. The group sits in a circle and we pass a ball along to recorded music. When the music stops the person with the ball answers a question. I work with adults with developmental disabilities. So, first I model what types of questions to the first few people that the ball stops on. Then, after that I have people in the group ask questions. For those individuals that are non-verbal I have sheets made up with things they can choose from. Examples, colors – squares with a bunch of colors on it; activities – pictures of dancing, singing, tv, football, eating, reading; food – various food; etc. I try to remember to ask “tell me, or show me, a color you like” vs. “what’s your favorite color”. This is especially important with the non-verbal people as their “favorite” may not be listed. But, even for the verbal people “favorite” can be a difficult for people to choose.
It is difficult for people to verbalize a favorite. The idea of lists with images is a good one for getting the conversation started. Thanks for sharing your hot potato musical questions approach, Lisa!