Introductions

Hello everyone. My name is Erika Svolos. I am the online moderator for this training. I live in New Jersey with my husband, my almost 8 yo daughter, and our cat Moose. It is a joy to be a part of this fantastic program and to join in your Sprouting Melodies journey. I am a graduate of Marywood University, currently, a graduate student at Montclair State University, and have been a music therapist in New Jersey for 22 years. Over that time, I have worked in a variety of settings including in-patient child/adolescent psychiatry, a private clinic for autism, a large urban public school system, private practice, a private special education high school for individuals with emotional and behavioral disorders, and a private Orthodox Jewish special education school. In August 2013 I started my own business/private practice; Music Therapy Services of New Jersey, LLC. I completed the April 2013 Sprouting Melodies online training and it was a wonderful addition to my practice. I began offering Sprouting Melodies classes in February of 2014 and I’ve truly enjoyed working with my SM families. I have been moderating the Sprouting Melodies Online Training for the past 8 years.

I will be assisting with any questions and/or technical difficulties.
You will be receiving an email with information about the online forum technology and my contact information. If you do not receive the email, please contact me at erika.svolosmtbc@gmail.com.
I am looking forward to getting to know each of you over the next ten weeks!

Hi everyone! My name is Rachel Sedmak and I am very excited to be participating in this course. I live in Kentucky with my husband and two children. I’ve been a music therapist for 16 years, and just received the NICU-MT certification through Florida State a year ago. I have experience working in schools, a nursing home, and as the activity director in a convent. I stopped working 9 years ago when my first child was born and now that my second is in school, I’m ready to start back again. This time I am starting my own private practice. It’s intimidating and exciting at the same time, but I am hoping this course will help to refresh some skills that may have become a little rusty. I want to offer groups for young children and their parents and Sprouting Melodies seemed like it would be the perfect fit.

Hello! My name’s Favor Chujor (she/her) and I’m currently a music therapy intern at Roman Music Therapy Services! I live in Rhode Island and I just graduated with my music therapy degree from Nazareth College. I’m so excited to dig into this course and learn new skills that will help me in my music therapy journey. I’m passionate about working with children and families, so this course will definitely be beneficial to me as I grow and learn!

Hi! My name is Amy Berggren and I live in Phoenix, AZ. I have been a music therapist for almost two years and I finished my masters degree this past spring. I currently work for a nonprofit where I work at a charter school for kids with autism, in an addiction recovery facility, and with children and young adults with developmental disabilities. I also recently started a group for pregnant women, new moms, and their newborns who are currently enrolled in an addiction recovery program. I am looking forward to learning new skills and music that can be used with my preschoolers, elementary schoolers, and my new mom/baby group!

Hello Everyone! My name is Mikelia and I am an MT-BC in Fort Myers, FL and I am relocating to Portland, OR this week! I went to Florida Gulf Coast University for my undergrad, I just got my board-certification in February and I have 4 cats. I accepted a position with IDD adults primarily and may be taking over the early childhood program with my new company when it is safe to do so. I am so grateful that I get to do the work that we do. I am excited for this course and I am hoping to learn how to use developmentally appropriate music for the kiddos that I work with, as well as expand my repertoire. Looking forward to it!

Hi all! My name is Sophia and I’m currently a board-certified music therapist working at Roman Music Therapy services! I really enjoy working with kiddos 0-5 in the prime of development and also value the connection and importance of parent-child bonding during these times. I’m looking forward to learning a lot and getting to apply the knowledge to my work on a topic that is of such interest to me!

Hello! My Name is Erik Hylan and I am a MT-BC working at Roman Music Therapy Services. I previously worked with early childhood groups 0-5 years in a classroom setting and am looking forward to learning more about this age group. I currently work with integrated preschool classrooms and adults with IDD individually and in a group setting. I am really excited to see how this course will contribute to my vision and growth as a Music Therapist.