Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 1.

Joy, bonding, cuddling, gentle, and calm affect

SM1 is about the baby learning to attach to another caregiver and develop healthy relationships. Children in this group are learning about awareness which is reflexive and instinctual. It is an awakening of their senses, of physical and sensual being. They might prefer vocal timbre of mom or dad and discriminate pitches. They prefer quiet calm music but sometimes enjoy play songs that don’t startle them. They might reach toward the sound or turn away. If I had more than 5 sentences I’d talk about Trust responses too.

Session sample plan
Hello song- Good Morning (swaying baby)
Embedded song- Just Like Me- sing this song while gently touching child’s eyes and nose and point to yours
Lap Ride- Row It Faster- (put baby in lap and row slow, quick, and back to slow again or sit in own chair or mat and hold hands with caregiver)
Instrument Play- In My Little Hand (maracas or chiquitas)- baby or caregiver can play instrument
Bonding Song- Wiggly Jiggly Car- baby can bounce with caregiver or pretend to be in their own car on a mat or chair
Cool Down- Let’s Read a Book Today- pass out different baby books for caretakers to open and show fun picture books to the babies
Goodbye- Time to Go- swaying baby

Fluidity – Calm – Gentle – Bonding – Awareness

SM about the children’s developmental stages, which in music are the stages of Trust and Awareness, particularly in SM1. Everybody stays, everybody plays – by singing to your child, you develop their trust in your unique vocal tone and timbre. Bonding songs, especially when they vary tempo, can speak to the child’s trust in the bond – you’re about to go faster or change the tempo or perhaps the dynamic, and they learn to trust, and stimulate awareness. Songs where we spend time concentrating on the “self” speak to the child’s developing awareness, in this case, of himself – where is my face? Where is yours? We’re bringing these concepts into the child’s awareness, through music.

1.) Hello/Gathering: “Hello Everyone, Hello” – based on Jamaican folk melody, Tracy Wanamaker

2.) Bonding Song: “Row it Faster”

3.) Self Song: “Where Is My Face”

4.) Instrument Play: “In My Little Hand”

5.) Movement: “As Big as Can Be”

6.) Goodbye: It’s Time to Say Goodbye

Wonderful posts! Don’t forget to copy and save so you have them in the future. Remember to read through each person’s response, as you may find things that you would like and ask your fellow participants for song references if you see any you would like to try.

Joy–Bonding–Gentle–Swaying–Cuddling

In Sprouting Melodies 1, we are generally assisting infants in moving from the developmental level of awareness to the developmental level of trust. This means that we are providing opportunities to increase their awareness of both themselves and others. Once they are aware of their environment, then we can help them learn to find consistency and stability in it! However, Sprouting Melodies 1 is equally, if not more so, focused on bonding–nurturing the relationship between yourself and your child through music. Through touch, gentle swaying, and exposure to the timbre of your voice (which they prefer to mine!), the infant learns to form healthy attachments to others.

Allow time for parents to set up, get comfortable, perhaps say hello to one another
Hello/Gathering — “Hello Everyone, Hello” (Jamaican Folk Song) Thanks for the reminder, Alice!
Bonding Songs — Row it Faster
Instrument Song — Sit with me and Shake
Movement Song — As Big as Can Be
Goodbye — Goodbye (from the video)

Gentle, Bonding, Cuddling, Quiet, and Swaying.

Don’t be afraid to get close to your child so they can see you and what you are doing.It isn’t uncommon for young children will get startled if the music stops suddenly or if there is a change in volume (dynamics).Your child is turning towards the music and is aware of what is occurring around him.His body language changed as we moved from a play song to more of a lullaby song. He is aware of the change that happened.He might reach toward the sound or turn away and that is alright.

Plan:

Instrument Exploration
Hello Song
Body Percussion – Hey, Hey Come and Play
Lap Ride – Wiggly Jiggly Car
Instrument Play – Make a Little Music; In My Little Hand
Gross Motor Movement – Pick Your Hands Up High
Cool Down – Just Like Me; Book; Scarves
Goodbye Song

Satisfaction-Delight-Pacifying-Soothing-Reassuring

Sprouting Melodies 1 is a class that provides sensory stimulation for babies 0-9 months old. Our goal is to enhance the bond between babies and their caregivers, developing healthy attachment to others. We are supporting children as they pass through the developmental stages of awareness and trust. During the class, babies might calm to familiar melodies and respond to music with repetitive movements. They love to hear music repeated over and over again.

Hello/Gathering: Good Morning
Body Percussion: Come On Let’s Make Some Music
Lap Ride/tickles: Wiggly Jiggly Car
Instrument Play: In My Little Hand
Gross Motor Mvmt: Pick you Hands Up High
Cool Down: Book with song
Goodbye: (from the video)

bonding; trust; awareness; gentle; encouraging

In the community music program Sprouting Melodies 1, we use music and play to help foster development during these early stages of life. We provide both activating and soothing music experiences with a focus on building a healthy attachment between parent and child. We support your child as she cultivates awareness of self, others and her environment, and begins to place trust in these relationships. There is ample opportunity to learn and practice your newly acquired skills in the class so that you can feel comfortable continuing these experiences in your own home.

Transition into group: allow a few moments for parents to bring in and unload their belongings, re-introduce their child and themselves to the room, and say hello to the other parents; Hello Song: Today’s A Beautiful Day; Bonding Song: Wiggly, Jiggly Car; Self Song: All of This is Me; Instrument Song: In My Little Hand; Movement Song: As Big As Can Be; Goodbye: Nordoff Robbin’s Hello song with lyrics adapted for goodbye

Bonding, Nurturing, Discovery, Joy, Trust

Sprouting Melodies is a unique opportunity to foster growth and enrich your baby’s development through musical discovery. We provide an opportunity for meaningful bonding experiences through movement, melody and song. Take chances with your child and watch her explore her environment, turning towards music she enjoys. Watch as she develops her ability to explore, engage and interact through the music! Don’t be afraid to sing along, move your body and even bring these songs home to use in your day-to-day routine.

Group Plan:
Vamp on guitar (quiet music in the key of the greeting song)
hello song: “Good Morning” from the videos or “Hello Bluebird” (I think this is an elizabeth mitchell song and has a gentle swinging melody
Bonding Song: Wiggly Jiggly Car or Trot Trot to Boston
Self Song: Where is My Face?
Instrument Song: Ants Go Marching/ I like this song
Movement Song: So Great to Make Music (a standard movement song from our Practice owner. Not sure where she got it from)
Cool Down: All The Pretty Little Horses/ You Are My Sunshine
Goodbye: Bye Bye Butterfly (a cute, jazzy rhyming goodbye song with animals. “bye bye butterfly, toodaloo kangaroo”)

Holding, bonding, exploring, gentle, warm</p>
<p>In Sprouting Melodies 1, we provide a supportive environment for infants and caregivers to explore music together. In this developmental stage, music provides children opportunities to expand awareness of their environment, their senses, and their caregivers. Structured, repetitive music experiences facilitate the child’s developing sense of trust. The music in these groups is designed to be calm, repetitive, limited in dynamic variation, and infant-directed, allowing participants to respond with developmentally appropriate skills. We encourage caregivers to participate actively and to use the songs and strategies in their daily routines. </p>
<p>Transition into group:<br />
Gathering song: “Hello it’s music time” or the hello song from the video<br />
Bonding song: “Row it faster”<br />
Lap ride/ Frolic play: “Wiggly, Jiggly Car”<br />
Gross motor/ Movement: “That’s all makes up me” (This is an alternative to “Head and shoulders,” correct?)<br />
Goodbye song: “It’s time to say goodbye” This song has distinctive ascending intervals in the A section that I find nicely cues children that a transition in beginning before we sing goodbye to each child in the B section.

Simple, warm, tender, gentle, exploration

Five sentances to use when speaking with parents:
1) What we look for in Sprouting Melodies One is for those little ones to engage in any way they can, any response is valid including looking towards music/caregiver during music.
2) Crying is totally okay! Especially when transitioning out of one activity and into another, it’s hard to have something taken away.
3) The little ones may be looking towards the music, but they will respond even more when caregivers are the ones singing!
4) During those bonding songs, facing the little ones towards their caregiver is a great way to strengthen that bond, but if they are ready to face outwards and watch the rest of the group, that’s great too!
5) Using touch can be so useful in helping your little ones start to identify themselves and their body parts!

Session Plan:
Prior to the session I would put out a variety of drums, frame drums and toms in varying sizes with rubber mallets that are safe for the little ones.
Gathering Song – All Night, All Day: Have caregivers hold the drums up high and down low so little ones can watch and potentially reach for drums.
Hello Song: Individually greet each child, have caregivers tap chest when their little one is greeted.
You Have Two Hands: Have caregivers touch the body parts of their little ones
Lap Ride – Row it Faster
Maracas – Sit With Me and Shake
Cool Down – Listen to the Rhythm of the Waves with the ocean drum
Goodbye Song

5 words that describe the music experiences in SM1 are: calm, nurturing, supportive, safe, fun

When speaking to parents about the musical responses of their child, I would emphasize the following 5 principles:

Sing often to your child as it increases their attention as they are drawn to the timbre of your voice.

Songs with simple repeated melodic themes help to increase your child’s awareness of themselves and you and will support the bonding experience.

Repetition of songs and movement helps your child to grow in familiarity and trust of their environment.

Use instruments your child can easily grasp and explore through all channels of learning (kinesthetic, visual, auditory, oral) as it is the beginning of his or her becoming aware of their world and their ability to impact and control their environment.

Move with your child using slow and gentle rocking, swaying or bouncing but support their movement as it changes in response to the music.

I’ve included some original songs and some tried and true oldies but goodies in my session plan for SM!:

Hello/gathering: ‘All of our friends are here today (hooray, hooray)’ – sung with group while gently moving with child on lap.
‘Johnny and his mom are here today’ – same song individualized for child and family members; group greets each
member at the end of each verse.

Bonding song: Calm body (song shared in previous forum)

Song about me: These are my ears and I have 2 (Very old Sesame St. song – caregiver touches body part when sung in the song
ending with ‘I use my legs to take a walk’ when caregiver gently moves baby’s legs up and down

Instrument play: Let’s Make Some Music (EKS). Adapt lyrics to include child’s response to the instrument e.g. Let’s tap the
shaker on our knee; let’s put the shaker in our mouth; let’s hold the shaker in our hand etc.

Movement: Put Your Hands Up High (song from Come Children Sing by Mary Ellen Pinzino) – explore positional changes with hands,
feet, etc. including clapping, stamping, wiggling etc.

Good-bye: So long, music is finished (adapted from Woodie Guthrie, So Long It’s Been Good to Know You)

Five words I would use to describe SM1 are: Calm, Bonding, Encouraging, Cuddling, Discovery. When speaking with a parent I would tell them that this class is about their baby moving from one stage, awareness, to trust. This means that in this group a lot of bonding between the caregiver and child occurs. The music of this group is calm and gentle but it is ok if your child startles for a while that is a part of development. One of the most important things I would tell parents is that baby respond best to the voice of their caregiver so don’t be afraid to sing along. Once you are comfortable you can use these songs at home and continue to foster your relationship with your baby.
Hello song: Good Morning Bonding Song: Row it Faster Song about me: Just like Me Instrument Song:In my Little Hand Movement Song: As Big as Can Be Goodbye

Togetherness, Calm, Warm, Inviting, Understanding
1. At this stage, awareness, your baby may enjoy feeling gentle and steady rhythms on their body, don’t be afraid to pat their legs, tummy etc. to the music.
2. Sing along to all the music, your babies love your voice no matter how you sound because it’s you!
3. Singing here at music class will help you to be able to continue to sing during the day at home. Sing all the time at home!
4. It’s OK if your baby turns away from the music, they will look and engage when they are ready.
5. Watch for cues from your baby when they may want to start looking out towards the rest of the group, this is a great stage in development becoming aware of others around them and wanting to watch them too!
Session Plan
Have soft lullaby music playing upon entering
Greeting Songs:
Hello, greeting each child by name
Three Little Birds, Great song for rocking and letting parents know “every little thing, is gonna be alright!”
Songs About Me:
Just Like Me (EKS) Explore different body parts
Instrument Song:
Shake Shake the maraca (Original)
Movement Songs:
Itsy Bitsy Spider, Finger play up and down, familiar
Goodbye:
So long, nice to see you (original) with gentle guitar

Bonding, Awareness, Calm, Gentle, Joy

1. SM 1 uses gentle music to support the development from the stage of Awareness to the stage of Trust.
2. Try to maintain a distance of 12-18 inches from your face to your baby’s face as this is their typical field of vision and the optimal distance from which your baby can process his/her environment.
3. Your baby prefers the timbre of YOUR voice so you are encouraged to sing along, learn the songs, and sing them at home.
4. Please feel free to gently tap a steady beat on your child’s body and push gently on your child’s chest during the Hello Song so that he/she knows we are singing to him/her.
5. Sudden starts, stops, and changes in timbre may startle baby, which is a normal part of development.

Session Plan:
recorded music and instrument exploration while settling in
Gathering- Hello Song
Bonding- Row it Faster (lap ride)
Instrument Song- In my Little Hand
Movement- Pick your Hands up High
Goodbye