3 Specific Responses To Music

Awareness
– The child might make repetition of the music therapist’s vocalizations
– The child might suddenly go still and be silent, a sign they are absorbing the musical information
– The child may turn their head and face to the sound source

Trust
– The child may make repetitive movements in response to the music
– The child can make rhythmic movements but they most likely will not be synchronized to the music
– The child will produce pitched vocalizations with purpose

Independence
– The child can grasp and shake maracas or other light weight instruments
– The child can use melodic inflection when vocalizing
– The child likes crescendos and glissandos

Control
– The child can match pitch
– The child may spontaneously dance to music
– The child will bang on the drum quickly and may not match the beat of the music

Responsibility
– The child can understand rhythmic structure including rests
– The child can match tempo and dynamic of music
– The child can maintain a steady beat with the music

Awareness
Look towards music
Reachtowards music
Turn attention away from music

Trust
Responds to music by making repetitive movements
Make vocalizations that match music occasionally
Explores instruments with hand or mouth

Independence
Smiles or responds when hearing musical elements such as crescendos, fermatas, or glissandos
Isolates body parts to move and dance
Varying vowels and consonants when singing

Control
Create original vocalizations
Sings loudly and softly
Imitates words in songs

Responsibility
Can vocalize with different timbres such as shout or whisper
Maintain a steady beat
imitates simple rhythms

Awareness:
1) pitch in vocalizations
2) instinctual rhythmic movements
3) preference of higher pitch.

Trust:
1) recognizes changes in rhythm with familiar songs
2) responds to music with repetitive movement (“friendly songs”)
3) creates spontaneous melodies

Independence:
1) uses repeated sound
2) uses hands to strike drumhead or tambourine
3) uses whole body rhythmically

Control:
1) imitates words of song
2) dances spontaneously to music
3) ability to follow melodic contour of a song

Responsibility:
1) sing in both major and minor keys
2) recognize and reproduce “loud” and “soft”
3) listen to the play of others / inhibit their own response in order to respect others’ music

Awareness: turn head towards the musical source, reach hand towards musical source, turn away/fidget/try to get away

Trust: recognizes familiar melodies, creates spontaneous melodies, responds to music with receptive movement

Independence: uses repeated sounds, briefly uses pulse and meter, enjoys musical surprises

Control: likes to pound and bang, dances spontaneously to music, imitates learned movements to music

Responsibility: listens to the play of others, maintains play of instrument within a group, maintains a steady beat