And what now? How has this training impacted your work?

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

• Where will you go from here? How will this training  impact your work as a music therapist?

[Cindy Humphreys]

I hope to become a Sprouting Melodies provider if we can work out the details for it to be a part of my practice as a school music therapist. Regardless, the training has given me skills which I can use with all the children I service. I am looking at my students with new eyes in terms of music developmental level. For example, the other day during My MT group for young ASD children, I brought streamers to move with the music. One of the six year olds began running with his streamers outside of the circle around the room. The teacher was going after him to bring him back, and I asked her to let him go. As we watched he was engrossed in moving the streamers in various ways, arms stretched out, then spinning, then up and down to the music. As the music ended he was able to rejoin the group. As I was watching him, I was thinking about the level of control, and the sheer pleasure he was having in the moment. I also recognized that althought he was not with the group, he was definitely engaged in the music.

[Robin Jacobs]

I’m weighing the pros and cons of using this info in my own private practice I plan to build in the next year (Every Buddy’s Music Time)and using the info as a Sprouting Melodies provider. I’m leaning strongly towards SMP as I love being a team player and exchanging ideas with peers. It will depend on being able to make it financially sustainable as a SPM, i.e. being able to pay the $400 membership fee, % fee of each class along with rent, insurance and buying instruments again. That said, it would be so exciting to be in on the “ground floor” of Beth’s and Meredith’s vision of growing this info throughout the MT-BC world.

[Alyssa Kereki]

My vision for the future as well as impacts on my current work really align with Cindy’s comments. As a brand new MT-BC delving into the world of music therapy in the schools, providing a Sprouting Melodies group would be extremely difficult to balance with my other responsibilities. I absolutely love the idea of becoming a Sprouting Melodies provider, but I am attempting to tackle one goal at a time and get this school program up and running before I start another project.

Back to Cindy’s post, I agree that this information has helped me view all of my clients through a new light. I am especially focused on the awareness stage with some of my younger clients with severe disabilities. It is easy for me to create elaborate goals and objectives, and I am discovering that sometimes tracking a scarf with your eyes and smiling is the first step to a successful session. Speaking of the different developmental stages, the other day one of the school aids asked if a middle school client continued to put different instruments in his mouth. When I explained that he stopped this behavior on his own, she commented that she did not understand why he continued to put things in his mouth. Tapping into my training knowledge, I told her it seemed like he was just using his mouth as another source of sensory information and that once he became familiar with an instrument he started to use it in the proper way. I had noticed this process happening during our sessions, but it was surprising to me that I had valuable information to share with his aid.

[Lisa Spall]

I too am wondering how this will be feasible given my schedule, funds, etc. Mostly I enjoyed still being connected to Sprouting Melodies in different ways as I haven’t had the time to run classes. I do hope to expand and continue facilitating classes again, but that might not be for a while so I’m happy I was able to use this course to keep my skills up to date.

Cindy, I’m so happy you were able to step in in that moment. Just because he wasn’t in the circle does not mean he wasn’t participating. Correcting the behavior doesn’t always have to be the first reaction when a child needs that sensory stimulation in the moment. It’s great to see that we can recognize that 🙂

[Meredith Pizzi]

Thanks for your comments everyone! About the fee, one of the things I forgot to mention on our call, and I will send it out in an email. We have received feedback from the last group that the initial fee was a lot to budget for at one time, so we have come up with a payment plan. We can spread your initial payment over four months so that you can invest in building a Sprouting Melodies Program without breaking the bank. For Individuals, it would be $110 a month for 4 months, and for Agencies it would be 197.50 for four months. (This includes a $10 installment fee each month.) We will send out more info by email soon, but if you do want to become a Sprouting Melodies Provider, now or in the future, keep the payment plan in mind.

We’d love to have you join our community of Sprouting Melodies Providers!

[Tamara Strom]

I will use the information and songs from this training with some of my younger clients. I may also have an opportunity in the future to run sprouting melodies groups through my company.

[Amy DiLabio]

I am not quite ready to dive in and become a SM provider at this time. It just isn’t feasible for me now, however I do anticipate in the future that this will be a good fit for me. The information I have gleaned has been useful in my Pre school classroom. I have been wanting to begin a music program at my local library and the ideas now I am more motivated to jump into that this summer. I am realizing just how much my community needs quality music.

[Angie Carter]

I am using the songs everyday with my 0-3 kiddos and that has been wonderful due to burn out. New songs have facilitated new conversations with parents.
i have especially enjoyed the excitement of the kiddos when I set down the guitar and do more chanting. I’ve been surprised by the smiles and engagement the chanting has allowed.

As for professionally, all it took was talking to the youth librarian for 3 minutes and I will be providing 5 music classes in May. It is not an ideal set up as it is open to all 0-3 year olds and not broken down by ages, but I agreed to do it this way now and then stated in the future I would like enrollment to be limited and to have age levels. They are paying me, which is encouraging! This will be good to get word out and get started. I have a lot of ideas rattling around in my head, but until some of them begin to pan out, I will need to wait to become a SMP.

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