How are you planning on sharing this information with colleagues, administrators and families?

[Meredith Pizzi]

[Melissa Hentges]

This training has given me new ideas on how to share with the daycare directors and teachers why it is valuable to have a music therapist work with their students. From there, they can advocate to the parents and have better reasons than “it’s fun” to encourage parents to sign their children up for class. I have also been thinking about providing inservices for parents at the different preschools in which I work. Since I don’t get to touch base with parents on a regular basis, this would provide an opportunity for me to advocate for music therapy and to inform them of the benefits that their child is receiving by being enrolled in a music therapy based class.

[Jessica Bogacik]

I really appreciated the suggestions for spreading Music Therapy advocacy and becoming the “go-to” person for music in early childhood in your community during the video. I am excited to start researching what some of those resources/groups/places are in my community to start reaching out and spreading the word about using music for child development. In my community, Ohio State University is a HUGE institution. I remember speculating at the beginning of this training that having this university in my town would be great because it would mean there may be a lot of young families in the area, but now, thanks to your suggestions in this video, I am thinking more about how Ohio State may actually be a source of great resources like early intervention and early childhood programs, preschool programs, and other opportunities for connecting with the community. I believe that it where I will start in my endeavors to advocate about music therapy.

[Amanda Goff]

Most of my fellow colleagues have already taken this training at Roman Music Therapy, but in order to spread the word I think it’s important to tell families that I work with already and also with fellow teachers that I work with. I also work at the South Shore Conservatory and I think this would be a wonderful training for some of my colleagues there. This has been a great experience and I would love for others to experience this training and Sprouting Melodies as well.
As Melissa mentioned above this would be a great way to advocate for Music Therapy and the benefits a program like Sprouting Melodies can give young children.

[Michelle Nettle]

I plan on doing some “target research” in my area to find well known and active early childhood groups in the area and contact them to see how I can connect and share how my expertise as a music therapist working in early childhood development is unique and needed in our community. I want to also contact local day cares/preschools to share that I am a Sprouting Melodies provider and share what this program is and to see if they would let me “advertise” by leaving flyers.I’m also going to look into becoming a “member” of local early childhood organizations to receive their newsletters, possibly do a presentation to the early childhood organizations about music and early childhood development. I already have business cards and a website, but I want to create a brochure that lists the various programs I offer including individual music therapy services, group music therapy services, piano lessons, early childhood classes (preschools, home school co-ops), and Sprouting Melodies Classes which are specifically designed classes that promote early childhood development and family connections. Once I create the brochures, I want to go around to preschools, day cares, pediatric clinics, indoor playground centers, ext. to ASK if I can leave my brochures with them so that I can become THE RESOURCE that parents, clinicians, teachers, ext. THINK of and give my information to parents seeking out such services.

[Natalie Condon]

Well I am just starting out in my area, but the information I have learnt here will be valuable in connecting with families and becoming a person in the community that they can trust when looking for resources and support. I can say that the class has made me much more confident in being that support for parents and families of children 0-5. I feel like now I can reach out to local establishments to promote music therapy and be that early childhood resource for them.

[Jamie Sacca]

I think this training will help inform my practice in early childhood special education and also help the families I work with through the preschool I work at to find music class resources in the community, which I know many have struggled to find (especially those that would work for their child with developmental disabilities and their other children as well). I also do work with integrated preschool classes and day care classes of very young children (infants and toddlers) and this training will help me to differentiate my work for the administration as well as help me to redefine and refocus my approach with those classes as well.

[Mikhala Majeau]

I have already shared much of this information with the parents of the children I care for. I point out developmental stages that I see their child reaching. I also shared with them at least one bit of information from each week.
My rough plan for starting a SM program in my area is to approach the MWR non appropriated funds and begin a SM group during the summer for military families only. I plan on distributing the information to the Child Development Centers and Youth Centers and even holding an information center. Many of the families in the neighborhood I work in are actively looking for music and group programs for their children, especially if a group was right on base. I think that e-newsletters are a wonderful idea, and I know that I like to scroll through e-newsletters on the phone. I can’t wait to begin to advocate for music therapy in the military family community, as I believe it to be a tremendous resource.

[Lauren Servos]

I have been invited to present to my daycare provider’s Child Development Associate classes, which will reach potentially 80 people who work in daycares. This class has given me the tools and confidence to talk to them about how they can use music more effectively with children, and how their daycares would benefit from music classes! Has anyone provided Sprouting Melodies in daycare settings without parents present? As a full-time working mother, I know that I have not had time during my daughter’s first year of life to get her into any early childhood classes, which has led me to want to focus on providing these experiences in daycares. I’d love to hear about anyone else’s experience with this.

[Leigh Ann Walberg]

I will immediately (and already have) begin sharing the developmental levels with the teachers and aides I work with each week. I do plan to sit down and discuss with our administrator what I learned and see what the options are for possible programming for the next academic year. I will also suggest this CMTE to any MT looking for more online credits!! I think this was excellent training for all MT’s even if they aren’t specifically early child hood.

[Robyn Rutland-Coleman]

One of the reasons I chose to take this course was to feel equipped to reach out to early intervention in my area, and to really be able to offer my services as a music therapist in a variety of ways. I definitely feel this training has boosted my confidence to go out and sell myself to agencies and childcare providers. I also plan to subscribe to online newsletters from local early childhood parenting groups, as well as doing some plain old investigating about what is available for families in my area. I think the library is also a place to start, because I remember how important library story-time was for my kids when they were little: I did my best to get us there every week!

[Amanda Barnett]

I plan to create handouts & pamphlets to distribute to daycares & doctors offices around town to get the word out about music therapy & associated services now available in our town. I am also considering creating a Facebook page just for my business so that I may advertise on local yard sale sites & local sites so that the word can be spread virtually as well. One thing I have considered is setting up a booth at local trade days or other events so that I have an opportunity to meet & greet with families personally. This way I am there to answer questions & provide examples of how music therapy & associated services have been proven beneficial from my personal experiences as well as from experiences I have heard about along the way.

[Linda Madler]

I am still working on a plan. Right now I juggle part-time positions (which seem to take more time than any one full-time position I ever had), volunteer activities and motherhood. I appreciate that Sprouting Melodies is a “branded” program that is marketable to other professionals as well as families and that it is an open-source model. I have connected with a support group for families affected by autism, and I look forward to trying of the Sprouting Melodies principles when they visit my studio next month.

[Steven Clarke]

In future work and practice, I will definitely share the information I have learned during this 10-week training with colleagues and administrators. This is a great resource on early childhood development and music therapy, I will suggest it as complementary training for those seeking to expand their knowledge and resources with this population. I will also suggest it to other music therapists as a valuable resource. I am more confident in my ability to advocate for the benefits that music therapy has to offer in the early childhood settings with completing this course. Throughout the training, I have gained a greater understanding of the importance of connecting and strengthening ties in the communities that we work in. I also feel that I have gained knowledge that I can genuinely share with parents during sessions. I will be able to relate it to their particular child, stages of development and responses to the music in the moment. I have gained insight into how to facilitate/create music for these populations that will also impact and reflect other populations I work with.

[Kristina Rio]

Lauren, you asked if anyone had experience with Sprouting Melodies in daycare settings. One of my co-workers at Roman Music Therapy Services is a SM provider and ran a Family Sprouts group at a day care. She told me that it went very well. It would be a great idea to get into day cares, and is very beneficial for kids who need bonding time with adults in their care even if it is not their parent. We have kids come to class with nannys and grand parents, and that bond is just as important for caregivers who are not the parent. If you need more information let me know and I will connect you with Laura, my co-worker and our Office Manager, Leslie. My email is Kristina@romanmusictherapy.com.

[Kathy Odenkirk]

I am not totally sure. In a few months I will be ending (not my choice) a contract I have had for 24 years and hopefully starting another job. As I look for new places to create music therapy programs I plan on also keeping the Sprouting Melodies Program in mind. I will be approaching my local library and Arts Center. I hope to be able to share the information I’ve learned with colleagues very soon!

[Kayla Hamilton]

I have made plan for marketing in the community. I will be reaching out to MOPs clubs, the YMCA, libraries, baby stores, and the near by army base. I also find appropriate times to inform current or perspective clients about this program and the benefit of it. I work for a music therapy private practice where all therapists have taken the SM course. I hope to work with them to more effectively spread the word about SM into the community!

[Author]

Posts