How have you used these four music experiences in your practice?

[Meredith Pizzi]

How have you used these four music experiences in your practice? Have you made any changes in these areas since beginning this course? Post your remarks to the board.

[Dina Breaux]

Hi, Everyone!
I have a bit of a dilemma and would love your feedback! I am not currently working with MT clients so the questions raised this week in the forum are a challenge for me to answer. My granddaughter’s caregiver is wonderful and she loves to have me come and do music, but it’s just her and I with 4 adorable little 1 year old’s at the trust and independent stages. I am going to invite parents to join us next week, if they are able, but since they all work, it’s unlikely they will attend. Any suggestions? BTW, I really enjoy reading everyone’s posts and am so excited to jump back in!! Thanks in advance!! 🙂

[Gina Greeson]

Hello!
I am in the same scenario. I am currently not working and when I was working I was working with older adults. I am using this course to start working with children again in small groups. Thanks!

[Kristina Rio]

Try answering this question using your clinical background keeping in mind how you would use them, or possibly in the past have used them in your practice!

[Anonymous]

I recommend what Kristina suggested and I will also encourage you to keep these thoughts in your mind as you continue this training. I think your clinical background along with the information you will be receiving in the coming weeks will support and inform your new work. You may also want to read most of both of Beth’s books as they are filled with a wealth of useful information.

[Gina Greeson]

I have seen these stages in my clinical work. Thank you for the suggestions! During my internship there were a lot of four year olds in the intergenerational group as well as a few three-six month olds. I used a lot of start and stop instrument play and movement for the groups and they loved it! I sang a lot of familiar songs as well and the children would sing a few of the words. For “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” The children loved to yell “toot!” The older adults did too. With what I have learned I would choose different songs and look for different responses. I would target more songs for the younger ones in the awareness and trust phases.

[Lauren Klimek]

I use all four music experiences in my practice with children. In Listening, I use familiar songs with the children and also introduce new variations or elements to the songs when appropriate. I change my vocal timbre and inflections to engage the children and to keep them intrigued as to “what comes next” and/or aware that change is coming and to wait for it or anticipate it. In turn, they are more aware of the music and musical elements around them and are able to be active participants in the music experience. In singing, I again use familiar songs and use my voice with intention to encourage and invite the child to sing along. Repetition is used a lot, as well as call and response where appropriate. Mirroring the child’s inflections and being consistent with melody and pitch is also important in order for a child to feel comfortable in vocalizing and imitating tones, words and lyrics. In instrument playing, along with using my voice, I engage the child by offering opportunities for exploration with various percussion and melodic instruments such as drums, shakers, and bells. I also allow for an opportunity for the child to explore the guitar if they choose. Again, a musical routine facilitates this interaction and the children are able to follow along and remain on task while also adding their own musical expressions within the musical framework of the song or activity. Lastly, in moving, I use various music and movement songs that use musical instructions but also leave space for the child to explore their own authentic movements to the music we create. Movement is encouraged throughout the sessions as it goes hand in hand with music listening, playing and singing. If a child is moving rhythmically to the music then that reflects what they are experiencing in music. They are able to express themselves through their spontaneous organized movements and they are able to imitate musical movements and a musical routine as prompted by the therapist. Every song and musical activity I do within my groups promotes the child’s exploration and curiosity while providing a safe and familiar environment for them to develop, express, relate and grow.

[Joanna Calahan]

I typically try to structure my sessions to incorporate all four developmental stages. This is primarily because many of my clients are Autistic, and are very schedule governed. A typical session will start out with a hello song, followed by singing, playing, moving, and a goodbye song. The amount of singing, playing, and moving interventions vary depending on the client or group, and if they help create their schedule. I often embed directions in various songs I use to encourage my clients to sing/play/move with me. Some directions require clients to imitate dynamics or tempo, imitate or create a movement on their own, or to fill in the blank of a familiar song. For some clients I do a listening activity in which they have to try to identify the instruments, dynamic, or tempi. I use a lot of repetition in my songs, as well as simple rhythmic patterns. I constantly have to remind myself to allow space to give clients time to react or participate. It’s something I’ve been working on since undergraduate, so it was nice to be reminded of Beth’s “rule of 3,000.”

[Megan Calabro]

Hi, everyone. I have noticed that I tend to stick more towards singing/listening/playing, and not as much towards movement, unless I’m working with a child where there is a concern about motor delays. Then again, I’m working in an inpatient pediatric setting, and incorporating opportunities for movement can be challenging just from a logistics stand point. I also tend to work with a lot of kiddos who are in the awareness and trust stages of development, so a lot of what I do musically is geared towards self-regulation. I was able to work with a little one over the course of the past few weeks who was definitely growing into the independence stage, and it was really cool to see where they were at, and just have fun doing musical play together. I can’t say that I have made changes per say, but I have been able to more clearly identify (at least to me, if no one else) where the child wa at developmentally, and how to better tweak the little things (such as timbre or pitch) to elicit a positive response.

[Dina Breaux]

Singing:
I often adjusted my vocal timbre to match the goals of my clients. In most cases, I began with a sedative tone to prepare them for our music session and adjusted to a brighter, louder tone when we added movement and instrument playing. I used repetition in all my sessions, primarily in a hello or welcome song. Fill-in-the-blank with familiar songs encouraged my clients to stay “present.”

Playing:
With my clients, I used the same welcome song each time we were together. I encouraged my clients to strum the guitar, stopping so they could sing or say their name, and starting again at the same tempo. I also gave my older clients a chance to choose from a variety of instruments and lead the “stop and start” intervention with a familiar song.

Moving:
Movement was always an integral part of my sessions. During my sessions I encouraged my clients to pat their laps (head, shoulders, drum, etc…) to a song to either establish a steady beat of their own choosing or follow mine. I would have them mirror my movements while I sang a “follow me” song, with opportunities for them to lead.

Listening:
I found that utilizing stop and start interventions were effective for listening opportunities. One favorite intervention with older clients is to have them listen to an instrument, without being able to see it, and then identify it. Another was one in which I played blues chord progressions at different tempos on the guitar or piano, while the client moved (gross motor) to match what they heard, usually with a scarf or favorite object. They could dance, walk, sway in their chair, or however they felt comfortable.

I plan to use what I have learned in this module, with the daycare group I will begin seeing weekly, to identify the presenting developmental levels and to encourage growth towards subsequent ones.

[Anonymous]

Thank you all for sharing. It is wonderful to hear about all of the work you are doing and how you use these four music experiences. I found this question to help inform my work deeper after completing this training.

[Kristina Rio]

It was wonderful reading all of your answers to this question! Thank you for sharing, and Dina and Gina thanks for taking a second look at the question and posting again!

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