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

[Anonymous]

How have you used these four music experiences in your practice?  Have you made any changes in these areas since beginning this course?  

Be sure to come back and respond to others as well.

[Anne Reed]

This is a new approach for me. Although I am not leading any groups at the moment, I will be using the music developmental sequence with my individual client. Also, by doing so I believe it will provide skills that can be generalized to a group setting down the line.

[Erika Svolos]

Hi Anne,

Can you tell us how you have used playing instruments, singing, listening, and moving in past work you have done or with other populations you have worked with?

[Emily Fabian]

My music classes/groups start within the developmental stages of independence and control moving mostly towards responsibility. In singing some examples I have used include: matching pitch to familiar songs used like “hello” songs, “rules” songs, “goodbye” songs, and transition songs that I teach through piggybacking familiar melodies; along with beginning to teach melodic contour through use of solfege. Examples of playing instrument include: exploration of instruments with varying grasps and purpose in starting and stopping of the music, steady beat, and directive play-songs. Moving examples include: repetitive movement play-songs like simon says, freeze dance movement songs, and sequential body percussion interventions. Finally, listening examples include: recognition of melodies like “hello”/”rules”/”goodbye”, matching the feel or directives of music, as well as listening to fellow musicians during their turns.
This model of “sing, play, move, and listen”, is almost exactly how I structure my early childhood music classes. I have found it to be incredibly effective in time management, transitions, and music learning/development at those ages. It keeps the children engaged, on-task, and exploring within music for a wonderful class that makes them want to return over and over again.

[Amy Brownell]

I have used singing interventions mainly with preschool age children to focus on building expressive communication skills, whether in improving articulation, building phrases and sentences, and using social based song to teach conversation skills. I have begun to view singing from a different angle with my babies and toddlers through observing their changes in vocalizations to (ex. seeing if they approximate or match pitch, imitating inflection). I have started to use these vocalizations to interact with them through vocal games, provide cues, and sing songs together. This different outlook has increased my view of their engagement with the music!

I have used instrument playing interventions to build fine and gross motor skills, such as isolating a finger to strum the guitar or play piano keys, grasping maracas and mallets, and alternating hands to play the drum to build dexterity. I am beginning to allow for more exploration of instruments, rather than providing the instrument and giving the “adult way of playing” direction immediately. I have observed the children engaging more quickly when given the chance to explore and play their own way, and they have created many different sounds with just one instrument.

I have used movement interventions to address self-control while following directions; at times I have used movement to gather the group and gain attention (ex. instructing the group to all pat their knees or clap their hands in order to refocus and move on). I have also sequenced movements with preschool age children to add to cognitive challenge for other ways to move their bodies. With younger children, I am becoming more aware of the differences between instinctual and intentional responses to music, which then alters my response and directives (or lack of directives) to them.

I have used listening interventions more with my preschool age children paired with cognitive skills, such as listening to music and determining whether it was fast/slow/loud/soft, and then at times pairing it with an outside idea (ex. listening to Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens and matching movements to animals). I have begun to observe children listening – especially with my babies and toddlers, I have allowed them more time to sit, listen, and watch without prompting them to act, and then I have observed how they have independently reacted to what they heard. With older children, I have begun to prompt them to listen to each other play one at a time and reflect on what they heard (ex. whether they liked it, if it was fast/slow/loud/soft, etc.).

[Aliza Llovet]

Currently, I’m only working with caregiver and child. For singing interventions, I have used the high repetition of familiar children songs to work on bilabial sounds, song patterns with phrases to work on extending utterances to 2-3 etc. word phrases, addressing articulation, and call/response to work on social communication. It’s helped me to take the time to really listen to the little ones’ vocalizations to hear those great developmental abilities.

For instrument playing interventions, I will typically start of by offering two instruments and see what choice the child makes whether by visually looking at one, reaching, pointing, asking, etc. It’s a great way to work on a variety of skills though I do enjoy using larger drums to work on supported standing. Since the start of this course, I have let more of my clients the freedom to explore and will often imitate how they play the instrument which has so many benefits from personal social, communication areas of development.

For movement interventions, I love bringing this in for my active clients whether from going stir crazy from the cold NE weather or typically have a higher baseline of needing that input. I have been thinking more of using this for co-regulation with some of my clients and their caregiver.

For listening interventions, I have used start/stop songs, introducing body parts, turn taking, and a variety of other outcomes. One thing I have really tried to stress with caregivers since starting this course is to really allow the child more time and not keep them to our super go go expectations.

[Jessica Gelineau]

Hi Aliza, I love the idea of playing the instruments in the same way the children play them when they are exploring. I have done this a handful of times as well, and I find that it is highly effective! It definitely helps our little ones to feel validated and comfortable with exploring their creativity. Also a great opportunity to start to look for beginning signs of communication through the music.

[Jessica Gelineau]

I use singing each day in my practice. Most recently, I used singing to facilitate expressive communication with a client who is 18 months old with a speech delay. Using Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Mom and I sung the song while creating a lot of space at the end of the song for my client to fill in the phrase using a word or gesture. She filled in each word, and was singing a pitch that was relatively close to the correct pitch!
I used playing last week during a group. Each client had rhythm sticks. While I was singing a song, I encouraged clients to explore playing the sticks in different ways. We practiced rubbing the sticks together to feel the sensory input from the ridges on the side. We practiced playing the sticks on the floor as well as on our feet to feel how it created a different sensory experience.
I used moving during an individual session. I am working with a client with an overall language delay who is 26 months. We have been working on the Hokey Pokey, and she is now able to follow the entire sequence of the song, and use all of the correct body parts throughout the song.
I use listening within my practice during groups. Most recently, during Halloween. I played the Itsy Bitsy Spider in a minor key, and it allowed each of the children to have a different musical experience. They were able to differentiate between the song in the major key in which it is written, and the minor key which had much more dissonance.

[Erika Svolos]

It is always great to hear how you are using these music experiences in your work. It something you can also take with you throughout your entire career regardless of age or need too.

Remember to come back each week and respond to your co-participants. This helps to generate conversation and deepen the training.

[Hannah Floyd]

Just for my organization I’m breaking this up into sections. Also many of the children I see are between the independence, control, and responsibility phases. The two primary groups are independence, control and responsibility. I think what is cool though, is that even though we are talking about groups I have a 3 year old client who I can now take the time and let the mother know where he is developmentally after this. For example for singing he is in the independence stage, but with instrument playing he is in the control phase. Just a cool observation on my end!

Singing: For singing, many of my students are in the control phase, with some being in the independence and some in responsibility. We have a hello song every week where many of the children sing along or fill in the blanks when I pause. Many of this is call and response, and when teaching them a new song I have alot of repetition. I also like adding animal sounds into the hello song, because it creates a fun space to explore different sounds.

Instrument: For instrument playing, sometimes give them the choice to choose which instrument they would like to play, and sometimes I have a predetermined instrument that is the same for everyone. I think one fun this is have them play in different ways (loud, soft, fast, slow) and have them match me. Then, depending on their level, I bring them up to then lead the group if they should go fast, slow, etc. One thing I would like to incorporate more is exploring more instruments, and having them just play at first without it being as structured.

Movement: In my classrooms I ALWAYS include some movement. Whether it being during the hello song or an actual intervention. I usually have everyone follow certain movements (stomp feet, clap hands) and gradually move from low energy movements to high. Along with with I like having them adjust to the tempo I’m playing along with them thinking of some moves. For example we do “dance like a chicken” or “dance like a superhero”.

Listening: Like I mentioned above, I’ve had experiences where the peers come up to lead experiences whether they go fast, slow, loud or soft. Not only that, but I like to do alot of matching with them where I change dynamics or tempos for them to follow me.

[Erika Svolos]

That is great! Thank you for sharing.

[Maggie Murphy]

I have used all four of these music experiences in my music therapy practice over the past 10+ years, but I am just getting started using these music experiences with young children (younger than 3 years old) for the first time.

I recently started an offering early childhood music groups at a local music studio in town. I currently have an 8 month old, a 9 month old, and a 12 month old enrolled in one of my classes. Based on the musical characteristics I have observed, I believe these children fall within the developmental level of trust; therefore, I have incorporated music experiences that cater to this developmental level.

Playing:
I used the song “All Night! All Day!” from Elizabeth’s book “You and Me Makes… We” last week. During this song, I allowed the children to explore/play the various instruments within minimal expectations (other than to explore/begin to play the instruments).

Movement:
In my early childhood classes, a lot of the movement interventions/activities that we do are facilitated by the caregivers who attend with each child. This may include rocking, bouncing, standing up and moving (while holding the child) in response to the music/with the beat. In addition to this, the children may spontaneously move in response to the music at any given time during time throughout the class. I observed one child “bop” to the music last week. I can’t remember which song this was in response to or if we were even specifically “working on” a designated “movement intervention/activity” at the time of his “baby bop” movements. Regardless, his purposeful and rhythmic movement in response to the beat reflects the developmental level of trust.

Singing:
Planned (as opposed to spontaneous such as “infant directed singing”) singing activities/interventions are somewhat limited during the developmental level of trust. I have not noticed the children matching selected pitches or using descending intervals, but I will continue to listen for these responses. I have, however, incorporated an intervention/activity which invites language approximations. I used the song “I Have a Little Pony” from Dr. Feierabend’s “Book of Bounces” over the past 2 weeks. The song includes a dramatic pause (in the singing and bouncing), which essentially invites the children to initiate vocalization (to indicate “more”) in response to silence in music (and pause in movement, which of course coincide).

Listening:
During the first week of my early childhood classes, I asked the caregivers if their child had a favorite song(s). I have incorporated these songs into our classes knowing that children in the developmental level of trust recognize familiar melodies. I have noticed the children smile and move in response to these familiar/favorite songs.

[Amy Brownell]

So many great ideas, thanks for sharing all of these!

[Author]

Posts