Introductions

[Anonymous]

Share your professional experience with the group and what your hopes and expectations are for this course.

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

[Erika Svolos]

Hello everyone. My name is Erika Svolos. I am the online moderator for this training. I live in New Jersey with my husband, my 8 yo daughter, and our cat Moose. It is a joy to be a part of this fantastic program and to join in your Sprouting Melodies journey. I am a graduate of Marywood University, currently, a graduate student at Montclair State University, and have been a music therapist in New Jersey for over 22 years. Over that time, I have worked in a variety of settings including in-patient child/adolescent psychiatry, a private clinic for autism, a large urban public school system, private practice, a private special education high school for individuals with emotional and behavioral disorders, and a private Orthodox Jewish special education school. In August 2013 I started my own business/private practice; Music Therapy Services of New Jersey, LLC. I completed the April 2013 Sprouting Melodies online training and it was a wonderful addition to my practice. I began offering Sprouting Melodies classes in February of 2014 and I’ve truly enjoyed working with my SM families. I have been moderating the Sprouting Melodies Online Training for the past 8 years.

I will be assisting with any questions and/or technical difficulties.
You will be receiving an email with information about the online forum technology and my contact information. If you do not receive the email, please contact me at erika.svolosmtbc@gmail.com.

I am looking forward to getting to know each of you over the next ten weeks!

[Amy Brownell]

Thanks for being here to help us out!

[Erika Svolos]

You are very welcome! It is truly my pleasure.

[Aliza Llovet]

Hello!
I’m not sure if there is some sort of error on the website or if it’s from being on a Mac. When I look at where I should be clicking the videos for this week this is what I see:
Watch
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1A: Introduction To The Course (16 min)

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1B: Expectations and Learning Objectives for the Course (15 min)

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Is there a direct link or search parameter that you could share? Also the url for lick the drum did not work and I was able to find it through searching the title on Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/163531794

[Erika Svolos]

Hi Aliza,

This may be happening if you are using Safari. Chrome is the ideal browser for accessing all of the training materials.

If you were using Chrome, then I would recommend following the steps from the FAQ sheet:

Log out of the training website, clear the cache within the browser, log out of your browser, log back on to your browser and the website.

You can email me if you need further assistance.

[Amy Brownell]

If it helps, I am actually seeing the same thing – I’ve logged in with Safari and Chrome on the computer and on my phone. It was working last week and I was able to see the videos then, but when I logged on today all I see is the code.

[Amy Brownell]

Hi Everyone! My name is Amy Brownell, and I am the assistant director for Infinity Music Therapy Services in Connecticut. I graduated from Ithaca College with a bachelor’s degree in music education (my main instrument is the oboe), and I completed my equivalency and master’s degree from Shenandoah University when I realized my musical passions had changed. I am in my eighth year of being a music therapist, and I am so excited to be taking part in this training! I work with clients of a variety of ages, however the majority of my clients range in age from babies to preschoolers. During my internship in an inclusive preschool program, I became very passionate about working with young children! I am looking forward to being inspired by this training by learning new techniques, songs, and skills; I am always looking for new ways to change up my sessions and provide quality services. I can’t wait to get to know all of you!

[Emily Fabian]

Hello All!
My name is Emily Fabian and I am currently an elementary and middle school music teacher in Dallas, Texas. I received my bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State in Music Therapy. I then completed my internship with a private practice serving the DFW community. The primary populations served were young adults and adults with disabilities such as ASD, CP, Downs Syndrome, learning disabilities, etc. I was then hired by that private practice, where I built my client load and eventually started supervising interns coming into the field as well. Unfortunately, after 3/4 years in clinical practice, I went through some personal issues (in which I don’t feel comfortable to discuss) that made it better for me to leave the field for a time. I switched careers, and became a flight attendant for a large US carrier. There I was able to travel the country and parts of the world and really take the time and break for myself that I needed. When the pandemic started, I was furloughed like many people in many fields. Afterwards, an opportunity came my way to teach at a private elementary/junior high school in my home town, in which coincidentally I attended as a child. I wanted to move back to DFW and I was ready to get back to music and my field/related field. During my time in private practice, I developed my passion for early childhood development and education. I am in the second half of my first year teaching and am absolutely loving it! I am able to incorporate therapeutic strategies, concepts, and interventions/activities into my teaching and curriculum. I look forward to learning what’s offered in this coarse and implementing them in my classroom.

[Aliza Llovet]

Great to have you joining us all the way from Texas!

[Amy Brownell]

What a journey! It’s nice to meet you!

[Aliza Llovet]

Hello! My name is Aliza Llovet, and I am a Team Leader for an early intervention program that serves the Metro Boston Area. I received my Bachelor’s and Master’s from Florida State University in Music Therapy. I have been working in early intervention for over five years. At the start of COVID, our program switched to a telehealth model and we have recently been practicing in a hybrid model by providing some services in home and some over zoom. I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge and interventions with this population that I love! I’m excited to be working with all of you over the next couple of weeks.

[Amy Brownell]

It’s nice to meet you! We have been using a hybrid model too – I find that for some young children telehealth works well, and for others I just want to reach through the screen and be there with them! Has telehealth been working well for you with them?

[Aliza Llovet]

I would agree with that Amy! Sometimes it’s a parent coaching model and having the parent work with the child more directly and some children you can interact with more directly over zoom.

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

It’s always great to discover the depth and variety of experience participants bring to the Sprouting Melodies Training course. Welcome! You will get to know me through the course videos over the next ten weeks, but I like to share a little more of my everyday life. I retired from clinical work in late 2019 after well over 30 years in early childhood but still enjoy teaching as an adjunct professor at Molloy College and Shenandoah University. My three children are all grown and scattered around the country. but I do try to make music as much as possible with my grandchildren – 3 1/2 and 4 months.
I also love the connections! Amy, I started out in music education at Ithaca College (back in the early 70s)before finishing at SUNY Potsdam where I got to train with Clive and Carol Robbins at a school for the deaf in Rome, New York. Clive and Carol remained friends and mentors throughout my career.
Emily, we are an airline family! My husband recently retired from a major airline based in DFW ;-). In a strange coincidence, I now work with a music therapy colleague at Molloy College who came to music therapy after a career as a flight attendant. She actually met my husband when they were flying together, and later was my student at Molloy.
Meredith and I are always available through email so please feel free to reach out at any time. Throughout the course, you will have the expert guidance of Erika Svolos. She is a terrific resource. I’ll be popping in to the forum, and look forward to getting you know you. Thanks for joining our Raising Harmony community.

[Amy Brownell]

I’m so excited to get started with this course, thank you for all that you have done! It’s neat to hear that you also went to IC – I loved it there and I’m so glad I started there before going in to music therapy. I feel like I got a great music foundation and built my teaching skills before moving on. I also currently use those skills while teaching adaptive lessons – I’ve worked with kids with developmental disabilities on playing non-traditional music therapy instruments so that they could participate in band, like the trombone, clarinet, flute…it has been nice to combine both fields!

[Maggie Murphy]

Hi Everyone! It’s nice to meet you! I am looking forward to learning with and from you over these next 10 weeks!

My name is Maggie and I live and work in the Chicagoland area. I have been a board certified music therapist for 11 years now. I graduated from Arizona State University in 2010 before returning home to Illinois. Over the past 11 years, I have worked in a variety of settings: a therapeutic day school (child/adolescents/young adults 3-21), an inpatient psych hospital with adults, and currently at a VA hospital (with a variety of clinical populations). Because I have been working in the broader scope of activity and recreation therapy these past 8 years, I was interested in getting back into music and music therapy and pursued an opportunity to provide adaptive music and early childhood lessons/classes on a part time basis at a new music studio in my hometown. I looked at the many early childhood music training out there and this seemed to be the perfect fit!

Aliza/Erika- I am also experiencing issues accessing the video.s I will try the suggestions provided above.

[Amy Brownell]

It’s nice to meet you! Glad you are able to get back into music therapy!

[Anne Reed]

Hello Everyone,

I am Anne Reed. I am a graduate of Baldwin Wallace College- now University. I’ve been a music therapist for 32 yrs.- 23 of them with The Music Settlement. I have worn many hats throughout my career, Interim Chair, Clinical Director, Supervising Music Therapist (my current position at TMS), all along working as a clinical music therapist. I also worked 9 years in a residential treatment center for children undergoing abuse recovery and learned much about trauma informed care and the impact of trauma on development. The first 12 years of my career I worked in a rehab hospital for children (work with children birth through 18 yrs. old primarily). Other than that, I primarily work primarily with children and adults who have disabilities.

I’ve enjoyed reading about everyone’s professional journeys and look forward to this training together.

When words fail- MUSIC.

Anne

[Maggie Murphy]

Hi Anne,

Welcome! Wow! 32 years as a Music Therapist! That is no easy feat! What I have learned in my 11 years as a Music Therapist is that this profession is not for the faint of heart… so much to learn, so much advocacy to be done, etc. etc. I love that even though you have been working in the field for 32 years and even supervising other music therapists, here you are in this training with the rest of us! That is one of the wonderful things about continuing ed… we get to connect and learn with Music Therapists with a wide range of backgrounds!

[Hannah Floyd]

Hi everyone!

My name is Hannah Floyd and I am a newly certified Music Therapist as of 2021! I spent my undergrad at Slippery Rock University and then my internship at A Place to Be in Virginia. I am currently working at The Music Settlement in Cleveland Ohio. I primarily am placed in schools where the age range is kindergarten to high school. When I’m not in sessions you can usually find me with a camera, since I also am a photographer on the side. I look forward to learning from and with you all!

[Jessica Gelineau]

Hello Everybody!
My early intervention music therapist brain just thought of the popular “Hello song” I use during sessions as I typed that! My name is Jessica Gelineau (Jess). I am a new board certified music therapist, and I passed my board exam last August. I studied undergraduate music therapy at Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA. I had the pleasure of completing my pre practicum and practicum experiences at an assisted living facility and a school for children with special needs (pre school- 12th grade). I completed my internship at an early intervention company, and I am now currently employed there and loving it.
I am taking this course because I would like to have a more specialized training in leading music therapy groups pertaining to early childhood that help support development. I love that this course groups children by specific ages since their response to music is so different at each stage of development. I also love that this course is a music therapy and community based approach. I am excited and looking forward to learning more about early childhood music experiences and how to facilitate groups to cater to the needs of the child and caregiver. I am excited to be able to get to know everyone within the course!

[Maggie Murphy]

Hi Jess,

Welcome and congrats on becoming Board Certified last August!

I remember realizing how much I still didn’t know when I got out of school and joined the working world in 2011, so hopefully this training will complement the work that you are already doing and what you already know!

[Author]

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