Post to the board a personal reflection of what you personally will bring to early childhood music therapy based programs and how this information will support your work as a music therapist.

[Meredith Pizzi]

[Laura Silvestain]

Since I am not yet a practicing music therapy, I am not sure what exactly I will bring to early childhood music therapy based programs. I hope to provide a unique experience to children, while reaching goals effectively. I know this information will be a basis for my work, and I will use what I learn to shape my work into what I believe should be done as a music therapist.

[Mary Kerrigan]

I am a practicing music therapist, however, I primarily work with adults and my work with children is more in later childhood and adolescence. So I too am not exactly sure yet how I will impact early childhood music therapy based programs except that I hope to spread the experience to my area by actively running Sprouting Melodies groups after completing the training. I am hoping to open more eyes to the benefits of music therapy for young children. Many people tend to assume that music therapy is for developmentally delayed children or adults rather than for “typcial” healthy children. I hope that by providing the Sprouting Melodies program in my area I will gain more support and advocate more for our field and bring some joy and happiness of course to those families seeking a wonderful experiences such as Sprouting Melodies.

[Melaine Pohlman]

I’ve been reflecting on this, and I think that while not unique to just myself, the dual (and sometimes triple) roles I play as a parent, a therapist and community member will give me a strong platform to support the growth and development of children through music. The mix of knowledge of typical development and parenting experiences, paired along with experiences working with families and children who need additional supports has given a broad lens to look through when finding strategies, guidance and interventions for families. I think this mix gives me a strong reputation as a knowledgeable and trustworthy person who has been in the trenches of early childhood development, both as a parent and as a clinician.

[Mary Jane Dibble]

I work with children who have developmental delays so this information is very valuable because it will help me be better aware of the developmental milestones that children should be completing at each age. It will help me set clearer goals and plan specific interventions to help them reach these developmental milestones. I also would love to start working with typical children and this information helps me know how I can work on helping typical kids reach goals as well and what types of responses I can expect from each age group.

[Kristina Rio]

Great answers so far everyone. It is difficult to answer a question like this if you are not currently working with young children. Just keep in mind your skills as a clinician. Also, keep in mind that Sprouting Melodies is an early childhood music therapy based program. It is not a clinical music therapy session, and we are not tracking specific goals and objectives. We use our skills as music therapist’s to support children as they grow and develop through developmentally appropriate music. I hope that helps!

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

Well said,Kristina. Early childhood work can really blur the lines of understanding our practice, roles and responsibilities as music therapists. As the course continues, we will spend more time discussing how community based early childhood groups such as Sprouting Melodies fit into your music therapy practice.

[Molly Moses]

I hope to use this information to bring joy to children and their families while supporting their development and growth. This course and this unit’s information will help me keep in mind how children typically develop in order to best use music to serve the community.

[Corie Barkey]

These responses are great. I posted some of my response in the other section but just to reiterate I Wil bring a New sense of confidence when I am working with other professionals and families. I am looking forward to discussions about development and what exactly I am looking for in the music therapy session. How exciting.

[Cynthia Cross]

I am personally excited about the focus on programming that is developmentally appropriate. I think I will be better able to educate and explain what I do in my current job and I think this information will make me more aware of client needs as I seek to open my own practice. I also think I will feel more confident making decisions about what I am doing musically when working with early childhood and with older clients as well.

[Emily Baroody]

I am reposting this because I don’t think my post saved last time. I have actually forgotten what I wrote just a few weeks back. But rereading everyone else’s post I have to say that I really liked what Corey said about this week’s information helping to build confidence. There is so much to know and remember about typical early childhood development. Infants change so drastically into toddlers that each stage can be a blur. This week’s information was a great way for me to relearn this information. I have found that since week two I have been looking at my clients differently. I have been trying to assess them with a new eye. Are they talking, are they running, walking crawling. How are they reacting to mom, to me, to the other babies. how does that fit in with what I know about this age now. I am hoping that I can bring this knowledge with me into my early childhood programs as a music therapist and help support parents. I am also hoping that I can help provide more inclusive environments for families who have children with developmental delays because I will be even more knowledgeable on how each child fits in with which age group and at what are developmentally appropriate responses.

[Mary Carter]

I think that what I can bring personally to Early Childhood Music Therapy based sessions is my adaptability. From what I’ve heard, there are many early childhood music programs that are rather scripted. You stick to a formula and a set of songs and there is less room to play with. From my work as a therapist I’ve learned that sessions don’t always (if ever) go exactly as planned and you better have a plan B, and a plan C, AND a plan D. And then if none of those back up plans work, you make something up on the spot to fit what your client is giving you. I like to think that every aspect of my life is organized and planned (super type A over here…) but I do find I am really good at going with the flow of a session and using my abilities to constantly re-assess in the moment.

I think my work as a music therapist and my work as a leader of developmental children’s music classes will compliment each other as each experience brings a new trick that you can rely on in other situations. The more repertoire you have and the more interventions you practice the easier and more efficient your job will become.

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