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]

[Ann Marie Raddell]

One of my largest personal goals of my current early childhood groups is providing those in attendance with a positive experience: not only for the children, but also for the families. I want them to leave the group feeling encouraged and uplifted.

I have noticed even with my own little girls that people in public often comment on children. Sometimes they have something positive to say, other times they may smile or giggle about the difficult behaviors they see. While those comments and responses don’t personally bother me, I know that sometimes it creates the idea that children always have to be on their best behavior, so some of the families I see may carry that view into my early childhood groups.

I try to create a safe and welcoming environment on day one by telling the group that children respond to music in so many different ways. I don’t want them to feel like they need to leave the group room if the child cries or has a difficult moment. I often have a mom or dad approach me to apologize for their child’s behavior when often that behavior is very common for a child of that age. I like to remind parents that even though at times certain behaviors are challenging, those actions and attitudes are also wonderful, because it means the child is on track for his or her age. Sometimes parents need to hear a different perspective. I always remind them that there is never a reason to apologize, since the child is learning how to navigate his or her environment in his or her own way on his or her own time.

The presented information is a great reference point as to which characteristics are typical per developmental age. I am looking forward to the other topics mentioned in the presentation. I know that new songs, interventions and approaches will be very helpful for my own groups. I am always looking for some new ideas.

[Kelsy Gati]

I think learning the nuances and subtle differences between these ages will impact the way I approach work at these ages. It gives me a greater understanding of what skills to be looking for and working on when in a session with children in these age ranges.
I think in early childhood music therapy I do my best to create an open, encouraging and exploratory environment. I think I will apply this knowledge of development to incorporate and strengthen skills as they are developmentally appropriate. For example, with my pre-school aged kids I will incorporate more peer leadership opportunities to capitalize on the interest in imitating peers!

[Kristen McSorley]

Personally, I hope that I provide a non-judgmental atmosphere for children and their respective caregivers. Many caregivers haven’t sang in a public setting, and I try my best to help them feel comfortable and confident. I think Ann’s comment regarding the diversity in which children respond to music depending on developmental level and individual traits is so important and is what I hope to gain from this course. I believe further knowledge about healthy development will transform my groups. At times, caregivers/staff can be become critical or confused when I don’t redirect certain behaviors but the information in this course will provide me with a greater ability to communicate my rationale for choosing to redirect or not redirect.

[Kristina Rowles]

I look to be a support to parents and care givers through music therapy programs. As a couple people have mentioned previously, I want to create a space where I can educate parents about the developmental milestones and the process of learning that happens to reach each one. It is important to create a safe space for a child and their caregiver to learn and grow. This information gives me a foundation to teach caregivers about letting their child grow.

[Sarah Szymanowski]

Several before me have already mentioned the parents and caregivers, and I would like to bring that forward as an interest and strength of mine as well. I want to help each adult in my groups feel comfortable and confident in making music with their children! As a child, I always felt very bonded to my own mother through music. Throughout the stages in the presentation, even with growing independence it is of great importance to have an adult to return to for grounding and nurturing. I know it would be a very specialized direction, but someday I would like to combine my population interests and work with babies and their mothers suffering from postpartum depression. I think the bonding through music under the guidance of a music therapist could be very beneficial.

[Kristen McSorley]

Sarah, that sounds like such a wonderful and unique direction. Do you know if there’s any research/any other music therapists have pursued that?

[Stephanie Harris]

Personally, as a mother of two girls, I have gained a lot of hands on experience that will translate well to supporting other mothers and their children. I think that individuals that aren’t mothers can certainly be nurturing and empathetic too. For me, I know that with my clients with DD becoming a mother dramatically changed my perspective on their family struggles and concerns. I would hope that I could bring my experience as a music therapist, with the additional early childhood training, to adapt and implement programs that benefit the development of the children, while providing the caregiver with a positive experience with rationale for why music is such an significant part of development and bonding.

[Meredith Pizzi]

Thanks for all of your great comments. A couple of thoughts here —
Nonjudgemental environment is key!! This makes the groups gel and develop a sense of community, which really enhances the relationships and the experience in Sprouting Melodies.
About Postpartum Depression – There is definitely increasing interest in working with mothers with postpartum depression. I have been able to support a couple of moms within our Sprouting Melodies classes as they were struggling with depression, and supporting moms in connecting with their little ones in music was a vital support for one mom in particular. As music therapists, we are definitely in an ideal position to support both the moms, the babies, and help nurture the connection and relationship between the parent and child using music. As far as literature goes, we will get back to you on that. I know there is a growing interest within our field in this area. I’ve spoken with many music therapists about it in the last year or so.

[Meredith Pizzi]

Another note regarding the forums — It is a good idea to type all of your responses into a word document and then when you are ready cut and paste it into the forum online. I know I get very frustrated when I create a long response and it disappears into the internet, which for no known reason does happen from time to time!! Also, if you are ever having a hard time getting something to post, please send an email to Erika Svolos and myself right away so we can try to figure out what is going on. Erika does keep track of all the posts, so we do look for your answers to each question. If it is not working, let us know and we will try to troubleshoot with you. Erika’s email is erika.svolos@gmail.com, and I can be reached at Meredith@RaisingHarmony.com.

[Laetitia Brundage]

After viewing the video last Wednesday, I have spent the last few days “observing” myself and how I already apply this information in my classes/sessions and areas in which I could improve. I find that I try my best to take advantage of unique opportunities to throw a little development education into the mix depending on the children’s responses. One of the most common examples is how caregivers talk about how “outgoing” and “musical” their child is at home as opposed to the classroom. Having the knowledge and ability to share that this is completely normal for their little one helps build my relationships with the families as well as the children. One area that I’ve already begun to explore and strengthen is reassuring and explaining to families that when their child has a challenging reaction to something in class, that they don’t have to apologize or leave. While I already reassure them of this, I will strive to have more specific developmental education for caregivers. i.e. Why a 3-year-old could become upset as opposed to a 15-month-old, etc. I’d like to second Anne Marie in the way that, Hopefully, this will help all families “leave the group feeling encouraged and uplifted.”

One area that I sometimes find the most challenging, and would love to discuss with this group, is helping caregivers come out of their shell. It seems that no matter how many times I explain that the kids learn best by their example and emphasize bonding and growth through everyone’s participation, some classes and/or caregivers just sit quietly and immobile. This type of class often leaves me exhausted, frustrated, and at a loss for how to improve the atmosphere. Does anyone have any strategies that have worked consistently?

[Anonymous]

I have enjoyed reading all of your submissions! You will definitely gain a lot of knowledge on working with families, how to provide the optimal environment, and how to use the areas of development to educate parents on how music is supporting their children’s development. Sprouting Melodies Providers receive further support in this area with the Sprouting Melodies sayings. These sayings are quick sentences that educate parents on how the music is being used, benefiting the children and the families, as well as other pertinent information. Sarah and Kristen, you may want to connect with Heidi Lengel and Kate Taylor. They are music therapists that specialize in Sound Birthing, perinatal and postnatal music therapy, and postnatal mental illnesses. Heidi’s website https://interludeperinatalsupport.com and Kate’s website http://www.birthmusic.net. I actually hired Heidi for the pregnancy and birth of my daughter and got to learn a lot about her work. She is a fantastic clinician and quite knowledgeable about Post-Partum Mental Illnesses and music therapy.

[Kristen McSorley]

Laetitia, I also have had groups where caregivers sit silently despite my encouragement. Sometimes singing a familiar nursing rhyme (like Twinkle, Twinkle) has helped caregivers break out of their shells. Also, sometimes during a song that encourages vocalizations, I’ll encourage caregivers to engage in babbling/cooing with their infant and leave space for that. If I get really silly with it, sometimes that helps break the ice. However, those don’t always work and I would love to hear others’ suggestions!

[Kristen McSorley]

I’m sure there are also times that there isn’t anything else to do and you just have to accept the group where it is and continue providing opportunities.

[Belinda Adams]

I hope to bring just that…’early childhood music therapy based programs’ to my community. I live in a city where music is highly valued and there are numerous activities and concerts with music as the focus every weekend; however, the communities offering for young children is limited. As I searched for a place to meet people as a new mom, and places to take my daughter, I found that there were one 2 options and both were really expensive… more than my husband and I could afford; both working professionals. This lead me to develop my own offering for infants. In retrospect I was so beside myself in parenting that leading others was probably not my best choice but I did meet some great friends who helped me through that time of grief within myself.

Twenty months later, I am offering a ‘Kids make music’ course at a local Y. I’m not calling it music therapy — as no one in this community really understands or knows what it is but I do add my credentials and the education that we all have in my own bios. This course has been great for me once again meeting others but perhaps more importantly to see how different every little one is. There are 4 toddlers in my class, including my daughter, and each one is so different! It’s so interesting to see that it almost seems like one child excels where another child lacks — clearly why these milestones are just estimates.

Anyway, I hope that the additional education from this course will help me to bring new ideas to the courses as well as to my own family and to my position within a special needs school. I hope to slowly but surely broaden the understanding of music therapy and what it can do for people of all ages but especially young children!

[Tracy Wanamaker]

While I certainly agree with many of the comments above that we can support and reassure parents and caregivers based on our knowledge of the developmental stages, I think that something else we bring to the table through our training as music therapists is the ability to meet children at their individual developmental levels based on our understanding of the stages/benchmarks. By knowing where they are, we can structure classes that will explore and reinforce their current developmental stage while providing opportunities that encourage them to grow in a safe and comfortable environment. This also gives us the opportunity to share songs and activities with parents that they can also do with their child at home to promote growth.

Something that I feel that I personally bring to the table, is my willingness to be “silly” with children and try new things based on their reactions. As Beth discussed in the podcast – sometimes you simply have to jump to understand how a child is experiencing something. I have found that by being willing to join them in their play, I have been able to encourage growth in ways that I never would have thought of on my own!

[Ashley Carroll]

I plan to create a space of support, learning, compassion, and fun for the children and caregivers. I will bring my knowledge of early childhood development as well as my ever growing musical knowledge and repertoire. The programs I have seen offered or have heard about from other parents locally seem to be lacking structure and effectiveness (read chaos). I want the caregivers and children to feel safe and able to explore, but within a structured environment catered to each child. My training as a music therapist allows me to provide this, where other programs may not have the education and/or training or resources to provide this type of holistic and inclusive approach. I’m excited to embark on this journey into early childhood music therapy!

[Johanna Horn]

It is my goal to provide a safe, fun, and nurturing music environment for the children and the caregivers. I believe that my experience as a early childhood music therapist and a mother of twin three year olds, have really shaped who I am as a music therapist. I have seen developmental milestones first hand with my three year olds, and it has really helped me process and implement developmentally appropriate practice for my early childhood groups. Its amazing to me that in 2007, I graduated from college and landed my first job at an early childhood center (coincidentally where I am now). I had no idea what I was doing and more often than not, my interventions were not developmentally appropriate and caused utter chaos (picture it–trying to implement a lyric analysis activity for four year olds). Thankfully, I took time to grow and research more and I began to see the big picture in early childhood development.

It is refreshing to read that some of you are interested in serving mothers suffering from PPD as well as other perinatal/prenatal music therapy avenues. I was on hospitalized bed rest most of my pregnancy and there were many programs offered for me at the hospital I lived at, but music therapy was not one. I was unable to practice music, sing, or do any of the things I enjoyed the most because of my circumstances. Looking back on the whole picture now, I am sure other mothers in the same situation would have benefitted from music therapy to not only ease anxiety, but to also provide a stronger bond inutero.

[Noelle Larson]

I am very thankful to be learning this material about child growth and development while working in a school with two to five-year-old students; it has been fantastic to see real-world examples of many of the concepts and milestones, as we’re learning about and discussing them! The information directly supported how I conducted my music groups with young children last week by helping me to set more realistic expectations regarding my students’ emotional needs and abilities. Music therapy is such a perfect medium to promote healthy exploration and personal growth for young children because in it, we can create a safe and familiar place with appropriate risks, rewards, and challenges. I think that up to this point, I have made many musical and facilitation-related choices based on what is most comfortable for me or what will make me “look good” or “cool” to the children and their adults. As I continue to learn and grow in this course and personally, I am striving to push far beyond my own needs or image, embrace a childlike attitude and humility (we don’t have to have it “all together”), and enjoy the journey of discovery along with the children.

[Anonymous]

Laetitia and Kristen, you will get some some information on the topic of encouraging parent involvement in this training. I spend time at the beginning of each Sprouting Melodies class and throughout the class directing parents and encouraging singing and involvement. I have also used techniques I learned from Beth about using my voice and the music to create a space that allows the parents to feel safe to join in. Using these techniques, I have experienced a majority of my families really joining in the experiences and singing. One of the, many, benefits of being a Sprouting Melodies Provider is getting support from Meredith, Beth, and the other SM Providers on a regular basis.

[Noelle Larson]

Tracy and Kristen, I agree with what you said about being silly! There can be such emotional and expressive magic when we “go the extra mile” with our energy, intentionality, expressions, and inflection. It always amazes me how ready young children are to giggle at and to imitate “silliness”–we might feel a little self-conscious while doing it, especially with other adults present, but I think it’s a fantastic tool for building group rapport, bonding, and for setting a precedent for what kind of place music therapy is–a place where we can love learning and making friends!

[Tiffany Lee]

Like I previously stated, I live in a rural community with many young, growing families, and yet, very little resources for this population. I am excited to bring early childhood music therapy based programs to support, educate, and bring experiences that will strengthen a family’s bond as well as a create an atmosphere where caretakers can meet others and have a sense of togetherness. When I had my first child, I was surprised at how lonely it can feel being a new mom. I looked for support or places to meet other new moms and was very disappointed how hard it was to find in my community. I was surprised at how many parents felt the same way that I did. I hope to bring not only early childhood music therapy based programs to strengthen the bond between parent and child, but to promote a supportive environment for caretakers vs. the more common competitive environment many parents face. I did my undergraduate research on music therapy and parent-child bond, specifically targeting breastfeeding. I found music therapy to be a successful tool in not only breastfeeding education and the mother’s state of relaxation, but also the sense of feeling heard, understood, and suported. In a sense, I believe music therapy in an early childhood setting has the potential to not only greatly benefit the child’s development, but the family and community as a whole. I hope to bring that aspect to my practice.

[Kristina Rio]

Laetitia and Kristen, In my Sprouting Melodies classes I usually verbally encourage parents and caregivers to sing along at the start of a session. I also use phrases like, “these songs are very simple and very repetitive because that’s how children learn and trust in the music. This song only has two words in it, hello and everybody so sing it with me so you can remember it when you make music at home!” If you can get everyone singing during that hello song, it will help warm them up for further prompts throughout the session to sing along!

Another thing I like to say is, “your baby is looking at me because I’m singing. They want to hear your voice because that’s what’s most familiar to them. If you sing along, they will be looking at you and it will increase that special bonding time you are having together in music.”

[Jennifer Whitlow]

In my introduction, I mentioned working with individuals with DD/ID. It was after having my daughter that I really became passionate about working with this population and possibly pregnant women as well. In my area, I do not feel there are enough resources for early childhood experiences and support for new mothers. For me personally, I had a great pregnancy and labor, so post partum smacked me right in the face. This challenging time, has now fueled my passion to want to help other parents. I want to be able to encourage positive interaction, the understanding of the developmental process, and, most importantly, create a safe environment for families to come to.

I currently have a contract at an ABA center with children. I facilitaty a few short back to back groups. Those kiddos have so much energy and by the time I am finished, I am usually sweating and so fatigued… and I LOVE IT! This chapter brought a better sense of awareness to those groups and the needs for those kiddos. Thank you!

[Jennifer Whitlow]

In my introduction, I mentioned working with individuals with DD/ID. It was after having my daughter that I really became passionate about working with this population and possibly pregnant women as well. In my area, I do not feel there are enough resources for early childhood experiences and support for new mothers. For me personally, I had a great pregnancy and labor, so post partum smacked me right in the face. This challenging time, has now fueled my passion to want to help other parents. I want to be able to encourage positive interaction, the understanding of the developmental process, and, most importantly, create a safe environment for families to come to.

I currently have a contract at an ABA center with children. I facilitaty a few short back to back groups. Those kiddos have so much energy and by the time I am finished, I am usually sweating and so fatigued… and I LOVE IT! This chapter brought a better sense of awareness to those groups and the needs for those kiddos. Thank you!

[Katy Hutchings]

As a music therapist, I value creating meaningful relationships as the core of my work. With young children, learning to trust and respect an adult other than a parent is such a key part of healthy development and attachment. I take pride in building these relationships with the children through approachability, humor, patience, and of course music. In group settings, I think this can be a bit more of a challenge, making sure to connect with all the children (and adults too!). In my current work, parents and caregivers are not present during our sessions but we are hoping to expand and offer such classes. I’m excited to learn more about how to help parents learn to make music with their children.

For me, I need to remember to trust my instincts when it comes to building relationships and know that creating strong relationships is usually one of my strengths. If I am ever doubting myself on my capabilities as a music therapist, reminding myself of my strengths helps me to refocus and reenergize my practice. Building relationships is the first step to building community and I think one of my long term professional goals is to build community using music therapy.

[Katy Hutchings]

I just wanted to add that I am also very excited to be part of a program that encourages creativity, flexibility, and new material! I love that as music therapists we are such creative people and I love being encouraged to write our own music and find new ways of using already loved music.

[Kristina Rio]

Thank you for sharing everyone! Your answers are truly inspiring!

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

What a great group of music therapists! I love the way that all of you are using the forum as a real conversation so that each of us can contribute to the learning of all.
In reflecting on the concern with getting the grownups to sing – I just want to mention that grownups often need more repetition of musical material than the children do! I often assure the grownups that we will sing the songs enough for them to remember them and sing them independently. Another important point is to assure the grownups that the music space is a kind of ‘sacred’ space. Inside the space, there is room for all (children and adults alike) to try new things and to take risks. And singing in public is risky!

[Vanessa Quirarte]

There are not many opportunities in our area for early childhood programs, let alone for children with disabilities. I am taking this course so that i can offer opportunities for families to have their children participate in early childhood progams. I have a few parents who’s children are in the age range of 4-6 who never received any type of early childhood intervention before being school age. I hope that developing a program that offers a safe, warm, and inviting place will bring parents/caregivers to join and get their children on a path to a healthy and successful life.

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