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 Dardis]

I hope my love and joy for music is contagious and spreads to all the families in my program in order to strengthen their family bonds, enrich their lives and instill a life-long love of music and music-making in their homes.

[Lauren Roberts]

I believe one of my biggest assets as a music therapist, and one that I will also be able to bring to an early childhood music therapy based program, is the ability to form a connection with my clients. Throughout each of my practicum experiences while working on my degree, each of my supervisors would comment on my ability to form such a connection, and would emphasize that this was not really something that could be taught. I feel like this natural ability will help me form an early bond with the children in my future Sprouting Melodies classes, which in turn will help me earn the trust of the parents and become a great source of information and encouragement for the whole family.

[Kristen Crouch]

Having grown up around children from an early age, I was a natural teacher and care giver. I think this also has aided in my work as a therapist. I have always enjoyed working with young children especially with music. I appreciated the detailed information that this lesson offered and think it will help me moving forward to be sure I’m creating developmentally appropriate interventions.

[Katherine Sestrick]

I think that the biggest thing that I will bring to my classes is my experience as a parent. I have been doing early intervention for 9 years, and one of the first things most families ask me is, “Do you have kids?” They want to know that you understand and can relate to their daily struggles with actual experience. This does not diminish the work of professionals who do not have kids, but I can honestly say, from experience, that my practice changed so much after I had my son, which happened after I was in the field of EI for 6 1/2 years. I feel that parents listen to me more and are more willing to try suggested strategies if I can relate them to something I have tried personally with my son. I have to admit that for every milestone mentioned in this section, I compared it to when my son achieved it. I think this will further enhance my work, because he hit some of them a little late, and I can honestly say to parents that I understand how anxious they are for their child to _______ (walk, talk, potty, etc.), but that published milestones really are a range and most children will develop at their own pace. I also appreciate the reminders about “red flags” and the fact that it is our responsibility, as early childhood professionals, to gently make parents aware of these, if they are not already.

[Caitlin Kauffman]

Similar to what Lauren said, I believe one of my biggest strengths as a therapist is my ability to build rapport and connect with people. This was immensely important in my work with hospice, and greatly impacted my ability to provide support to my patients and families. As a child and in my growing-up years, I spent much of my time with other kids, and often those younger than me. I always wanted to babysit, even if I was too young. My only jobs as a teenager and during college involved babysitting or being a nanny. I have always loved being with children! The thought of working with groups of children and their families brings a HUGE smile to my face. I am looking forward to learning more about how to best support the development throughout early childhood, as well as helping with family connection and bonding. While in hospice, some of my most rewarding experiences involved helping the family members connect with each other and their loved one at end of life. Now (on the other end of the spectrum), I anticipate meaningful experiences through music will encourage relationship building and memory making!

[Sarah Gagnon]

Great information! I feel that the amount of information presented will help me reassure, engage and inform parents and family about development and growth. This will definitely enhance each experience.

A great deal of my work life, at times, has been with moderately to profoundly effected children. I’ve found that it’s not always about developmental level but about providing a sensory environment that does not harm the child. An example of this would be a child with seizure disorder that is triggered by auditory/visual or other environmental stimuli.

I have worked with a few families where there are varying degrees of this with other affected children in the home. The effected children are the ones receiving all the care and treatment. The siblings are also in need of services and attention and I always include them in sessions to help facilitate as much social play as possible. It can be a LOT to juggle. These interventions with the right training, experience and developmental and social-emotional toolbox, a great A+ experience. This training is providing just that.

[Amy Dunlap]

I hope to bring my curiosity to the forefront as I work in early childhood music therapy programs. I don’t consider myself to be a “natural” when working with young children, although I do enjoy them very much and get quite the kick out of my time with young children. What I lack in a bubbly demeanor, I attempt to make up for with connectedness and excited exploration, which are much more a part of my personality. Like Caitlin and Lauren, I feel confident in how I am with clients and their families, because I am usually very comfortable in my role as the music therapist and am able to connect easily. That being said, I believe I will be in tune with each child and will effectively support individuals while facilitating group experiences.

[Lauren Caso]

I would also have to chime in on processing some sort of “natural ability” to make connections with children and families to some degree. Although I do not have any children of my own yet, I have workeded with early childhood as a music teacher in both public schools and private settings, as well as in music therapy group and individual sessions for several years. I am also less than 5 ft tall, so perhaps I am less intimidating to children 😉
Can I ask a question here?
I am really enjoying learning about the milestone markers per age range, and understand these parameters are unique to the development of each child. However, I don’t think I would feel very comfortable bringing up the subject of a “red flag” to a parent/provider. Is that something we are expected to do as a Sprouting Melodies provider? Should we be providing the suggested information only if the child’s provider brings up the subject, or rather in assessment
and/or documentation? I know we’re probably getting into some ethical values here, but I’m hoping Meredith or Elizabeth may be able to comment on this subject at some point in the future! I’m really enjoying the breadth of this training, and exploring some personal reflections!

[Kristina Rio]

@ Lauren Caso. Hey Lauren! This post is in regards to your question about red flags and whether or not you are expected to bring it up to a parent. As Sprouting Melodies Providers we are expected to provide parents with resources, support and information about their child’s development. As this is not clinical music therapy, it can be a hard topic to bring up. Parents really look to us as the expert, and value our suggestions. It is just as important to educate parents about the red flags as it is the benefits and progress you are observing in the groups, and parents are often grateful for the advice. We always try and bring up the subject in a gentle way and as privately as possible. You want to make it more of a conversation by asking them, “hey I noticed Charlie was walking on his toes, does he do that often?” The parent may bring up their concerns as well. You want to educate them and let them know that those things you have observed could mean something more is going on. We can give them resources and contact for EI assessment. We don’t want to push the parent, but it is our responsibility to say something if you see something concerning. As early childhood providers we can help parents get their children the services they need before it is too late to receive services.

[Bernadette Skodack]

I hope to bring passion and creativity. I volunteer with a music therapy camp each summer, and that’s the only time I really get to work with kids during the year. I was able to work with children in my internship, and it taught me to see things differently; turning candy-shaped containers into shakers and writing a song for object recognition and even counting. The biggest thing for me was that I really had to come out of my shell to be a goofball. Now, I don’t think I’ll ever NOT be a goofball!

[Kasey Sollenberger]

Working within the early childhood setting, I hope to provide a supportive and encouraging role within the MT group or community. I have not experienced motherhood (yet), but I grew up working with children at our family business… having two teachers as parents also helped! Building rapport with my families is a top priority for me, and I’d like to think it comes naturally. Having an understanding and kind demeanor is second nature. I find all of these traits beneficial to creating the most therapeutic environment possible. It is so important to me that music therapy services are available to everyone who seeks them in my community. Making that a possibility greatly supports my work as an MT.

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

Thanks for all your comments and questions! Many of you noted the ‘red flags’ that were presented in this week’s material. In Week 9, one of the modules is called ‘Opportunities for Success’. Meredith and I will go in depth into spotting ‘red flags’; incorporating strategies for success for all; and facilitating conversations with parents and caregivers when we spot developmental concerns.

[Barb Blackburn]

Although I fear that parents won’t think that I understand what they’re going through (since I’m not a parent myself, yet) I can pull from my experiences as a music therapist with knowledge of developmental growth as well as from when I was a nanny. I hope to bring creativity, fun, and learning to the Sprouting Melodies groups that I lead. I am a very friendly, bubbly person and I hope that my personality will shine through and encourage the children to play, learn and grow with their parents and peers.

[Brandy Jenkins]

**Late Entry as I am Catching Up on Posting**

I will bring a therapist’s eye to the program. I think that is extremely beneficial for special needs and typical development. I will know what to look for and just be able to use my therapeutic skills in different ways as needed. I love how with this program, I don’t have to separate the music therapist and the music facilitator.

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