Share some of your experiences with children of this age and level.

[Meredith Pizzi]

[Kristina Rio]

Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that I will be away this week on my honeymoon, so I will not be checking in. Please contact Erika, Meredith, or Beth with any questions you may have, and I look forwards to reading your posts when I return!

[Dina Breaux]

It seems I have been around children of this age all my life! I love them!! Babies have always brought me so much joy and I just get silly when I’m around them, talking to them in a silly voice (I try hard not to use nonsense words when I talk to them) and making silly faces.
Though I never worked with babies as a music teacher or music therapist, as a mom, this was my favorite age! There was so much growth that occurred in such a short amount of time and it was a miracle to watch it unfold. Every day they would do something new, something they had never done before, and I would rejoice and celebrate! Although I was always proud when they began to crawl, a part of me missed that infant stage. As tiny babies, they were my captive little audience and we laughed and smiled all the time. Once they started crawling and walking, it was more like damage control than parenting! LOL
As a grandma, I was blessed to have my daughter live with me for the first 8 months of my granddaughter’s life. The daily miracles of her growth brought me a level of love and joy I did not know existed! Now that they have moved out and on their own, I miss the daily interaction and cherish the moments I spend with her. We sing, play, dance and laugh when we’re together!

[Lauren Klimek]

I have never run groups of my own with children at this age but as a mother of an almost 6 month old I can imagine what it would be like. My daughter is very curious and alert as to every little thing she hears or sees. She like to grab EVERYTHING and put it in her mouth. She also pulls on and plays with her toys. She babbles all day long and vocalizes on vowel sounds and some consonants and loves to blow bubbles and make raspberry sounds. Every movement and touch has an intention behind it whether it be to feel, taste, hear, explore and communicate. She loves her play mat, bouncer and swing and also loves looking out of the window and watching the outside world. She repeats the same activities numerous times a day and each time it is always exciting and fun for her. I imagine the SM1 groups running in about the same themes of routine, new discovery, predictability, fun, exploration, excitement and calm.

[Joanna Calahan]

I recorded lullabies for a NICU project in college, and am aware of the importance of attachment, tempo, vocal timbre and inflections when working with little ones, however I have never led a music therapy session with infants. I personally don’t have kids, and honestly can’t recall the last time I spent a prolonged amount of time with this age group other than passing by at the grocery or on a plane ride, but from the brief moments I have been in contact with children this young I have tried to present a positive affect, and have noticed my voice changes more towards song-like inflections when I spoke to them. This is an age I am interested in working with and will be exposed to more as I’m entering a stage in my personal life where many of my friends are beginning to start families. I imagine (or at least hope) they will seek guidance from me when it comes to incorporating music in their family’s daily lives, and to promote development and bonding through music.

[Gina Greeson]

My experience with children of this age level goes back to my internship. I co-led an intergenerational group. The babies were very aware of the group. Most would put the instruments in their mouth. Some would look at me or my supervisor and mimiic the movement and repeat the pitches. Some would stay close to their mothers or caregivers.The older children would sing parts of the songs and even started to interact with the residents. Some would share their favorite songs too. Some were shy at first, but eventually warmed up to the group once they felt safe. My son is seven months old and he is beginning to “bounce” to the music and mimic a few pitches. The timbre of my voice and how I presented myself really helped to gain the trust of the residents and the young children.

[Megan Calabro]

Love, love, love this age group!! In my personal life, I had so much enjoyment with my two kiddos when they were this age. It was wonderful to sit and sing, cuddle, and play with them, and just see the glow that would come across their faces. It’s just beautiful to behold. =)

In my clinical work, I spend quite a significant amount of time with babies in this age group. I will admit that a lot of my time is spent doing one of two things – either trying to promote rest, or providing procedural support during blood work, IV starts, Lp’s, etc… I do have one story from earlier today, when I was able to spend some time with a little one who is requiring a decent amount of respiratory support. One challenge that many of the kiddos experience, who are in similar situations, is withdrawal from the various mess they’re being given during their admission. And it all throws their sleep/wake cycles off pretty nicely. Well, I was called to come see this one particular little one because, “they’re awake and pretty feisty.” In other words, the baby was agitated, possibly overwhelmed by life in general, and really struggling to regulate. I love taking that quiet, gentle, rocking approach, which was exactly what we started with. I usually use guitar and voice, and spend a depending on the situation, will also incorporate a lot of breaths and/or gentle sighs. This little one responded so positively to that, and their posture really began to relax. The tension around the baby’s mouth lessened, and the baby stopped furrowing. When I was speaking with the nurse afterwards, I did find out that the baby is having many more “awake” times, which is great, but it also means really keying into what the baby is sharing with me with regards to what their overall tolerance level is, and teasing out what is what. Good stuff!

[Megan Calabro]

Please forgive any typos on my part!! (Just noticed one). My 7 year old is not a good sleeper, and here past few days have been pretty rough. But, hey… Sleeps pretty overrated, right?!

[Anonymous]

Thank you all or sharing. It is always great to hear everyone’s experiences. Megan I don’t know what sleep is…LOL

[Kristina Rio]

I enjoyed reading everyone’s experiences with this age group. Several of my friends have just had babies, and they are so much fun! Thanks for sharing!

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