Share What Most Excites You

[Julie Palmieri]

Share what most excites you most about bringing the ideas and music from this training to the children and families in your community.

[MacKenzie Lyons]

Now that I have taken this training I am excited to be able to help caregivers bond with their children and create a sense of community! Prior to this training I was intimidated by the thought of having to also “instruct” parents/caregivers. I feel like so many people say that “no one knows your child better than you do,” which made me feel intimidated to share my knowledge with parents/caregivers (I was worried that they would disregard what I had to say). However, taking this training as well as being able to participate and lead Sprouting Melodies classes during my internship, has helped me feel more confident in the material that I am presenting. I have learned that parents are much more willing to learn than what I initially expected, and if anything, the information that they can get from us about their child can help make them feel at ease about their child’s development. So overall, I am very excited to take this new found confidence in the area of music therapy and use it to help strengthen the bond between parent and child while simultaneously promoting development.

[Maura Nicholson]

I can also remember feeling apprehensive to share my knowledge with parents because yes, no one does know their child better than them- but a fresh, neutral set of trained eyes can be so very powerful in picking up on things that a parent can easily miss.

[Elmira Abasova]

I agree with you, I had the same feeling about talking to parents. Of course, they know their children better, but not all of them are music therapists, and it’s always good to have a look from outside from a professional.

[Courtney McDonald]

I am excited to bring these new songs and a better understanding of the developmental levels to my sessions. Although I do not work with children in the early childhood chronological age (birth to 5), I have seen positive reactions to the new ideas I have brought to my sessions with my clients. I believe that incorporating this knowledge will make me a better music therapist and better able to serve my clients.

[Erika (TeamRH)]

It is always wonderful for me to hear all that you each are taking away and how it will inform your work. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts 🙂

[Camryn Gallagher]

Since starting this course, I have noticed that my music selections in my sessions and groups feel more intentional. I love having concrete explanations of why certain songs work or don’t work in certain situations and based on the child’s individual developmental level. Not only does this inform my work, it helps me better present that information to families as well for continued learning after I leave. On that note, hearing some of the songs that are used in Sprouting Melodies and how/why they were written makes me feel excited and inspired to start writing and recording some of my own tunes again. I haven’t really tried to do so since I was a student!

Ever since my internship in pediatrics, I have felt grateful to be part of a profession where we can connect with our clients in a way that is so adaptable, individualized, and fun. Even now working full time in Early Intervention, I see a lot of parents who feel they should only focus on what their child “can’t” do. I am thrilled to have a toolbox that gives parents and opportunity to see their child shine.

[Maura Nicholson]

After being away from the music therapy profession for a few years, this course has truly reignited my motivation and eagerness to get back out there. It was comforting to hear Meredith and Elizabeth talk about making it all work with your own vision. Right now, as I am busy with our family life and another full-time job a few community groups here and there are what is in the cards for me for the more immediate future. I look forward to building on that and seeing what becomes of music groups in my community in the next couple of years. The incredible resources from this course and the input from all participants have helped me feel so much more prepared with the foundation of skills that I already possess, but that just needed a bit of refresher!

[Lydia Westle]

Echoing and agreeing with the sentiments other shared, I have found myself feeling refreshed and excited to have new repertoire, as well as ideas, to bring into sessions – whether that is in a group setting or even in some of my individual sessions at bedside! I’m in the process of learning more of the songs more intentionally and also feel grateful to have been able to develop a deeper understanding of developmental levels / musical behaviors within each. It may sound silly, but the concept of “lap songs” is not something I was necessarily thinking about as a focus initially, as the medical equipment of my patients may limit ability to engage in this way. However, I’ve been so inspired by them and have been thinking of ways to adapt them as needed to still help emulate that experience for bonding.

I honestly loved this course and would recommend it to any music therapist! Thank you so much for the opportunity and for sharing these incredible resources!

[Elmira Abasova]

Hi Lydia,
I really love how you explained your takeaways about lap-ride songs!

[Elmira Abasova]

Starting new projects excites me the most. It’s challenging, but having knowledge and support increases my confidence for success.

After the course, I looked at some songs from a new angle and got new ideas to make them more interactive. The course also helped me to notice small details in early development that I didn’t notice before. The information about importance of vertical and horizontal development is very handy when talking to parents.

[Daniel DeLucia]

One thing that most excites me about taking the ideas and music from the training into the families and communities that I work with is not only having a better understanding about why what we do is important, but also giving music experiences that allow children to just be themselves and having peak experiences which are meaningful for them. Especially in Sprouting Melodies, some families might not have the time or energy to truly be and play with their child during the week, so allowing for that space to be provided for them I think is very significant. Also, in terms of the music, these songs that we’ve been looking at are playful but more importantly, have intention and meaning built into them.

[Olivia Todd]

Similar to Camryn, I feel like my choices in songs and interventions have become much more intentional. There are reasons why we choose which song to use in which intervention, and I have learned new repertoire and ideas that I have already begun to implement! Something else that excites me about bringing these ideas and songs to my sessions are the connections that have been and will be made. There are so many connections in the communities we serve, child and parent, child and teacher, music therapist and child, music therapist and parent, and so many more! The music and ideas provide a way for those connections to be made.

[Kate Jihye Choi]

It’s been a year since I started my journey as a music therapist, and I’ve started feeling stuck sometimes when I use the same songs and activities over and over. This training has helped me get out of that feeling and be more confident about what I’m providing my client. One parent gave me feedback “This is amazing. Everything you have her try has unseen meaning.” With the knowledge I got from this training, I was able to explain what I expected her to do with music and how music worked to motivate her more clearly. And also I’ve found myself being more comfortable and confident when I work with my co-workers, when they ask about music therapy, when they ask my opinion as a music therapist, and when I provide music therapy consultations. The most exciting thing happened just now. A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to share about this training with my director. And we have decided to launch a music group for early childhood at our office! There should be many things we have to set up and discuss more, but I wanted to share this with you beforehand. This is good news to me and to my community!

[Amy Calderon]

That is amazing! Congratulations on starting a group!

[Amy Calderon]

I think what is most exciting for me is the music from Sprouting Melodies! It’s simple for parents to learn and is also novel. We all know all the typical nursery rhymes, so it can be refreshing to learn something new. I am excited to bring in my knowledge on development to my community and to bring joy and fun to families. It’s also beautiful to bring families to get and watch them form their own friendships.

[Jessica Solimini]

What most excites me is being able to share this information with the other moms in my life! Knowing what I now know about the different levels of awareness and the importance of repetition, I think I can be confident sharing these tips and tricks with my fellow parents. Also understanding the different types of songs – bonding, movement, etc – is a really interesting element I did not know before and am looking forward to sharing.

[Billie Junget]

I feel like this has energized me and my work in Sprouting Melodies! I’m excited to bring new songs, new ideas, and new education to the families in my classes. I have more knowledge to point out those “musical milestones” and to equip families with more tools to use music with their loved ones at home. I feel refreshed, and I know that my work will be refreshed to bring the best services and music to my groups! I’m excited for the possibilities of how music in Sprouting Melodies will look and transform my community.

[Author]

Posts