Sing and learn some of the songs presented in the video. Share with the board your experiences using these songs.

[Meredith Pizzi]

[BJ Waelz]

I have enjoyed the music presented. I have to admit that I have found myself “stuck” in a musical rut, using what I have used for so long and going back to favorites….which meant less prep time for me and a high comfort level for presenting what I am so familiar with. I do some experimenting within sessions, but not nearly as much as I did when I was mainly working with EI groups. I enjoyed taking in new music and really thinking about the “music” and understanding what responses I was evoking through the music…the mood, the feelings etc.
I am currently working up a new schedule to offer classes more toward infants / babies.
I also use the keyboard less often (comfort level issues) and lean towards the guitar, I have felt encouraged to work on more use of the piano for the musical variety I can offer. I have not had much opportunity this week to actually work the new music in because I was working within a specified theme for an intergenerational group and then had to cancel classes due to illness last week. So this coming week I plan to bring in a couple of new songs.

[Laura Myers]

The songs presented this week have gotten me excited about working with children soon. I have always found myself making up songs to illustrate what I am doing with my baby, and sing those to her while we are completing a task. I sang her the good morning song while getting ready this morning and she just stared at me with big open eyes. I also have tried the bonding songs with her, she is a busy little girl who seemed to enjoy the movement of the Wiggly Jiggle Car and the accents on Hold on Tight. I hope to become more comfortable in using this music before starting my own groups. I have plans to start spending some time engaging the children at Leanna’s daycare in music making.

[Lysa Wright]

These songs are fun, it’s always interesting to hear music from others. Even my own created music can tend to sound similar after a while, o it’s interesting to get some fresh types and ideas! I really liked the In My Little Hand song, I sometimes forget about incorporating minor keys into my songs. I’ve obviously created several shaking songs but this one adds a different element that the kids wouldn’t necessarily be used to. It will be fun to incorporate this song and others soon!

[Ian Crawford]

Well, I haven’t been able to try out these new songs yet, but I’m hoping to do so tomorrow! I really love Are You Ready For Music and i’m really looking forward to trying it with my younger groups this week. I think it’s such a great example of all of the elements that make a great therapy song. It’s repetitive, catchy, uses hand motions, easily allows for adaptation, and as you mentioned, is rhythmically enticing by starting on the second beat and using syncopation. I’m excited not only to use these songs in my practice but also to use the concepts and musical elements in new or improvised songs!

[Ericha Rupp]

Sorry friends for the late response. I thought I had responded a few nights ago and realized this morning that it didn’t show up. 🙁 With that being said I was able to do a few of the songs presented in the video. I have done, “Good morning” and “All of this is Me”. Good Morning was done as a hello song for three classrooms with little kiddo in it. I added scarves to wave in the air everytime I sang “good morning”. For the third time singing it a few kids started singing along while moving their scarves. They loved singing the octave jump. 🙂 During the “all of this is me” song I did this in a one-on-one session. The child absolutely loved the melody and chimed right in. I used this song to help identify different parts of his body (current goal) so I changed a few words to identify other body parts (i.e. shoulders, tummy, back, etc.). It was so much fun. I can’t wait to do this song with other kiddos and possibly incorporate it some of my groups.

[Shonda Malik]

I am preparing for a music therapy camp for children with whom we want to help develop their self-awareness of feelings (ages 7-11). I was excited to learn “how do you know when it’s summer time?” I plan to adapt the words to “how do you know when you’re feeling sad” and then use the second half of the song as a songwriting experience where the children will create lyrics that describe physical characteristics and thoughts they might have when they are sad.

[Meredith Pizzi]

It is so exciting for me to see how all of you are taking these songs and making them your own! Thank you. Just a reminder that I put up videos of new songs on our Sprouting Melodies blog. Check out the newest on at http://sproutingmelodies.com/2014/09/22/growing-changing-growing/.
Now it’s your turn. Anybody willing to share some of their own compositions with the group?

[Kana Kamitsubo]

Hi, I am sorry for the late response. I am trying to catching up with the assignments.
At my school, we offer music group and we emphasize the use of our own original music or originally arranged music. So, I have not used any of the songs that are presented in the presentation. However, I have been feeling a bit stuck with creating new songs for the class for 6 to 12 months old babies because they cannot do as much as older children in other groups. I have been thinking and creating songs to help mothers bond with their babies and we have created some that are very successful. By watching the presentation, I realized I did not really use the change of tempo and meter in one song. FOr example, the song Hold On Tight and Wiggly Car use this element. I will introduce this into my next song and present it to the group. Thank you very much.

[Anonymous]

Kana you may want to take a look at Beth’s other book “You and Me Makes We.” She spends a good portion of the beginning of the book talking about songwriting for early childhood. I have found it to be extremely useful. I think it is wonderful that you are spending this time writing for your clients!

[Adrienne Salmon]

My personal favorites to use are the movement songs and believe they worked really well with my sessions. I have been finding that “Will you come?” is a great song to include what may be new concepts (like marching vs. walking) and using old favorites of my kiddos, such as hopping (big time favorite), running etc. I think the middle section works well with the pause, and the rhythm there is great help in teaching counting. I don’t yet have groups with parents and children, but I am really looking forward to observing the beautiful bonding that is sure to happen in the bonding songs. Furthermore, Wiggly Jiggly Car is so dang catchy that it is constantly stuck in my head!

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