Takeaways from the Course

[Anonymous]

What are your key takeaways from this course?

How has this learning changed your perspective on development, your approach to the work, or the way you use music in your sessions?

How will you share this information with colleagues, administrators and families?

[Amy Brownell]

While I have been working with young children for several years, this is the first time I have had additional formal training outside of my music therapy coursework specifically in early childhood development. These past weeks, I have learned how to put what I do instinctually with children into words – this course gave me more effective language to use when speaking with caregivers and other professionals about the progress of the children in my groups. I also now have new songs to use in my sessions and a new way of looking at planning those sessions. I hope to be able to share this information through professional development workshops (I have done some on other topics in the past) for some of our sites and to share these resources with colleagues where I work. I plan to incorporate this work and this information into my current sessions with young children for the time being, and possibly start some groups in the future!

[Emily Fabian]

My biggest takeaway from this course is the structure of the session planning as well as the language that goes along with it. My music therapy experience has primarily been with older populations (teenagers, young adults, geriatric). I am just recently beginning my work with those in early childhood development. This course has been an incredible tool I have been able to utilize in my groups. I have taken the session structure as well as the songs to implement and have seen the effectiveness. My hope is to share these techniques with my school’s educators and administrators that work with these age groups in a workshop or staff meeting in the near future.

[Amy Brownell]

I love having this structure as well – so helpful! Can’t wait to use it!

[Anne Reed]

Before answering the forum questions, I want to say that I enjoyed watching the video chat and hearing how everyone is using the training in their own practices. I loved the little stories and especially appreciated hearing that “more is not necessarily better” and repetition is not boring. The concept of mirror neurons is fascinating understanding that the brain is working even when the children are watching and allowing them the time to absorb the information before expecting them to responding, “you don’t have to do you just have to be.”

My greatest take away was understanding how the models of musical development intersected with childhood development. Viewing development in the light of awareness, trust, independence, control, and responsibility provides a wonderful framework for engaging children where they are at. Also, I especially appreciated the bonding songs. I have experience working with children who were diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder and recognize how vital bonding is for the long term mental health and the establishment of healthy relationships.

In summary, I thought the training was comprehensive, thorough, extremely educational, and has enlightened me to a new way of approaching early childhood development. I know I will be review and reflecting on all this material for months and probably years to come. I think this training would be such a benefit for teenaged mothers. I also want to use this approach with a mother and her pre-teen child. They don’t get time to play together because she is always on patrol making sure he is safe. Hopefully in the future we can establish more groups through our Center that are in some of the lower social economic areas in the city.

[Jessica Gelineau]

The biggest takeaway from this course was how to effectively and appropriately recognize different musical developmental responses. Working with young children for several years and taking early childhood education courses allowed me to have vast knowledge about developmental milestones for young children, but taking this class allowed me to understand appropriate musical responses. Before taking this class I wanted to know more specific musical milestones to point out to families and other team members on my interdisciplinary team at work, and this course certainly provided that knowledge as well as an abundance of resources! This has changed my perspective as a clinician because now I can further advocate to other team members about different ways we can tell a child is engaged with music, even if they are not actively participating in the circle or the music space. It has also changed my perspective to let children explore instruments and the music in different ways, whether that means picking up instruments and just holding them, or sitting in the circle and watching the music therapist lead the group. I will share this information with team members by sharing and communicating information about musical developmental milestones, and how these milestones may look different than other milestones such as speech or social milestones.

[Amy Brownell]

I love how this is such a child-centered program – music provides the perfect opportunity for children to explore!

[Aliza Llovet]

I think the biggest takeaway was just the opportunity to further my knowledge of music therapy in early childhood in a very methodical and engaging manner. It is great to be part of a music therapy community and was definitely refreshing since the is one of the only time in my career that I have been the only music therapist at my agency.

[Hannah Floyd]

One of the biggest takeaways from this course is how I can actively communicate not only to children, but to the parents also. Also how to have them take notice of musical development, and the way to explore this through music. Through these new songs and approaches, I am excited to move forward and a new MT-BC.

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