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?

[Holly Jurca]

Firstly, it has given me a solid foundation to understand birth to 5 years and development and what developmentally appropriate music means! It has equipped me in providing resources to families and increasing my own awareness. I understand development so much more now and the first video I saw from the training was so impactful – music development is development! That definitely made an imprint on my mind.

Secondly, group cohesion and catering to the individual within a group feels more tangible now. I am someone who has a lot of experience in 1:1 client work, so group work is less of a comfortable area for me. SM has allowed me to understand the meaning of space and use my verbal and musical skills to support each child.

SM has given me an arsenal of songs to choose from for various purposes. It has allowed me to understand musical responses to various songs, watching and hearing what Meredith and Elizabeth talk about in each video on possible responses from children. It has allowed me to create successful potential session ideas with all of the examples in the videos. It is also so valuable that I’ve learned what to do and how to engage in the tougher sessions, where the individual child might be having some behavioral elements at play.

I will absolutely be sharing as much information on development and observations in behaviors as I can in my own sessions, as well as with other teachers and educators that I might work with in the future. Additionally, I will continue to review the course material and remember my own value in the community, furthering the outreach of music and development/music therapy!

[Erika Svolos]

Hi Holly,

Thank you so much for sharing. We are so glad to hear all that you are taking away!

We wish you all the best as you move on and take all of this into your work.

[Meghan Hanley]

I am also looking forward to the large choices of songs! I am excited about potential session themes and plans.

[Meghan Hanley]

My key takeaway from this course was the musical development of children. Having the individual stages of musical skills written out really helped me plan interventions and songs that allow for the maximum, stage-appropriate behaviors to occur. I have used this in my mixed-age, mixed-development school group (ages 3-16!) to increase engagement and respect the stages that these children are currently at.

I am definitely going to share with my families, colleagues, and interns some of the principles behind these musical developmental stages, such as trust and responsibility. This is something that I can use to describe child behaviors as well as the intentions behind interventions.

[Diandra Doble]

I love that you mentioned using what you learned in this training with your mixed-age groups. This information doesn’t only correlate to ages 0-5, it can be helpful with children and individuals of older ages as well!

[Elizabeth Bentz]

My main takeaway is that music development IS development, and that we need to look at the developmental appropriateness of music for our clients. I work primarily in the ID/DD population right now, and there is a balance between developmental appropriateness and age appropriateness of music. Should a client in their 20s be listening to children’s songs? If that is there preference and it is developmentally appropriate, why not? But it shouldn’t be the assumption. I’ve started looking at what developmental level my clients are in musically and adjusting my sessions accordingly. I have a 15 year old client who is in the independence stage (boarding on control). This knowledge has helped me gear my interventions towards what is developmentally appropriate for them musically, and additionally it has helped me with my expectations and observations of their responses.

[Holly Jurca]

Your first line says it all! I like what you said about the fact that no assumptions should be made without proper clinical reasons!

[Diandra Doble]

This training has taught me not only that development is development, but MUSIC development is development. Children can learn and grow so much developmentally through music. I have taken in so much knowledge about how each stage of development works and I will continue to use this knowledge to my advantage in providing the best care possible using music. I feel that I have a better toolbox to work with now in order to advocate and educate to those around me, including parents, caregivers, educators, etc. These children deserve this advocation as they explore and develop through time. Giving children the space to explore their surroundings is so important. There is no right or wrong way to be in music. They just have to be. That is one big lesson I am taking away from this training. Letting the children just be in the music is key. I will not only share my knowledge with parents and caregivers, but also my colleagues and acquaintances in my life.

[Author]

Posts