Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 1

[Meredith Pizzi]

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 1.
Write 5 sentences you can use when speaking with parents about musical responses of children in SM1.
Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in a Sprouting Melodies 1 session.

[Caroline Gillott]

5 Words related to Sprouting Melodies 1
Other than what is stated: repetitive, nurturing, stimulating, warm, predictable

5 Sentences:
Sprouting melodies 1 will help promote health development and wellness in your child. Through SM1 you and your child will grow and learn how to bond together through a predictable, warm and nurturing environment. You will learn a new way of communicating that is interactive, fun and stimulating. You and your child will gain awareness of all your senses and be able to use them throughout the 6-7 weeks together. Most importantly, you will be able to take home and apply what you both have learned so that you can share your experiences with your family and friends.

1. Hello/gathering—purpose is to come together–song to incorporate child’s name. young child can be on lap of parent
2. Bonding songs—child to be in lap of parent. Movements can include bouncing, rocking
3. Songs About Me——parent can use props such as scarves—songs can be game-like such as in “where is my face”.
4. Instrument songs—best to use instruments that are simple and functional such as shakers with handles and plain drums
5. Movement Songs—For the young child—child can be propped on knees facing parent or cradled in their arms. Older children if they want to stand can do motions while standing or holding on to parent’s hands. Keep all movement on the floor
6. Goodbye—for the young child music should be softer and gentler (finger picking or arpeggiated on piano) for the older child—strumming chords and slightly faster tempo and louder dynamic w/ decreasing tempo/dynamic at end to indicate anticipation of closure.

[Katie Maurer]

5 words: soothing, tender, gentle, repetitive, flexible

5 sentences:
-Your voice is familiar and your baby will respond it to, so even if you think you can’t sing, use your voice. My voice can help guide you, but it’s your voice that your baby needs to hear.
-It’s okay if your baby isn’t doing exactly what me or the other babies are doing. We’re looking for baby to engage in the music and that may mean listening and watching. Turning away from the music can be a valid choice as well.
-As your baby starts to use musical babble, repeat their vocalizations back to them trying to match timbre and inflection. This encourages baby to make that sound again. Repetition is safe and allows baby to discover what his voice can do.
-Even though baby can’t play an instrument, we’re looking for her to turn her head toward the sound, look toward the sound, or respond in another way. If baby grabs your instrument to put it in her mouth, that’s okay! She’s learning about her world.
-As your baby moves through Sprouting Melodies 1, expect to see him begin to move on his own in response to the music. He won’t be in time with the music, and that’s okay.

Plan
-Have soothing recorded music playing as babies arrive and get settled.
-Hello/Gathering Song: Simple song sung to each baby using his/her name. I love the idea of using name tags, not only for my benefit, but for the benefit of other parents as well. In this group, I would imagine it would be best for the parent to wear a name tag with his/her name and baby’s name.
-Lap/Bonding Song: Song used to encourage parent/baby interaction and bonding. Include possible whole body movement and lots of touch. Use active silence, but also watching for startling.
-Instrument Play: Song that is a little more complex used to engage baby with instruments. Listening, exploring, playing instruments are all desired responses. Use simple instruments such as maracas with rattle-like handles and simple frame drums.
Song About Me: Simple song that includes body part touch or maybe repeated syllables to encourage vocalization (in older babies). Encourages parent/baby interaction/bonding.
-Movement Song: Song that may be a little louder/faster that provides opportunities for parents to move baby and when capable, for babies to move themselves. Movements such as up/down, side/side, forward/backward, that can all be done while seated and also standing for older babies that are looking for more movement. Use active silence, but also watching for startling.
Cool Down: A softer song with scarf movement or a singable book.
GoodBye Song: A simple goodbye song. I would use the same song each week to create consistency and help with the transition of leaving the group.

[Jennifer DeBedout]

5 words: “so glad you are here!”…gentle, touch, swaying, bonding, calm

5 sentences: I am so glad you have come to music and you will spending this special time with your baby. We will be gentle in this class and I hope that you’ll see your baby watching and listening as we make music together. Your baby loves the sound of your voice so, while I will use my voice to help guide you, please sing to your baby and respond vocally by imitating sounds your baby might make. We will use a lot of repetition in the class so you can relax and now that the songs will become familiar and predictable. This class is about exploration and time together and I’m so glad you have joined us for music.

Hello/Gathering: A simple song is best for singing hello, this is a great time to establish eye contact with the babies, sing out their names, give lots of smiles and the singing should be gentle throughout.
Lap/Bonding Song: This song gives the chance for gentle movement and touch from parent to child, this is a great opportunity for hugs which can be helpful if a baby or babies are feeling unsure or not quite settled in yet
Song About Me: I love the song that Meredith and Beth shared with the lyric “just like me”, that continues the bonding between adult and child, this section of the music time would promote interaction and awareness with the babies, touch and repetition would be important
Instrument song: Instrument selection for this section is really important, sounds that fit into the gentle nurturing environment and can be easily explored by the little ones are needed
Movement song: A song that promotes movement appropriate to where the babies are, guided movement or babies moving themselves. This song and movement time can be more upbeat and care would be taken to avoid startle response
Cool Down: Approaching the end of class and following movement, this song should take the energy down while helping the group focus and relax
Goodbye: Like the beginning greeting, I find the goodbye to be another time to individually check in with each little one, saying goodbye, making eye contact, giving a smile, letting the babies and the grown ups know that you are glad they came. I agree that repeating the same goodbye song helps bring closure and routine to the end of the music time.

[Kate St. John]

5 words: soothing, slower, gentle, bonding, nurturing

5 (6) sentences: Welcome, we’re so glad you’re here! SM1 is all about bonding and the senses so we will use songs that are slower, softer, and more soothing and gentle. Some ways in which we encourage bonding between caregivers and their babies as well as teaching babies about their sensory environment are singing softly to them, repeating their vocalizations, rocking, swaying, and moving with them. Repetition is very important for learning, so your babies will need and love to experience the same songs again and again. Everyone learns at a different pace and everyone has different needs, and that’s ok. Through songs, instrument playing, listening and movement, your babies will learn all about themselves, their senses, and the world in which they live in a way that is fun and nurturing for the whole family.

Session Plan:
1. Instrument exploration: Have instruments in a structured format around the room for babies to explore while waiting for everyone to sign in and get situated. May also play recorded music during this time.
2. Hello: Hello song to greet each baby, learn everyone’s names and signal the start of music time.
3. Body percussion: Parents’ hands providing a steady beat or helping the baby tap/shake a steady beat on a drum or shaker to bring sensory awareness to the baby’s body parts. May use with “songs about me” or “gathering” category of songs like “Hey! Hey! Come and Play!”
4. Lap ride/tickles: Lap songs or tickle songs to encourage bonding such as “Wiggly Jiggly Car”.
5. Instrument play: Use of frame drums, shakers, and maybe bells for sensory stimulation with a song like “Sit With Me and Shake”.
6. Gross Motor: Movement exploration with a song like “As Big As Can Be”.
7. Cool Down: Maybe do “songs about me” category like “Where is My Face”.
8. Good-bye: Good-bye song for closure/ending of music time and transition to the rest of their day.

[Kristina Rio]

Your answers are great! I encourage you to print your answers and keep them in a file for each class. These sentences and session plans will be very useful when you start your groups. Keep up the good work everyone!

[Elyse Suhay]

5 words: gentle, slower tempo, quiet, swaying, calming.
5 sentences:
1. If we could only see a picture of your baby’s brain right now! Even though she’s only listening, there are SO many connections being formed.
2. Wherever your baby is, that is fine. Whether they are upset or squealing with delight, it’s my job to meet them there musically.
3. By turning away from the music, your baby is making a choice about how he wants to participate.
4. It doesn’t matter how well you sing, your baby is familiar with your voice and wants to listen to you.
5. The more closely you can mimic how your baby is vocalizing, the more they will be reinforced and want to do it again.

Session Plan:
Instrument Exploration- Instruments will be placed in a semi-circle on the floor so babies can access them. Quiet, recorded music playing in the background while I greet people as they arrive.
Hello- Sing a simple song to greet each baby and their parent, repeat names before or after singing to each baby. “We just said hello to Jimmy, and now we’re going to say hi to Susie!”
Bonding Song- Sing Just Like Me, and encourage parents to use a positive affect and sing a long, and comment on the importance of active silence so babies can process what happened.
Lap Ride- Sing Row It Faster, and encourage parents to use whatever movement their baby is comfortable with and ready for.
Instrument Play- Sing I Like This Song, and remind parents that however their baby wants to explore the instrument, whether it is out of time or putting it in their mouth, is okay.
Movement- Model movements for parents while singing As Big As Can Be, and encourage them to hold their baby in whatever position is comfortable for them both (lap, holding in front, baby standing).
Cool Down- Sing Where is My Face, and let parents know that their baby taking the scarf off their face is an acceptable response. Remind them to move the scarf over the baby VERY slowly so they can visually track successfully.
Goodbye- I REALLY like Meredith’s goodbye song, and I will probably use it in more sessions 🙂

[Meredith Pizzi]

Ladies, Can you think of specific songs that you would sing? Rather than just categories, come up with a specific song title. It will make it easier for you to come back to it later! Post again with your answers so we can all see each other’s song choices. 🙂 Keep up the great work!

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

Do you have a song that you have written or adapted and would like to share with the group? We would love to be able to ‘pass around the music’ so we all can have our pockets stuffed with musical ideas. Also, almost all the songs that we used on the videos are available in notated and recorded form the “You and Me Makes We…A Growing Together Songbook”.

[Dany Orozco]

5 words – calm, repetitive, bonding, stimulating, relaxing

5 sentences – Remember that your baby knows your voice and it’s much more meaningful for him to hear you sing than me. Your baby chooses how to participate, they can be looking towards the music or away from it, they’re both okay. The babies are learning the songs, so there will be a lot of repetition. This will also help you learn the songs so you can sing them at home. Take this time to bond with your child and discover music together. Feel free to do whatever helps you be comfortable, stand up, feed your baby, change his diaper, etc.

Plan – Hello song “Estamos aqui” to introduce everyone to music, going baby by baby and encouraging child to touch baby when their name is mentioned. Songs about me “Las escondidas” where the parents can hide behind the scarves and visually stimulate their babies with it. Instrument song “Los elefantes” where each parent has a drum and can lightly play the elephant steps. Movement songs “Barco chiquito” swaying the babies right and left as the boat moves. Goodbye “Hasta luego” finger picking and slowing down to make it relaxing.

[Katie Maurer]

Plan -Have soothing recorded music playing as babies arrive and get settled. -Hello/Gathering Song: Simple song sung to each baby using his/her name. I love the idea of using name tags, not only for my benefit, but for the benefit of other parents as well. In this group, I would imagine it would be best for the parent to wear a name tag with his/her name and baby’s name. I really liked Meredith’s two-word hello song that could be adapted to include baby’s name.

-Lap/Bonding Song: Song used to encourage parent/baby interaction and bonding. Include possible whole body movement and lots of touch. Use active silence, but also watching for startling. “Row It Faster”

-Instrument Play: Song that is a little more complex used to engage baby with instruments. Listening, exploring, playing instruments are all desired responses. Use simple instruments such as maracas with rattle-like handles and simple frame drums. “In My Little Hand”

-Song About Me: Simple song that includes body part touch or maybe repeated syllables to encourage vocalization (in older babies). Encourages parent/baby interaction/bonding. “Just Like Me”

-Movement Song: Song that may be a little louder/faster that provides opportunities for parents to move baby and when capable, for babies to move themselves. Movements such as up/down, side/side, forward/backward, that can all be done while seated and also standing for older babies that are looking for more movement. Use active silence, but also watching for startling.

-Cool Down: A softer song with scarf movement or a singable book. “Where is My Face”

GoodBye Song: A simple goodbye song. I would use the same song each week to create consistency and help with the transition of leaving the group.

I can’t wait to get my copy of “You and Me Makes We” to really start learning some of these songs and getting inspiration to write my own.

[Cassandra Mulcahy]

5 words: Sweet, calming, nurturing, connecting, loving

5 sentences:
-Welcome! I am so happy you are with us today!
-Look at how confused (he/she) seems to be, (he/she) sure is processing all of these new experiences!
-Please join in singing with me so you can remember it at home.
-Look at how (he/she) loves to listen to you sing!
-Lets try it again to help you remember and to help and baby become comfortable with this song.

Create a plan:
-Hello/Gathering Song:I have a simple hello song that I adapt to a 3/4 meter for this population. I usually walk around and sing to children individually. I love the idea of giving a firm touch to the child’s chest to let them know that we are singing about them. I will certainly use this if the child is at the awareness stage.

-Lap/Bonding Song: I like using the row song, and I loved hearing your rendition of this. To facilitate the faster part (when appropriate) I use the line, “row row row your boat, gently down the stream, if you see an alligator, don’t forget to scream!” If there are any children who are easily startled, a vocal sigh or squeal (eeee!) work well here. However, I also find that a little scream helps validate some of the fear children may first be experiencing during their first months/year of life. Also- tossing an alligator in the song is a metaphoric replacement for the explanation to parents, and is also a fun way to explore the ups and downs of life. I like having parents/caregivers toss in something that makes them ‘scream’. A little lyric substitution is super engaging, and can extend the bonding beyond parent/caregiver+baby pairs into group bonding 🙂 Additionally, I love changing the meter during the fast part to a 6/8 or 4/4 feel instead of 3/4 too.

-Songs about me- I am not sure of the title, but I love the EKS song “from my head, head head to my…” Although it is an embedded song, it can become a great tickle song too. I also love Just like Me. I will have to implement that one too 🙂 However, my FAVORITE song about me is a ‘peek-a-boo’ song that came out of an improvisation. It is just a I-IV-V vamp using the words “peek-a-boo, I see you!” or I see mommy, or I see daddy, or I see (baby’s name). This one usually results in giggles.

-Instrument Songs- I like using ‘shake it up baby’ by the Beatles, and giving parents/caregivers time to explore instruments with their children. I will definitely use the ‘in my little hand’ though. I love the ‘around and around’ tip too!

-Movement song- I have always had a challenge with movement songs in this population. I love the song ‘as big as can be’ and will try to implement this in the future. In the past I have used ‘hickory, dickory dock’, or done a finger play like ‘5-brown buns, but are not as adventurous as ‘as big as can be’. I wish this course suggested some more movement guidelines for this age group. Not having a child of my own, and being a bit afraid of this age group leaves me on the cautious side of facilitating movements with kiddos.

-Goodbye- I have a goodbye song that I use (w: goodbye everybody (or childs name) goodbye for today, goodbye everybody and thank you for your music) and I go around and sing the names of the kiddos.

Love the suggestions in this module and am inspired to write and learn more 🙂

[Nancy Bair]

Supportive, Bonding, Peaceful, Compassionate, Reassuring
Welcome! You may not think you are the best singer in the world, but to you little one, you are their most FAVORITE singer! In Sprouting melodies, we are going to reconnect with the calming, bonding atmosphere by using our voices, which are so comforting to our little ones. We also are going to encourage rocking and swaying movements to recreate the supportive environment our little ones associate with their experience in the womb. This is a time to take a deep breath, and let your little one set the pace! Feel free to stand up and rock, sit down, or put your baby on a blanket. We will repeat the songs several times to help you learn it and to reassure your little one.

1-Hello/welcome: Prior to singing, strumming lightly on the guitar to introduce the sound. Then singing hello to everyone.
2-Bonding/Laptime: Soothing, quiet song that allows for time to cuddle, swaddle, rock, etc.
3-Songs About me: A song about body parts (eyes, ears, mouth, and nose) where the parent can visually cue their child (if older) or point to their child’s body parts to show them that they both have the same!
3-Instrument play: A “shake” song where the tempo can vary according to the needs of the participants.
4-Movement Songs: potentially using a scarf for the babies to watch. Something like “My Bonnie” and moving the scarve in a slow arched shape. Using a more active tempo song or marching song and having parents “march” with their babies.
5-Cool Down-slowing bringing down the tempo from the previous song(s). Sing goodbye to them and play recorded music very softly to help ease with the transition.

[Sarah jane Mason]

5 words… Calm, repetitive, inviting, nurturing, bonding.

[Sarah jane Mason]

Statements to use when speaking about musical responses of children in SM 1…
Listen to the higher pitch she is making? Use your voice in a reflective way and try to match her pitch back. Be confident that your baby loves the tone and timbre of your voice, even if you aren’t that confident in your singing. To her you are a rockstar! Please join us in singing so that you can share these songs at home as well. To learn it best, you should sing it often. See how much your baby enjoys your voice? She just turned her head towards you when you started singing. Holding your baby close, nurturing them, and swaying to the music is helping you and your baby to bond.

Create a plan for songs and music experiences in SM 1…
Hello/Gathering: A much more subdued version of what I normally do. I haven’t worked with this age on my own, but I think I would adapt a 3/4 arpeggio style song with simple language. I write a lot of songs so I will work on this one! Focus on simple hello or good morning and using the child’s name. I like Meredith’s song with the sense of space and breath, and will encourage the caregivers to sway to the beat. Touch is a nice touch rather than just singing the child’s name!

Bonding/Laptime: Row It Faster (EKS) I think would be a fun choice because most likely it is familiar to the caregiver and can be easier for the caregiver to relate to than a new song. New songs will be introduced, but this one with the variation to increase the tempo is super fun.
Songs About Me: I like Just Like Me (EKS), sung without accompaniment and not in a set tempo. I like that it says “you have ___ just like me.” It makes it so personal.
Instrument Songs: In My Little Hand has a nice percussive vocal part as well, that I think accompanies the instrument exploration well.
Movement Songs: Again keeping in mind there may be moms/dads that are new parents and new to class music experiences, I like Will you Come? (Adapted by EKS). The familiarity seems like it would draw the caregivers in, but also bring in a more strong, percussive melody as well.
Goodbye: There are so many goodbye songs! I do like Meredith’s idea to have the same Goodbye across all the SM classes for consistency. I think I will be adapting her tune!

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