[Alyssa Kereki]

Cindy – that is amazing that your Director of Special Education and the teachers in your area are excited about Sprouting Melodies! I never considered going through the school, but I think it’s a great idea that I’ll have to keep in mind.

Since I am still new to my community, it is taking some time to find out what is offered and what the families really need. I do know that a local music therapy private practice offers weekly Music Together sessions and has had a great response to the program. In general though, there is little music therapy present in the community. This is actually why I moved to Newburgh, Indiana because when I was doing practicum work in the neighboring city there was a huge list of facilities begging to have us work with their clients. We could not possibly work with all of the facilities at once, so many were put on a rotation system and received services every couple of semesters. Most of these facilities have recognized the benefit of music therapy but are not able to afford to hire a music therapist. Right now, my former professor and I are working on creating affordable music therapy programs for these different facilities, even if it means I will only be running one session a week. Presenting music therapy in this different light has not only heightened the desire for services but is making the community realize that they CAN in fact afford it!

As for the families that I work with, most of them are just starting to hear about the new music therapy program for the special education classrooms. I am not quite sure what their needs are yet, but after giving an in-service to the teachers I realized that tips on incorporating music into the educational environment when I am not present is a great concern of theirs. They are seeing the benefits of music therapy and have agreed to come to me when they want to create a specific intervention. The teachers also asked me to create a pamphlet about music therapy and special education that they can distrubute to the parents when they start asking questions. I am very excited to see how the parents react and where their input will take the program!

[Alyssa Kereki]

I believe that the greatest benefit of taking a group through a music therapist is that we know how to adapt. Many of you have already touched on this because there are so many aspects that we observe. We adapt for in the moment responses, from group to group, to reach each individual’s unique needs in the group setting, to increase learning and development, the list goes on forever. Only music therapists can completely change the structure of an intervention or substitute or create a new intervention on the spot in response to a client’s needs. We know that there is no magical “cookie cutter” intervention that will reach everyone in the same way, so we plan for the unexpected and are trained to act in the moment. This not only requires us to be knowledgable of typical and atypical development but mandates our undivided attention to every little response during a session. First we need to notice the response, whether it is crystal clear or barely noticable, and then use our educational foundations and training to decide how to manipulate the music. Our work is much more complex that popping in a CD or attending a cut and dry music session with no room for adaptation.

[Alyssa Kereki]

I have also been incorporating more silence in my music, usually as a pause to help refocus my clients or simply to add musical variety. What is interesting to me is that each child seems to respond differently to this use of silence. Some children stop almost immediately, some children stop playing/singing within a few seconds, and some children use it as an opportunity to have a musical solo. I think that each child is using this silence to fulfill a different need, and it is intriguing to me to see this happen.

This week’s lesson helped me realize that I rarely use music as an opportunity for listening. I am often so stuck in creating a seemingly “purposeful” objective that I forget that listening is just as important. I would really like to start using listening interventions that incorporate different textures and modes to see how the children respond.

Recently, I have been giving my clients freedom with their movements by demonstrating a few movement examples and then having them suggest new movements. It is interesting to see and hear the different movements that they come up with, ranging from acting like animals to simply moving fast. My favorite by far has been the child who consistently asks to dance “like Cookie Monster.” I have also noticed that even when I give my clients movement directions, they still take liberties with this. For example, if we are all “jumping,” each child appears to be jumping in their own way to their own beat.

Lately I have utilized singing the most, because I have been using educational songs with my older students who are in the responsibility stage. However, I pay close attention to how my other clients respond to singing and try to support their individual developmental levels. Sometimes I create silly vocal improvisations just to encourage my clients to use their voices. If I sense that a client is overwhelmed by the musical experience but seems eager to participate, I may substitute my lyrics with a repetitive consonant sound to make singing more accessible. To me, the most important part of singing is that the client is engaging his or her voice in some way.

[Alyssa Kereki]

Amy – I really liked how you included specific examples in each stage. This was helpful to me when thinking through different ways that children respond across the five stages and creating my own outline.

Singing:
– Awareness: turns towards singing, momentarily fixes attention on singer, all vocalizations are positive
– Trust: begins to match pitch in response to singing, may respond vocally when their vocalizations are mimicked
– Independence: creates and experiments with melodic phrases independently, plays with different vocal sounds
– Control: sings the general framework of a song, adult can identify what child is singing
– Responsiblity: sings straight through song while maintaining a sense of pulse

Playing:
– Awareness: notices instrument playing and responds to it
– Trust: physically observes instruments and experiments with them to see what they do and how they are used
– Independence: starts playing instruments “appropriately” with purpose
– Control: playing begins to match the musical experience
– Responsibility: can connect with group musically either through maintaining a musical pulse or playing individually

Moving:
– Awareness: shows any rhythmical movement with body, may change movements with type of music
– Trust: uses movement as a purposeful response to music, shows freedom with body movements
– Independence: begins moving individual body parts such as waving an arm, kicking with a leg, etc.
– Control: can control body to mimic specfic movements
– Responsibility: can follow multiple movements combined in a sequence, demonstrates full control of body

Listening:
– Awareness: attends to or shows reaction to different sounds, pitches and timbres
– Trust: attends to familiar melodies, may react to melody with excitement or a sense of calm
– Independence: uses desired movement to connect with the music
– Control: fully attends to desired musical material,uses control to maintain focus
– Responsibility: respects group musical experiences and notices others’ musical contributions

[Alyssa Kereki]

I agree with Amy that this is a difficult question to answer. I have not lived in this area for very long, but I do know that the cultural style of music varies based on location. My neighborhood is on the border between the city and the country, so I typically find that rap and country music are most prevelant based on that division. I have also worked with a group of teenagers with Down syndrome from this area who preferred music from the Disney channel over mainstream radio music. Teenagers that I have met from the “country” side of the area only listen to country music and are not very fond of rap. To add to this mix, I just had a group of teenagers tell me that their favorite music genre was 80’s rock. As far as I know, my city is not exposed to music from different cultures unless they attend the philharmonic orchestra performances. However, even the professional orchestra holds numerous “pops” concerts where they feature music by country artists and other rock stars. I have noticed, though, that there are quiet a few local radio stations devoted to Christian music. I do not think this is coincidental since the joke in my town is that there is a church on every corner.

[Alyssa Kereki]

I am currently working one-on-one with a middle school student with an intellectual disability. We just started our sessions last week, and his aid has joined our sessions to help him with the transition. When I was reading about the five musical developmental levels, I immediately thought of this student because he does not seem to fit into one single level. At times, he seems completely disconnected from the music and I wonder if he is even aware of the music surrounding him. Since our relationship is still very new, I understand that I need to develop rapport before he trusts me and that he may simply be choosing not to respond. Sometimes he will only participate if his aid encourages him, which reminds me of the trust stage. I have also found that his musical responses are extremely short in duration, which can also fall under the trust developmental level. At times, he demonstrates his independence by playing random instruments of his choosing, but so far this has been a rare occasion. Based on his responses during our sessions, I feel comfortable saying that he has not yet reached the control or responsibility levels. There are definitely issues with trust and awareness, so I am planning on keeping those developmental levels in mind during our future sessions.

[Alyssa Kereki]

What stuck out to me the most when singing these songs was their musicality. Beth’s demonstrations helped me see how even the slightest changes in tempo, timbre or dynamics could create a welcoming, interactive musical environment. I especially noticed this in “Hold on Tight!,” with the beginning moving gently but not forcefully and the double time section bouncing with the rhythm and voice inflection. I think these songs are very versatile because they can easily be tweaked to match the clients’ moods and needs. For example, “Wiggly Jiggly Car” can be extremely playfully or relaxed depending on the children’s needs.

I also liked how the songs stood out on their own without accompaniment. This is important for me personally when working with kids with physical disabilities, because there are times when they need my full assistance and I cannot play an accompaniment while assisting them.

[Alyssa Kereki]

You go, Cindy! I’m excited to track your milestones in integrating the classrooms with you!

[Alyssa Kereki]

Personally, I think it is important for everyone to connect with their “inner child” both inside and outside of the therapeutic setting. I have noticed that the more stress I undergo as an adult, the easier it is to feel drained and let the spontaneous aspects of my personality fade away. I try to remind myself to see the world through a child’s eyes and appreciate the little things in life. Doing so not only helps me recharge and take a few moments away from my responsibilities but allows me to relax and act goofy with all of my clients. An added bonus is that my clients tend to relax and act goofy when they see me acting that way, and younger children especially need to be encouraged to be silly and explore both themselves and the environment.

[Alyssa Kereki]

Similar to Tamara, I enjoyed trying to experience the world from the perspective of the child. I had never truly considered how litle of the world an infant gets to experience, and thinking about this made me wonder how other age groups view the world. For instance, Beth discussed how biting is actually an attempt at oral stimulation rather than an act of anger or frustration. I also liked thinking of jumping as “physical freedom,” an excitement that we often overlook as adults. Simply jumping and playing along with the children can help us connect with them and put ourselves in that mindset.

[Alyssa Kereki]

Cindy – I am currently embarking on my own music therapy journey with the special education classrooms in my local school district. If you have any advice for me or come up with creative new ways to incorporate the Sprouting Melodies training in your fieldwork, please let me know! As a newly certified music therapist, I am eager to take in as much as possible. 🙂

[Alyssa Kereki]

Echoing Beth,I would love to see any Spanish resources that you are willing to share. I actually just finished conducting a case study group with female Latino adolescents, and they laughed at how little Spanish I knew but were willing to help me out. Anything you can add to my pathetically meager Spanish repetoire would be greatly appreciated!

[Alyssa Kereki]

Congratulations on completing your masters! You seem to have experience with just about every age group, which is pretty amazing. With all of your previous work in early development, what inspired you to take this Sprouting Melodies course?

[Alyssa Kereki]

Amy – It’s wonderful that you are further exploring your passion for music therapy. Breaking away from your familiar routine is scary, and I give you credit for knowing what you want and taking the steps to make it happen!

[Alyssa Kereki]

Sounds like you have your hands full working with K-12+! I am actually in the process of designing and implementing a music therapy program for my local school district. Right now, I only have preschool through middle school students, but I have a feelng that will be expanding in the near future. If you have any wise words of wisdom for the road ahead, I would love to have some extra pointers!

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