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The families I serve have various needs which I am attending to with the best of my abilities. With older adults and hospice, it is often that case that you are there to support the family members in the grieving process, bonding process, or coming to turns with the imminent loss of a family member. Amongst the other populations I serve, there is always a constant need for advocacy among families. Spreading the word about the power of music, what music therapy is, as well as the shared joy and connection that can be had by further participation within a session are all needs that are attended to for the families I have worked with.
ParticipantHi Erika,
I love what you wrote about how the parents of the children become further invested in enrichment experiences for their children. It speaks to the idea Meredith speaks of called Social Capital, how providing for a community can spread awareness, positivity, knowledge, and greater enrichment throughout the lifespan for all members involved.
June 7, 2019 at 11:07 pm
in reply to: What value do music therapists bring to families of young children?
ParticipantMegan,
You bring up a great point, that connection spans throughout their entire life! The memories of the class will live on and shape her development over the coming years!
June 7, 2019 at 11:05 pm
in reply to: What value do music therapists bring to families of young children?
ParticipantMusic therapists bring a powerful depth of knowledge about developmental milestones, peer to peer interaction, therapeutic in-the-moment verbal skills, and so much more. For families of young children, it can be wildly beneficial to learn small things that were not told or studied upon before having their baby, such as how to hold them optimally to maximize their visual prowess. By combining one of the most enjoyable things in life (music) with bonding and individual development, a loving and supportive environment can be created. That environment will span into their life as they grow older, especially if they continue to take SM classes over the years or other classes within their communities. Giving additional tools to parents as they nurture their youth into adulthood are one of the most valuable things music therapists can share.
June 6, 2019 at 12:58 am
in reply to: How have you used these four music experiences in your practice?
ParticipantHi Billie!
Love what you shared there and wanted to just say that it is fun to hear the realization of the vocalizing as singing. As I work with tons of older adults, I cherish that type of singing, especially in memory units if words have been forgotten. Humming and vocalizing along while matching pitch can be quite amazing.June 6, 2019 at 12:56 am
in reply to: How have you used these four music experiences in your practice?
ParticipantWhen working with a large group of young children, I tend to lean toward movement based songs and have used many from this practice in work. The jump up song can be great for stimulation for slightly older children too. For singing, When gathering and utilizing the Hello Song, it has gotten to the point where the group members will sing along or jump ahead because I always follow with, “how are you today”, to which they shout out “Good!” or “fantabulous” or gesture to let me know. Singing has been a part of every session, whether it is solo or with accompaniment of an instrument. Promoting communication amongst group members in a safe and monitored space. Listening is especially important because we as music therapists often take on a role model view from our group members. They listen to the way we talk, the way we respond to group members acting out, or how we display emotion to help formulate their own identities. With older adults I tend to utilize auditory stimulation and memory recall through playing familiar melodies on the clarinet and having clients guess the name of the song. Playing instruments is huge as well due to the development of fine and gross motor skills throughout young ages. Whether it is gripping a mallet and striking a drum or reaching out to ring a bell, all of the instrument play is influential in their musical and personal development. All in all, these music experiences seem ubiquitous throughout music therapy and the lifespan.
June 6, 2019 at 12:39 amParticipantMegan –
I do really enjoy how you’ve tailored this training so that you can think of your current group within the same sequences.
It is interesting to see the similarities.June 6, 2019 at 12:37 amParticipantSinging AWARENESS: crying or babbling in response to music–TRUST :approximation of pitch working toward imitation of what has been sung–INDEPENDENCE: mimicking the melodic line ascending or descending for two intervals CONTROL: Standing up and singing when they feel like it–RESPONSIBILITY: Listening and mimicking of fluctuation in dynamic or tempo from group.
Playing instruments AWARENESS: Reaching for a maraca to put in their mouth. TRUST: Smacking the maraca on the ground. INDEPENDENCE: Gripping maraca with both hands and shaking CONTROL: Changes instruments when desired, between maraca and lollipop drum. RESPONSIBILITY: Listening and responding to cues to shake
Movement AWARENESS: Wiggling hands or closing palm during music TRUST: Legs kicking while hearing music INDEPENDENCE: Shifting focus toward active music making CONTROL: Imitating music hand movement displayed by music therapist or parent. RESPONSIBILITY: Utilizing hand movement sequences
Listening AWARENESS: Looking toward a wind chime being played TRUST:Locating the sound of the wind chime from across the room INDEPENDENCE: listens to music and responds accordingly by playing moving toward sound CONTROL:imitation of rhythms on wind chime RESPONSIBILITY: Listening to other group members and maintaining wind chime playing.
June 5, 2019 at 11:50 pm
in reply to: Discuss with the board the traditional and cultural music in your home community.
ParticipantHi Alicia,
It goes to show after reading all of these descriptions that we are incredible individuals. We adapt to our surroundings and continue to provide culturally appropriate and/or preferential music to the wide array of populations and backgrounds of those individuals we serve. You definitely have your plate full for learning all those different cultures and singing in those different languages!June 5, 2019 at 11:47 pmParticipantHi Stephanie,
I know what you mean entirely. It can be very difficult to perceive why a child is acting the way they are given the wide variability of situations that happen within the home, school, or any environment that is outside of the session. You could have an amazing session one day and the next time it is complete pandemonium.
June 5, 2019 at 11:44 pmParticipantI have worked with young children in the Control stage where they would dominate an instrument and not allow anyone else to play. If their turn was compromised they would fight for the instrument of their choosing. Call and response has been difficult due to the control stage but it is good to be aware of it next time it is observed. I am looking forward to a greater awareness to be able to share that certain behaviors are appropriate for their developmental level.
June 3, 2019 at 12:00 pm
in reply to: What was your most valuable takeaway from this weeks’ content?
ParticipantHi Shannon,
It really is joyous when we can apply the knowledge to people we know who are going through those developmental stages! I’ve been doing that with my niece since she was born and it has been fun to watch her reach all the different stages and share with her mom why she is doing what she does.June 3, 2019 at 11:57 am
in reply to: What was your most valuable takeaway from this weeks’ content?
ParticipantHi Alicia,
I agree, it is extremely valuable to impart the information that every child is unique, and it is perfectly okay if they are not as active or paying as close attention as another group member. Everyone has their own development and there are certainly similarities in the milestones, but being able to remind parents of that is great, even if they are typically functioning or not.
June 3, 2019 at 11:38 am
in reply to: Discuss with the board the traditional and cultural music in your home community.
ParticipantHi everyone, where I currently live, Wakefield MA, is made up of 93.5% White population with very little diversity. The music preferences among the community are Rock n Roll, folk, pop, religious, and country. On the flip side, I grew up in New Orleans, which is one of the most culturally and religiously diverse areas in the world. In New Orleans jazz, blues, gospel, folk, latin, french, creole, and all sorts of other music genres are prevalent. It is incredible to witness the differences from North and South. One song that resonates in both areas is “You are my Sunshine” which is the Louisiana state song!
June 3, 2019 at 11:31 am
in reply to: Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 1.
ParticipantFive sentences for parents –
1.It is okay to let your baby explore, they are becoming aware of their surroundings and taking it all in.
2.Please do not fret if your child goes to another parents’ lap during the lap ride song, they are simply displaying a feeling of safety.
3. Your child is a musical being, if they start singing or mimicking the melodic progression that is normal for the songs we use in Sprouting melodies.
4.You do not need the voice of an angel to connect with your baby, just being there and sharing your voice however you can will strengthen your bond.
5. It is okay to let your baby crawl around or cry, let them experience the session in however they would like and take the time they need to come back to the music. -
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