[Amy Calderon]

In the hospital I currently use a lot of Remo products. We also have a ton of LP shakers. I recently bought some chiquitas from Ayaoch. I found them to be a bit loud, but my babies seemed ok with it. But I think I might switch to LP chiquitas if I can find some. I had a hard time finding any when I initially searched. We try to use things that are easy to clean.

[Amy Calderon]

Thanks for reminding me of reducing visual clutter. This is something I had to do constantly when I worked with neurodiverse children. making sure I only had one item out at a time was so importatn and also dimming the lights was very helpful.

[Amy Calderon]

It depends on the child. It is important to observe a childs cues and to know where they are developmntally to know how much stimulation to provide. It’s too much if a child is crying, turning away, trying to move away. It isn’t enough if a child is not engaged with you, which could also be a sign of overstimulation unfortuneately. It really is about trial and error with each child and changes as they grow and get to know them, but we can use cluee based on where they are developmentally to help decipher how much stimulation to provide.

[Amy Calderon]

Yes! I love “You don’t have to be a muscian to make music.” Humans are inherently musical. Our whole bodies are based in rhythms.

[Amy Calderon]

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 1: Bonding, Present, Loving, Gentle, Calm

Write 5 sentences you can use when speaking with parents about musical responses of children in SM1:
“It’s okay if your baby needs to sleep, eat, or is fussy. You can take these experinces and re-create them at home.”
“We are here to connect, not to perform. Your baby loves your voice.”
“If you don’t sing it here, you won’t remember it at home.”
“If you get bored, repeat it 3 more times. Repetition is so important for you baby and they love it!”

Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in a SM1 session.
Instrument exploration: Allow families and babies to explore simple instruments while everyone settles in.
Hello song
Body Percussion: Just Like Me (Pointing to different body parts)
Lap ride: Wiggly, Jiggly Car
Instrument play: Sit with me and shake (egg shakers)
Gross motor movement: Pick your hands up High
Goodbye

[Amy Calderon]

Maura, that is so beautiful! It so so awesome when I a baby realizes they can “control us.” That realization of cause and effect is so cool.

[Amy Calderon]

My neice just turned 9 months and it has been so amazing see her develop and grow! I did a music class for her and her cousin and awareness was definitely where she started. Just getting quiet and staring whenever I sang. Now I hear her trying to imitate my mom when she hums a song for her to go to sleep. With the young babies I have worked with in PICU, I have observed how quiet they get when I sing and how they locate my voice with their eyes. They track small maracas as I move it around. It is so great to help parents feel comfortable to use their voice and sing to their baby. Watching that connection is so beautiful.

[Amy Calderon]

I completely agree Olivia! Having other parents that are going through the same thing at the same time is so vital for parents. They can learn so much from each other.

[Amy Calderon]

Share your thoughts on the role of music therapy in community-based settings on the forum.

The role of music in community-based settings is to help parents bond with their children in a unique way. It is also to help them discover a new way to connect with their child. It allows them to connect with other families and to have their children socialize with others in the community. Music brings people together and it allows us to access our emotions in a different way. The music therapist in this space, is knowledgeable in development and can help parents understand why kids are behaving the way they are. They can give parents an understanding of where their child is in development and help them notice things they may not have been paying attention to.

[Amy Calderon]

I agree Elmira. Music can provide so much joy and happiness, especially during challenging times.

[Amy Calderon]

The needs of my families I work with are positive experiences, normalization, stimulation, developmental growth, bonding, and autonomy. I work in a children’s hospital, so a lot of the children I work with are needing medical care and some are there for months. They need to have stimulation and psitive experiences while they are in a difficult time in their lives. Prolonged stays can also slow down development, so it is important that we support them with that.

My community needs someone who is knowledgeable in development and that provide experiences and opportunites for them to bond with their children. Parents are not always knowledgeable about development, so they do not know or understand that there are certain things that happen in development that are normal. Others may not be aware when a child might be falling behind, but we can be here to support and show them how to help their child and when it might be necessary to get more help.

Music is unique in that it can help with all areas of development through movement, language, and socialization. It also provides a positive experience and can give children a sense of autonomy. It also allows families to bond together.

[Amy Calderon]

Singing: Awareness- calm to familiar melodies, Trust- show pleasure when hearing a familiar song, Independence- use simple word sounds in familiar songs, Control- use gestures or words to request a favorite song, Responsibility- sing familiar songs using melodic contour

Playing: Awareness- turn facial attention towards source of sound, Trust- reach out to touch instruments, Independence- grasp maracas or jingle bells and shake, Control- shake instruments in a variety of tempos, Responsibility- alternate beating tempo from fast to slow and slow to fast

Moving: Awareness- move entire body, Trust- move entire body rhythmically in response to music, Independence- use repetitive movement patterns, Control- isolate body parts to move rhythmically (head, feet, etc.), Responsibility- recall and reproduce simple learned movement patterns

Listening: Awareness- alter movement in response to silence in music, Trust- look toward sound source in response to silence in music, Independence- seek out source of music, Control- stop action to listen to music, Responsibility- listen to the music of others

[Amy Calderon]

That’s wonderful Kate! I am glad you found a way to restructure and makes it work for your particular client. We often have to adjust as we go with each child we work with.

[Amy Calderon]

In the hospital, I use a lot of instrument play and listening. With patients who are unable to get out of bed I try to incorporate movement by having them reach to tap instruments or to kick with their legs. There are some children who love to sing and others who would prefer not to. Some are not able to sing becuas they have a trach. In my babay music class, I just started incorporating instruments last week. They really seemed to enjoy banging maracas on various things or putting it in their mouth. I let parents know that it was ok for them to put it in their mouth, becasue that is how they are exploring the world right now and I assured them The instruments get cleaned.

[Amy Calderon]

I completely agree Olivia! Silliness is so important and learning how to play in general! So many adults have forgotten how to play.

[Author]

Posts