[Andrea U]

I have to say Good Morning has been one of my favourites too. That CD has been in my computer for a couple of weeks and every so often, I accidentally open it and that song plays to my amusement. I have also been using it for some of my adult with developmental delays groups. Unfortunately, changing the lyrics to “Good Afternoon” just doesn’t have the same ring to it!

[Andrea U]

I definitely agree with Sarah about reflecting. Sometimes in the whole scheme, I forget to just stand back and reflect on what worked and what didn’t. I have to sometimes remember that it’s not just the children learning and developing, but us too as music therapists, especially one that has just started in the field.

[Andrea U]

I live in a very multicultural city. We have anything and everything – you name it! Our underground indie scene was quite bustling, as is our operas so it’s a smorgasbord as a whole.

[Andrea U]

I don’t want to repeat what others have said about the challenges of multi-age groupings, but I think multi-aged groups also give the opportunity for older members to be role models to the younger members. Part of the challenge for us is to capitalize in those situations (or even having tasks to create these situations). I find these groups can provide interesting opportunities for learning that tend not to happen with groups of more similar ages and skillsets.

[Andrea U]

Great thoughts everybody. My initial reaction was “It depends on the situation.” We go through the training to be MTs so we assess a balanced amount of stimulation required. And oftentimes, even within a group, we have to assess each inidivual as levels of stimulation are often temporal (such as in Meredith’s situation) or simply dependent on the personality of the each child.

[Andrea U]

I don’t have much experience with children of this age except for one little baby who would attend multi-aged groups in the hospital setting. From that little experience, we did a lot of cooing and soothing for this little guy. I would have loved to have his parents around, however, it only occurred on one occasion and it was great to see the mom bonding with him through music.

[Andrea U]

Whoops pressed too quickly!

[Andrea U]

SM3: Adventure, Sharing, Fun!, Choices, Freedom

1) I’m Glad You’re Here Today 2) Hold On Tight 3) Music is the Way 4) The Wheels on the Bus 5) My Eyes are on my Face 6) Will You Come? 7) Time to Go

FS: Supportive, Interaction, Relationships, Open, Play

1) Hey Everybody 2) All of This is Me 3) Row Row Row You Boat 4) I Like This Song 5) I can Move Around 6) Hold on Tight 7) Thank You Very Much

[Andrea U]

Hm…this question definitely made me think! Stacy and others makes a great point of development being a broader topic whereas skill is more specific. Perhaps, we should say to parents in terms of long term vs. short term?

[Andrea U]

5 words: Exploration, identity, understanding, independence, playful

5 things to tell parents/caregivers: 1) Let’s drum together to engage the children in the music 2) If your child wants to walk around the room, that’s okay! 3) Let your child play the way they want – they are just exploring their independence (and musical instruments!) 4) Don’t worry if your child isn’t playing they way you want them to – they are engaging in the music in their own way. 5) If your child begins to get fussy, change the direction of the way they are facing! Maybe they want to see their friends!

1) Come on in to Music Time 2) Hey! Hey! Come and Play! 3) Wiggly Jiggly Car 4) Can You See Me? 5) Sit With Me and Shake 6) I Can Move Around 7) Music time is Over

[Andrea U]

5 words: Bonding Exploration Stimulation Awareness Attachment

5 Things to tell parents/caregivers: 1) The best way to bond with your child is to sing to them. 2) Please feel free to do what you need to do during the session! 3) It is great to provide your baby with some sensory stimulation to support the music 4) Don’t worry about this bonding method not working – each baby has their own way and be creative with this exploration! 5) Try singing in a higher pitch – babies respond better

Session Plan
1) I Like this Song 2) Hello (NR) 3) Just Like Me 4) Pick Your Hands Up 5) Let’s Play The Drum Today (an adapted song from a Ghanaian song) 6) Twinkle Twinkle 7) Goodbye

[Andrea U]

Unfortunately, in Canada, Music Therapy is not really accepted in ISPs (Just out of curiousity, is this funded by the government?) Therefore I really think that this is an area that music therapists can tap into in my own community (which is what I intend to do eventually!) As Elizabeth mentioned, music therapists are now tapping into non-traditional areas. Our profession does seem to be a smorgasbord for many things so I don’t see why we cannot do more community-based work using our skillsets as music therapists to reach a larger audience.

[Andrea U]

I have been looking for instruments to get my own private practice started. Thank you kindly for all the suggestions – I just need to find some affordable stores to purchase them from!

[Andrea U]

I am currently awaiting my official status of accreditation here in chilly Canada (vs. the American board-certified position) but what I particularly like about SM is the ability to bridge so many things together – education, therapy, music, parenting, community (and the list goes on and on!) I do hope to eventually become a SM provider as I get further into my Music Therapy career but that has been the most exciting part for me with this course.

[Andrea U]

Without repeating everybody’s sentiments here, I would like to emphasize the flexibility of the music therapist. As part of our/my training, our experience has taught us to be creative with planning and such to fit any situation that may occur in sessions. From the little understanding I have of other early childhood music classes, they have a pre-determined agenda that may not be appropriate for certain situations. Our experience and clinical knowledge would benefit the clients to give them a more holistic experience in each session.

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