[Brenna Sheaffer]

This is such a good point Caitlyn. Since the families will be in groups with others than are going through the same process as them, they can continue to grow a community and a support system.

[Brenna Sheaffer]

The role of Music Therapy is an open, fun, nurturing environment filled with unconditional positive regard. Since we are working with caregivers and infants, it is important to be open and positive to support those developmental interactions. It is also appropriate to model ourselves as a resource for all things music and development. We are gentle and fun resource that can support these milestones and provide strategies/tips that caregivers can use or observe at home to continue to foster development.

[Brenna Sheaffer]

Because we are becoming increasingly recognized as a profession, Music Therapists are so valuable to young families. For many other professions, there is not a lot of opportunities for children to receive groups done by other professionals unless there is a diagnosis. What is so exciting and value about Music Therapy is that we can work with anyone at any age or stage. So, we are providing the opportunity for children of any kind to experience social/emotional groups and opportunities to foster those skills and teach the families how they can continue to foster the development outside of the Music Therapy setting. I also believe that through the music, we are providing non-threatening, easily accessible strategies that families can feel comfortable doing at home. Modeling a safe, nurturing, judge-free, and fun environment is an important step in that process.

[Brenna Sheaffer]

Yes, I saw a lot of this as well especially through the heart of the pandemic is that isolation piece and how we as the therapist can do our best to create those social/emotional environments to help prepare them for when they are ready to go back out in the community (if that is possible for them).

[Brenna Sheaffer]

What are the needs of the families that you work with? Ways to have their children engage in music and continue to develop social/emotional skills given that we are still coming out of a pandemic and many of these children have not had the opportunity to foster these skills and become exposed to peers.

What are the needs of the families that you work with? I would say the needs of the families is learning how to take a step back and allow their child to learn, grow, develop, and problem solve. We as a society are attempting to come out of this “fix-it” environment where we want to control the outcomes for our children and solve the problems for them. When we do that, we are hindering their social and emotional development. So I think families needs are just observing and identifying when it is okay to take a step back and provide the pause and space for their child to figure things out independently and explore their environments.

What are the needs of your community? The needs of the community is just continuing to foster and develop social events that foster community, togetherness, team work, social skills, and emotional development.

How can music meet the unique needs of your families and community? Music has the ability to touch upon all of these needs and provide a safe, structured, nurturing environment that allows children and families to growth and develop together. The past part about it is that they sometimes rarely know that they are developing and learning new strategies and developmental milestones because they are so immersed and engaged in the music! (I.E. They think it’s a lot of fun!)

[Brenna Sheaffer]

Singing: I use singing a lot to establish structure, between transitions, and to display direction following/self-expression. With my Pre-K children, we may sing a structured call and response song just to settle in and be present/practice focus and attention; whereas with my students that are nonverbal, we are vocalizing back and forth on various pitches to communicate with one another within the music. Sometimes I change the timbre or meter of my vocalizations to see how they will respond.

Playing Instruments: There is one activity I’ve been enjoying doing lately with drums in the Pre-K classroom that just invites them to start by playing it however they want. Once that has been established, we then start to play with the timbre and the speed of the music. It’s so fun to see their creativity and how they would play softly, loudly, slow, or fast. Of course thunder/drum roll is the favorite! I also like to incorporate the start/stop, specifically by modeling an arms up to model to pause and wait.

Moving: In the social/emotional realm, I enjoying engaging children in songs about being at bunny speed, turtle speed, or having too much sugar. In these instances, they have the opportunity to adapt to the music and display how they would move if they were in one of those stages (bunny, turtle, too much sugar).

Listening: I have been watching for this listening portion more closely. In my students, I notice it when I bring in a new instrument, or play my guitar sedative vs. stimulative. In my Pre-K students, I notice how they stop and listen while others are engaging in instrument play to see how they are creating and responding to the music.

[Brenna Sheaffer]

I agree that listening is something that is so important to look at with non-verbal children, especially if PECs and an AAC are just not attainable at that time to communicate how they are responding to the experience. The small cues happen so fast as well!

I also use a lot of fill in the blank and general vocalizations in response to the music as well.

Great insights!

[Brenna Sheaffer]

Singing: Awareness-Vocalizations in pitch in response to music Trust- Starting to occasionally match the pitch Independence- Vocalizing in babbles in response to the music Control-Follows melody and pattern Responsibility- recognizes and uses pulse and meter along with melodic patterns

Playing Instruments: Awareness- exploring and responding to sedative vs. active Trust-begins to try out different rhythmic responses/patterns Independence: exploration of instruments purposefully Control: start/stop in response to the music (matching) Responsibility: Steady beat!

Moving: Awareness-movements are instinctual and used as a way to communicate/respond Trust-begin to display repetitive movements in response to the music Independence-Choices what body parts will move rhythmically (making choices of what they will move) Control-Mirrors modeled and repetitive musical movements Responsibility- Begins to move structurally in specific sequences

Listening: Awareness-begins to recognize differences in vocalizations Trust-Aware of familiar melodies, can be source of familiarity and comfort Independence- Mirrors the music through timbre, pitch, and meter (how are they moving/playing in response to the music?) Control- Meaningful pause to listen to the music Responsibility- Pausing to actively listen to the music making of others

[Brenna Sheaffer]

I am going to try out a car on my knee with a child tomorrow that I think would work so well for! This child loves anything that moves and is a manipulative so I enjoy being able to find songs that fit with what we’re doing and touch upon his IEP goals.

[Brenna Sheaffer]

I had worked with a child from the age of 4 months to over a year old that was diagnosed with a TBI and it was amazing to watch him go from Trust to Independence and really start to explore what we were doing and vocalize. I worked closely with mom and family to specifically really work on musical trust with him so that it could blend over into his daily life with other providers. Upon having the TBI, this child was skeptical of others being in his space and engaging with him. I was proud to see the growth and the trust that he built with me through the music and was gradually becoming more trusting of his other providers that were working with him as well. Loved the moments when he would vocalize and play the drum or the tambourine!

[Brenna Sheaffer]

It’s so exciting when they start to vocalize and use pitch! Loved this story.

[Brenna Sheaffer]

Working in Frederick County Maryland, primarily in the school system, my go to songs are from Music From Kiddos, traditional Children’s songs, Nursery Rhymes, Pop, and Disney. Through my work with adult men in recovery for substance abuse, I am exposed to their preferences of music (I run drumming and drum circle activities with them). They share various rap and R&B artists with me as they are walking into group. I also have one high school student that is very interested in rappers on Sound Cloud so I have been learning how to use that website.

[Brenna Sheaffer]

Awareness: To turn attention toward music or turn away, distinguishes changes in melodies, can demonstrate different durations in sounds.

Trust: Responds to music with repetitive movement, choose how to explore instruments in either hand or mouth, recognizes familiar melodies and detects changes in familiar tunes.

Independence: Uses whole body rhythmically, babbles with melodic inflection, transfers instrument from hand to another, choose whether or not to imitate or create.

Control: Generally has fast internal rhythm, imitates words of songs before pitch or rhythm, chooses where to position themself in the musical environment.

Responsibility: Maintains play of instrument within a group, uses musical movements in sequence, listens to the play of others, maintains a steady beat.

[Brenna Sheaffer]

Yes! Relationships and safe relationships are so important. I really like the statement about boundaries and what can/cannot happen in music and also what is totally okay because children are developing/exploring. It makes me think of a running “we are not perfectionists here” statement as a great way to describe what we want families and client to get out of services.

[Brenna Sheaffer]

I tend to come from a very evidence based, client-centered, and structured approach. Thus, I think this will really help me in working with young children. I also have a very bright and bubbly personality so that definitely helps as well! Looking into the social/emotional part of development, I think the client-centered approach will really aid in identifying emotions, how we are changing and developing and how our body responds to certain things. Especially coming out of a pandemic, as there are many young children who haven’t had the opportunity to interact and develop social/emotional skills in frequent group environments. I think this is really going to help the field take off even further because the impact of music and our work is becoming more recognized among all children.

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