[Caitlin Britt]

I also agree that the videos from this week have so much helpful information and resources for how to build a SM practice in addition to advocating for MT. I am planning on reaching out to my current families that I work with to see if they know of any families with young children. I am also planning on connecting with the owner of the yoga studio that I teach at to see about combining kids yoga with SM. I am interested in reaching out to my local libraries as well and am planning some free presentations as we speak. I have an intern that is going to start working with me in the fall so I plan on working on outreach and advocacy with her as well and plan to make reach out to more organizations and programs in the community when she arrives so that I can pass along this valuable information. I am also planning on implementing some of the SM songs and structure into my current sessions to keep up with the great material. I’d like to piggyback with everyone else and say that this training has given me a lot of confidence when talking with parents about how to have educational momenta and encourage them to be part of music making and their child’s growth. I am very grateful for this training!

[Caitlin Britt]

I am excited to implement so many of these great ideas into my practice. Meredith and Beth have such incredible insight into reaching out to the community and networking to share music therapy advocacy and SM outreach. I am also planning on printing more marketing materials that incorporate SM into my practice as well as potentially reaching out to different women in business groups and local networking groups. I am also connected with several MT’s in the area and I’m planning on reaching out to them as well to tell them about SM, the training and how to get involved. I am also a yoga teacher, in addition to a MT and am planning on connecting with the studio that I teach at to see if they would be interested in combining kids yoga with a potential SM group.

[Caitlin Britt]

I currently have my own small private practice and one of the things that I’m most excited about in becoming a Sprouting Melodies provider is the ability to build community. I am excited to get to know children and their families and build relationships with them.

I am also looking forward to expanding from a traditional clinical music therapy structure. While I will continue to do that kind of work I am excited to have new opportunities that challenge me as a music therapist and allow me to utilize my skills in a different way. I am also looking forward to the continued support from this community!

[Caitlin Britt]

One of the top strategies that I use is having as much knowledge and background information about the children that I can. I like to be as prepared as possible because I know that anything can happen when you have a group of children together. That being said, I usually give parents a form of questions before a session every begins that includes questions such as:
Does your child have a favorite song(s)
Does your child enjoy interaction with other adults/children?
Does your child have any sensory needs?
How is music used at home?
What kind of music do family members listen to?

I like to have an idea of the child before I get to interact with them myself that way I have something to pull out of my hat that I know the child responds well to if a situation were to arise with the child.

I also like to have many backup plans. If a song isn’t engaging enough, I’ll have a few other prepared. If the group has a more of a wide range of needs than I anticipated how can I adapt?

I also am a huge proponent of making sure every child feels heard and acknowledged. I like to include songs that address each child individually and give them room to respond (if developmentally appropriate)

[Caitlin Britt]

I’d like to piggy-back off of Haley and agree that you can explain music for development as a way that their child can develop through music. As music therapists we know that there are countless ways to use our background as MT’s to explain this to parents ie: music to teach about startle response, awareness, grasp and fine motor, gross motor, socialization, learning and academic songs, body awareness etc.

In terms of skill-building I would explain to parents that one of the benefits of being a music therapist is that we can make specific recommendations if we know the child. For example, if a parent were to come with me with a specific question, ie: “I would like to see some improvement in Johnny’s ability to work in a team” I would make recommendations on how to work on that skill in a musical environment and then how to work on transferring that skill to outside of the music room.

[Caitlin Britt]

I have had to figure out ways to combine age groups in some of my current sessions. I work with an elementary school and the age range is 5-9 and it has been a challenge to provide music therapy that is engaging and stimulating for a wide range of ages. I have found that, thankfully, music’s intrinsic nature to bring people together is a helpful tool. I have also found that rhythm is usually a key component to engaging multiple age groups. I also strive to provide a wide variety of music that multiple age groups respond well to. In terms of sprouting melodies I would use some of these principals as well as using instruments a lot during the session so that all ages can use the instrument in a way that is appropriate to their developmental level. I also believe that being flexible, especially with a wide age range group is crucial so that you can adapt and change things on the fly if need be.

[Caitlin Britt]

Sprouting Melodies 3: active, creative, accepting, intentional, lots of personality

SM 3 session: Gathering: Gather round
Hello song
Bonding: Row it faster and swimming together
Songs about me: All of this is me, Hand, hand, fingers, thumb
Instrument song: You play a little and I play a little or Music is the Way
Movement song: Will you come
Goodbye: Hands ready, or Goodbye music time is done

Family Sprouts: joyful, magical, transformative, strong, active

Family session:
Gathering: Sit down with me and join my circle
Bonding: Hold on tight
Songs about me: That all makes up me
Instrument songs: You play a little and I play a little and I like this song
Movement songs: I can move around and make some music
Goodbye: Time to go

[Caitlin Britt]

5 words to describe the musical experiences in SM 2: Playful, Exploratory, Energetic, surprising, and educational.

5 sentences:
“I love to hear that your child is singing at home! Don’t worry if they’re not singing in the room right now, they will eventually”

“Feel free to tap the beat on your baby. The bottom of the feet is a great place to tap the beat so that we can help to organize their movement.”

“I love to see parents playing instruments along with me. When your babies see you playing instruments it encourage them to play along as well.”

“Feel free to let your child explore the room, that is a very normal behavior at this age.”

“If you child wants to sit in another parents lap it means that they are very comfortable in this environment.”

Session Plan:
Hello song- Hey Hey Come and Play
Bonding song- Hold on tight
Songs about me- Can you see me?
Instrument songs- In my little hand and Dancing in the middle with the large drum
Movement songs- March with my baby with a variety of movements: marching, running, jumping, swaying, turning.
Cool down song- a song about an animal
Goodbye and thank you very much

[Caitlin Britt]

I use nino shakers, remo kids gathering drum, paddle drums and soft tipped mallets, scarves, castanets, frame drums, and small bells. I also love puppets and find them them very engaging as well as musical books, or just rhyming books that I make up my own melody to.

[Caitlin Britt]

I also struggle with addressing stimulation. I tend to take my cues directly from clients and generally I am able to gauge how much or how little they require. Some of my clients with sensory needs will cover their ears or turn around from a source of sound if it is too much for them. On the other hand, I have clients will seek out the cabasa or the ocean drum independently if they need sensory input. My rule of thumb is typically to be very observant of my clients and adjust according to their reactions. I also always ease into any kind of stimulation in order to provide them with sensory input that is appropriate for their individual needs.

[Caitlin Britt]

I don’t have experience providing music therapy to this age group, however I am very excited to branch out to provide music therapy to these little guys! I do have experience with little ones this age in a non-musical environment and I have found that they are quick learners and benefit from repetition, consistency, and an environment that is safe and nurturing. Music therapy fits into those areas so seamlessly that I am looking forward to encorporating it into my practice .

[Caitlin Britt]

I work in a large metro area and I often hear from my families (especially those that are new to the area) that it can be overwhelming to “find their tribe”. I think that music therapy can be a great way to build community together. I can only imagine how isolating it can feel to be a new parent. I think by creating an environment where parents can connect with other parents and meet other children can be incredibly beneficial. Have a consistent group is not only wonderful for the child, but also gives parents something to look forward to throughout their week. I also love that most people can connect with music in some way. This is one of the many reasons that music therapy is able to reach so many different people.

[Caitlin Britt]

5 words: Supportive, warm, relaxed, sensory-driven, even-keeled.

5 sentences:
“Please sing with me today so that you can carry the songs over into your day to day lives. Your voice is the most important voice to your baby.”

“If you hear your baby vocalizing or babbling that is great! Please vocalize and smile back to your baby as your baby is developing sound.

“If you tickle your baby while you have a shaker under their hand they may open their hand in response to be able to grasp the shaker”

“I love how Billy is tracking the instrument with his eyes! That is a great way to work on his visual tracking development.”

“I am going to use the guitar during this song to even out the consistency of the music. Startle responses are totally normal for this age group and sometimes it can help to lessen the response.”

Session Plan:
1. Gathering/welcome song to signify that the group is about to start.
2. Hello song- invitation to the class and welcome each child/family.
3. Body percussion- tap the beat onto the baby
4. Tickles and lap rides- encourage connection and bonding to the caregiver and increase sensory input. Change the tempo throughout to encourage trust.
5. Instrument play- introduce shakers and drums and encourage caregivers to play the drum with the child or let the child explore independently.
6. Cool down – animal songs
7. Goodbye song- guitar or acapella with a quiet, warm timbre to close out the class.

[Caitlin Britt]

I work in multiple settings in my community including one-on-one sessions, within the school setting in special education classrooms, in a nursing home, and in a few adult day programs providing music therapy.

The needs of my community are varied however one element remains constant throughout the variety of clients; the need to connect and communicate through music.
The families that I work with are looking for their child to progress in the areas that they can, and they are looking for ways to communicate, especially with my clients who are non-verbal. Music gives them a language that is accessible and universal. I see some of my families taking things that we do in sessions together and applying them in their day to day lives which is fantastic!

The needs of my community are to build connections and community in a large city. I hope to provide sprouting melodies programs after this course and would love to see families in my community have a place to gather and connect.

[Caitlin Britt]

I believe that music therapists have offer tremendous value to families of young children for many reasons:
-Music therapists are highly educated in many areas of music, development, psychology and education
-Music therapists are classically trained musicians
-Music therapists participate in on-going continuing education
-Music therapist are able to effectively help children transfer the skills that they learn in group to their outside community and home
Music Therapist’s present information through music in a way that is accessible and easy to learn
-Music therapists are skilled songwriters as well as musicians which gives us the unique opportunity to create musical material that will benefit our client’s growth and development.

There are countless reasons why MT-BC’s are beneficial and I greatly appreciated that Meredith encouraged us to recognize our value!

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