[Caitlin Kauffman]

I second some of the questions posed by Kristen (#1 & #2 in particular).

I was also wondering how long the groups in SM1 last? I did hear on the video that parents are able to take “an hour” at lunch, and I realize I might have forgotten the answer in a previous video perhaps. But I wondered if the length of groups varies from SM1 to SM2 and so on?

[Caitlin Kauffman]

My experience with children of this age has been largely with my babies of my friends or family members. I am not yet a parent, but have spent much time over the years (since I was a teen) babysitting or nannying, and I worked briefly at a daycare between college and my MT internship. While in grad school, one of my roommates also had a little boy, who was not quite two when they moved in, and was a little over three when I moved. What a blast that was! I loved watching him develop in his cognitive and communication skills. It was like watching the cogs move as he learned basic problem solving skills. By the time I moved, he was much better at remembering what you said earlier (and holding you to it!) and was so much fun to hang out with. We played games together and made up new games, and even started to play “memory” – which was a blast.
Recently I watched my friend’s 3-month old, who was just over two months premature. She is obviously somewhat delayed at this point, but I spent the entire day holding her and singing to her when she was fussy. I have several friends and/or family members with new babies, and I can’t wait to sing them some of these songs and see how they respond!

[Caitlin Kauffman]

This is an interesting topic for me, as my professional experience has been solely in a large non-profit hospice program. While I was employed there, I saw the benefit for the community, as we were the largest hospice IN the community, and nearly every person I met had been impacted in some way by hospice care, and usually with my hospice. Even though I have had experience with an organization that was involved in the community, I have not really been a part of a community music therapy program, or music therapy in community-based settings. I really appreciate the concept of serving the needs of your community at large and believe it is important to inject yourself into your community by actively engaging in it. Personally, I am preparing to relocate to a new state and know little about my soon-to-be community. I hope to engage in the community and educate people about music therapy and what it offers. All that I have seen and learned thus far throughout this training has shown me what a unique gift Sprouting Melodies can be to a community. Not only does it offer developmentally appropriate music experiences for children, but it teaches parents how to engage and bond with their child during a time when they are feeling so overwhelmed. It helps to create a support network for parents and connect families in the community. Overall, I believe the role of MT in community-based settings ideally does a great job of connecting people and helping them feel empowered and supported.

[Caitlin Kauffman]

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 1:
Calming, engaging, comforting, closeness, educational.

When watching these videos, I found myself calmed and swaying with the music! I really enjoyed the music examples, and cannot wait to try these with some of my friends’ babies.

Write 5 sentences you can use when speaking with parents about musical responses of children in SM1:
“It is most helpful for your baby to hear your voice.”
“It is okay if your baby falls asleep. Sleep is important and it is so wonderful you both are here today with the group!”
“Your baby needs time to process, so we will repeat songs several times so they become more familiar.”
“Your baby can take part in playing instruments, even at such a young age.”
“It is okay if your baby is responding differently than other babies.”

Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in a Sprouting Melodies 1 session:
“Hello” (Gathering/Greeting Song) – I loved the swaying rhythm to this and the parent keeping a steady beat through touch on their baby.
“Row it Faster” (Bonding Song) – This one I found particularly neat, in that it used a very familiar song and then switched gears to a very energetic (but also familiar) tune that I can imagine is very fun for parent AND baby
“Just Like Me” (Songs about Me) – Ever since the earlier module, I have really loved this one. And in this module, I especially loved the idea of connecting with other group members as the babies get a little older. There seems to be so much opportunity here for bonding, eye contact, touch, and even using the babies’ hands as they are comfortable
For an instrument song, I would like to try “In My Little Hand” (though I am not as familiar with the others listed…yet). I also have one that I have used years ago with kids that I believe could be used with instruments – it is repetitive, with a narrow range, and I think catchy!
“As Big As Can Be” (Movement Song) – what a FUN song! I love the lifting the babies up high and then bringing back down, and that there are more options for when the babies are a little older.
“Goodbye” song – for closure and consistency.

[Caitlin Kauffman]

This is a tough question! Currently living in Dayton, Ohio, I found that country music and gospel music were the biggest preferences with my hospice patients. With the typically age group of patients, WWII era music was also quite popular. I grew up in the Carolinas, which I would guess has a similar preference to this area. I have encountered people of various ethnic and religious backgrounds, of course, and their preferences were across the board.

[Caitlin Kauffman]

I have been racking my brain (did I use that word correctly? ha!) for an example here. As my recent work (past 3 years) has been in hospice, and the work with children starts at approximately age 6 through grief camp, my professional experience is perhaps not the place to look. The youngest kids at camp are definitely in the responsibility phase. During our groups, they are able to match rhythms and feelings, listen to their peers, and play within a group. Their ability to play expressively seems to be developing and they are able to cooperate with their peers (with some encouragement). It really is quite remarkable to watch, as I have noticed that sometimes the 6-7 year olds are more insightful than some of the older groups.

A close friend of mine just had a baby (7 weeks old). In spending time with them, I definitely see the “awareness” phase, and enjoy watching him respond to his environment. He definitely seems to recognize his mom’s voice, and he kind of always looks like the child in the powerpoint slide – wide-eyed and a bit terrified. Man, is it adorable! These are the best examples I have right now.

[Caitlin Kauffman]

I loved the new songs and can’t wait to make them second-nature by really learning them and ‘owning’ them. Right now I am both a) not working and b) not working with kids (obviously!) so I haven’t had a chance to apply them. Though if I do end up working a grief camp this summer I could see the use of the gathering songs especially. I still have the “Good morning to you” in my head and love the opening octave interval, as well as the piggyback songs to familiar folk tunes. I can practice singing them for my husband, but he is my only audience thus far! Thank you for the wonderful resources.

[Caitlin Kauffman]

Similar to what Lauren said, I believe one of my biggest strengths as a therapist is my ability to build rapport and connect with people. This was immensely important in my work with hospice, and greatly impacted my ability to provide support to my patients and families. As a child and in my growing-up years, I spent much of my time with other kids, and often those younger than me. I always wanted to babysit, even if I was too young. My only jobs as a teenager and during college involved babysitting or being a nanny. I have always loved being with children! The thought of working with groups of children and their families brings a HUGE smile to my face. I am looking forward to learning more about how to best support the development throughout early childhood, as well as helping with family connection and bonding. While in hospice, some of my most rewarding experiences involved helping the family members connect with each other and their loved one at end of life. Now (on the other end of the spectrum), I anticipate meaningful experiences through music will encourage relationship building and memory making!

[Caitlin Kauffman]

There were so many takeaways from this module. I really enjoyed all of the information. I found myself writing endlessly and pausing and going back to get all the little nuggets I wanted to have written down for myself. The “red flag alerts” during most of the stages were big takeaways, as I have realized how unaware I was of what exactly were “normal” ages for developmental milestones. Knowing these, and now the ‘red flags’ as well, makes me feel more prepared to help families (at least with more studying and hands-on experience).

[Caitlin Kauffman]

Hi everyone! I am a little behind on posting my introduction, but I am here!! My name is Caitlin Kauffman, and I am currently living in the Dayton, Ohio area. I completed my undergraduate studies at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, and have a masters degree in clinical mental health counseling from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. I am also a Licensed Professional Counselor. I moved to Dayton a little over 3 years ago to work at Hospice of Dayton, and was there until this past January when I lost my job due to budget cuts. My husband recently accepted a teaching position for next year in North Carolina, and we are looking forward to returning closer to my hometown!

I learned about this course through a friend and colleague of mine who has previously completed the training to become a Sprouting Melodies Provider. She owns a private practice in central Ohio and is now planning to expand her business endeavors to include North Carolina! Lucky for me, she encouraged me to take this course so that I will be able to provide services once I relocate. I have always, always, always LOVED being with, and working with, children of all ages. I always joke that I am great with the “really little ones” and the “really old ones.” (ha!) With 3 years of hospice experience, I am very interested in expanding my skill set and learning new music that will make me a better provider (and more marketable) with additional tools in my back pocket. This program sounds amazing and I am so excited for what is to come!

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