[Camryn Gallagher]

I always appreciate refreshers on “typical” development and the age ranges at which we can expect certain milestones. I think these are highly important for a clinician and a family to be on the same page about, because it allows us to establish realistic, achievable goals. But I also loved the comments made throughout the videos that even the smallest, youngest baby is a human being, not simply a checklist of goals to be achieved. In EI I work with a lot of babies and toddlers with significant delays. It’s easy for parents to be discouraged by the resources they find online telling them where their child “should” be. This was one sentiment in the content this week that stood out to me – recognizing the human, no matter how small, and celebrating each and every milestone as a miracle. I try to bring this sense of empathy to every family I work with.

In my past work with older children and adults, I have always emphasized the humanity of music. I have challenged clients to reflect on their relationship with music and how it relates to their identity, just as I have reflected on my own. Now that I’m working strictly with children 0-3, I don’t often recognize that this age is where our sense identity first starts to develop, and how incredibly important and precious that is. So much of the work I do in my current program relies not only on my ability to connect with the child, but encouraging the adult caregiver to participate in their child’s journey as well. I am excited to continue exploring how music in particular helps us prioritize humanity and helps parents see not just where their child is struggling or “falling behind,” but also where their child is thriving – What is your child interested in? What brings them joy? What helps them connect to you and others in their environment? What is your child’s unique way of experiencing the world?

I hope my music therapy practice at this young age can help promote a sense of autonomy that both the child and the caregiver can carry with them for years beyond my time with them – that the child’s ideas matter, and their contributions in the world should be celebrated. An important aspect of this that I hadn’t really thought about before is setting up a therapy/music making space that allows for developmentally appropriate exploration. I like the idea of filling the room with things that ARE okay to throw, mouth, drop, climb on, etc. I want the music therapy space to show the caregiver that their child is safe and encouraged to be their most authentic self during our groups.

[Camryn Gallagher]

Breaking down every aspect of early development piece by piece made me realize that a lot of the development process from the very beginning is about the child discovering their own personhood. I loved the comments made throughout the videos reminding us to think, from the baby’s perspective, how much your world opens up the more you are able to do with your physical body, and the more your brain is able to process the information it takes in. I feel fortunate to be able to watch so many small humans gradually becoming participants in their world – being able to turn their head to watch the family dog run around, taking their first steps, learning to feed themselves, vocalizing back-and-forth and imitating others. I don’t have children myself yet, which has always made me feel a bit insecure about working with parents and worrying that it impacts their ability to trust me as a provider – but it is a privilege to be able to observe this process happening, and I am able to connect with families when we share the excitement and joy that this process brings.

[Camryn Gallagher]

Hello everyone, I’m Cammy! I live in Putnam, CT with my fiancé and our lovely (most of the time) cat Kabuki.

I graduated from Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA in 2021 with my bachelors in music therapy, after completing my internship at UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center. After graduation/internship, I remained at UMass as a per-diem music therapist in the pediatric emergency mental health department. I then transitioned to full-time mental health work at an inpatient facility. After about a year, I transitioned to working full-time as a music therapist and service coordinator at the Kennedy Donovan Center Early Intervention program in Southbridge, MA.

I’ve been working in EI for over a year now, and while it definitely has its ups and downs, I have learned over this time that birth-to-three is my ideal client population. That said, I have been looking for ways to enhance my practice and feel more confident in my ability to provide developmentally appropriate, neurodiversity-affirming, and FUN musical experiences for the children and families I work with. I am also looking forward to connecting with other music therapists working in the same population. I have been feeling quite isolated at my organization, which has lead to some intense burnout. I am hoping that engaging with this course and this community will help me remember what it is I love about this job/population. I am really excited to get started!

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