Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
Participant
Sounds like we all have similar strategies! Kimberly, thank you for sharing your story — it is great to hear about your successful experience!
ParticipantI plan to begin to contribute to the preschool newsletter, which goes home with students every month. I have thought about it in the past, and now I see how helpful it could be to even have a little “fun fact” about music as often as possible. I was so excited during this training that I have already shared some information with my colleagues at a recent staff meeting.
ParticipantI feel quite similar to what Kimberly stated above. The training has increased my confidence as an early childhood music therapy provider and has given me fresh ideas to use in my work. The review of child development and what types of responses we can expect has been really beneficial. It has already made me take a second look at some of my current song choices and how I have been implementing them.
ParticipantSINGING: Awareness – cooing sounds. Trust – pitched vocalizations. Independence – vocalization is a recognizable song. Control – Sings pitched intervals while putting words together in a short musical phrase. Responsibility – Uses change in vocal timbre to express emotion
PLAYING INSTRUMENTS: Awareness – mouth instrument. Trust – grasp maracas in both hands and shake briefly. Independence – Can sustain play for longer periods. Control – Uses mallet and crosses midline to play. Responsibility – Plays a short rhythmic sequence on cue.
MOVING: Awareness: moves arms and legs reflexively. Trust – reaches arms up. Independence – uses hands to touch various body parts during song. Control – adjusts speed of movements to match movements. Responsibility – performs learned sequence of movements.
LISTENING: Awareness – look at singer’s face. Trust – looks toward where music had been after a change/stop in music. Independence: response changes when child hears a familiar song. Control – maintains interest in music even when not in action. Responsibility – can listen to a pattern and repeat it
ParticipantI am looking forward to sharing the joy of music with families through a parent/child music class that meets the needs within my community.
ParticipantI make my expectations clear and communicate with support staff. I use modeling along with simple language/directions. I usually use verbal prompting before physical prompting (unless the situation requires otherwise)! I keep abilities and developmental levels in mind when planning and executing a song.
ParticipantI would say something similar to what was already stated above — that music for development focuses on the needs of the whole child and helps the children practice emerging cognitive, motor, social, and emotional skills. They are so closely intertwined. Elana, I like the way you said it is intended to be carried over in to the child’s functioning in the world around him/her. Music for skill building focuses on learning specific skills within the music.
May 31, 2017 at 2:10 pm
in reply to: Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 3.
Participant5 Words for SM3: active, intentional, personality, emotions, independence
5 Words for Family Sprouts: connections, helping, sharing, individuality, busySM3: I love using books!!!
Gathering: Everybody’s Here
Bonding: Hold on Tight
Songs About Me: Where Is the Music? — I have already started to incorporate this into my practice with this age group and the kids LOVE it.
Instrument: Two Friends Play the Drum
Movement: Walk Outside (Raffi)
Goodbye: It’s Time for Us to GoFamily Sprouts:
Gathering: Everybody’s Here (12 bar blues)
Bonding: Row Your Boat
Songs About Me: All of This Is Me
Instruments: Green Alligator
Movement: Round and Round the Village/In and Out the Windows — I haven’t used this song in so long, but it seems possible if there is a good number of older children.
Goodbye: It’s Time For Us to GoParticipantIt is definitely a challenge to be ready for any age to come in, so our job is to really prepare ourselves to be flexible with our song choices and adapt them to meet the needs of the various developmental levels. It seems like it can be difficult to keep it appropriate AND exciting for the various ages. I really like the Elana’s suggestions for providing opportunities for older children to model and help. Alison, I can see what you’re saying about how the focus can be shifted because of the varying energy levels….that is a good thing to be aware of.
May 17, 2017 at 10:50 am
in reply to: Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 2.
Participant5 words to describe SM2: Playful, Variation, Energy, Calm, Surprise
5 Sentences to tell parents: It is okay to let your child move about the room and explore. We are here to encourage emerging independence in a safe and supportive setting. Your child may “visit” others but will come back to you! Alternate facing your child toward you and toward the group. Touch the bottom of their feet flat to the floor, or flat against your hands.
Greeting: same Hello as SM1
Bonding: Jig Jog Jee (“I want someone to buy me a pony, jig jog jig jog jig jog jee”…….ends with “Wheeee!)
Songs About Me: I would use Can You See Me? from the video; I can see that being a favorite!
Instrument Songs: Rock and roll it, shake it and make it hot — includes high, low, fast, slow with maracas. Note: I really like the idea of gathering several drums together if you don’t have a large gathering drum. I don’t know why I didn’t think to do that before!
Movement: Marching With My Baby!
Goodbye: same as SM1ParticipantI equate too much stimulation with too much “in-your-face” energy, as well as louder volumes and the absence of quiet moments. It’s important to have a balance between action and calm. When you can vary between these levels and create the flow that was discussed in the video, you are providing an appropriate level of stimulation.
ParticipantRemo hand drums (various sizes), shape drums, small maracas/chiquita shakers, Hohner 4″ rainmakers. I have considered purchasing some cage bells but I know they can get slimy on the inside! I am looking forward to seeing others’ responses because I am not the best instrument person and always appreciate instrument ideas!
ParticipantKimberly, you are making sense — sometimes we are so programmed to follow that clinical mindset that delivering services in a different way can be challenging to our own definitions of what a music therapist does. I agree that we have the skill set to meet the need for quality, community based programming. A colleague I met years ago felt strongly that music therapy should be available to all young children, and we worked to integrate enrichment experiences into our practice. I like the the model of wellness and promoting early strengths. I often have preschool parents asking for more of this!
May 15, 2017 at 7:54 pm
in reply to: Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 1.
Participant5 Words to describe SM1: Stimulating, Gentle, Bonding, Discovery, Calming
Things to say to parents: I am so glad that you are here! (I know this is not specifically about music responses, but I want to remember how important it is to say this to parents when they arrive!) Your child wants to hear your voice. Sing with me now so that you remember at home. He/she is not bored, he/she is confused about this new experience. That is a perfect closeness for your baby to see you. If you put the instrument in the middle of your baby’s hand, he/she will begin to close fingers to grasp it.
(I apologize I don’t have the exact sources of some of these songs right now…I locked myself in our home office while my husband chases our toddler downstairs, and some of my music books are down in the basement! I may have to edit this later to add that information.)
Greeting: Hello, Hello, I am happy that you are here today! *repeat* la la la, la, la la
Bonding: Little Wheel a’Turning in my Heart — one of my personal favorites and my own son loved this one as an infant
Songs About Me: “I Have a Body, a very busy body, and it goes everywhere with me. On my body, I have two hands, and they go everywhere with me.” — This one I learned long ago in internship from my supervisor, and she used to use a cabasa on each body part with older children, but for this age group I would just use hands to touch. Open, Shut Them — uses hands, tickling up the body to reach chin and mouth
Instruments: I Can Play the Drum — I can play the drum, easy as can be, I can play the drum, 1-2-3, I can play the drum, come and play with me, play play the drum!)
Movement: Roly Poly — up, down, out, in
Goodbye: simple goodbye song with gentle arpeggios on guitarMay 15, 2017 at 6:40 pm
in reply to: Share some of your experiences with children of this age and level.
ParticipantMy son is 16 months old, so the time that he was the age of Sprouting Melodies 1 babies is still very fresh in my mind! Of course I have been singing to him from the beginning and continue to do so. I can recall having thoughts of, “Is he enjoying this? Is he bored? What can he see when I sing this song/use these instruments?” I was very excited when he began to grasp a small maraca and hit a drum. Earlier in my career, I led a small mommy/baby music group on Saturday mornings for a short period. I wish I had known then what I know now from taking this training. I know that I provided bonding songs, movement songs, and opportunities to play instruments, but the wealth of information I am learning right now was not part of that experience.
-
AuthorPosts
