[Cecilia Sousa]

It is an interesting time right now, because many young families have barely been out of the house since the pandemic started. For that reason, there is a great need for social interaction. Some of the children have barely ever interacted with other children at all! It has been great in Sprouting Melodies to create a safe place where the children can have a social experience and learn about interacting with others. It is also great for the moms to be able to connect with us and each other and not feel like they are alone.

[Cecilia Sousa]

Music therapists can be a support and a resource for young families. Something that the parents mentioned in both interviews was the tools that they learned in class which they could then take and use at home. The first mother mentioned that she used some of the songs at home, and that she also learned some sign language in the group that helped her daughter communicate. The music therapist also has has the musical training and the therapy training to notice childrens’ musical behaviors and point out the significance of them to parents and caregivers.

[Cecilia Sousa]

I have used singing a lot when working with children to help initiate speech. Whether it is a young child who is just started to verbalize, or an older children with anxiety/selective mutism, leading them to fill in blanks to a familiar song is always a motivating way to encourage them.
I have seen instrument-playing work wonders when it comes to the “control” stage. I often do “freeze dances” with the children to help them work on impulse control, and I am always amazed at how well it works!
I use movement in all of my children’s groups, as it is always engaging and gives them another mode of sensory input. Since learning about the stages in this course, it has been interesting to observe and see how elopement plays into the children’s movement response. It has also helped me to choose movements that are appropriate.
One of the most fun parts of Sprouting Melodies is when we do our welcome song and pause in the middle of it to see how the children react. It gives a lot of insight into where they are developmentally and also how familiar they are with the song structure.

[Cecilia Sousa]

I have been working with children since I was practically a child myself! I’ve helped with children’s programs through church, I’ve been a nanny and babysitter, I’ve taught piano lessons to young children, and I’ve had a lot of experience through my internship. Being with children is where I feel most comfortable, and I feel like I’ve grown to understand them well. I think that along with experience, one of my strengths is setting aside my own perspective and seeing things through the eyes of someone else. Which is so much fun with children because of the way that they see the world!

Like Jordann, I am also a big advocate of the evidence-based approach, and I really enjoy reading the latest research and making sure that there is an evidence-based goal in all of my music therapy choices. I think that this is something that not all music therapists out there are as passionate about, so I’m glad that some of us are excited to share about it!

[Cecilia Sousa]

As music therapists (especially if we have we have taken this training), we have the knowledge of how early childhood development stages look in musical play. We are able to notice these characteristics, point them out to caregivers, and support them through the music. In the Sprouting Melodies class that I help with, the moms often look to us as a resource when they are wondering about their child’s behavior at home. They are looking for advice, reassurance, and insight into why their children might do these things.

[Cecilia Sousa]

I have loved using some of the embedded songs in my sessions. It helps me in my process of learning how to improvise. It is so fun to just pick up on what the children are doing in the moment and support it with music! It is also great to think that it is something the parents can also use at home to help support daily activities.

[Cecilia Sousa]

Hi Jordan! I also feel like I have learned so much about seeing the world from a new perspective by working with children. I love to see how they interact with something new without any preconceptions. Their natural creativity is inspiring!

[Cecilia Sousa]

In the Sprouting Melodies program that I have been helping with since September, I have seen quite a few children cross into the “control” developmental level. It has been interesting to see how a child will present as quiet, reserved, and mild, and then suddenly one week they will start banging loudly on the drums, wanting to do everything fast, and making their preferences/choices very clear. Having an awareness of this stage and what it means is very helpful in understanding how the child is experiencing the world and the music.

[Cecilia Sousa]

This one is hard to answer, as right now I am in my internship at a music school with lots of different populations. We have a few songs that most of us in the music therapy department use, such as the “Hello Song”, the “Goodbye Song”, and a few others, but generally we are using music that is specific to the client or group (which varies a lot). At the rest of the music school, classical music and jazz is quite popular for use in lessons and ensembles.

[Cecilia Sousa]

Awareness – paying attention/reacting to a change in pitch, moving to the rhythm, physically responding with different energy levels depending on the energy of the song

Trust – matching pitch in vocalizations, demonstrating memory of familiar melodies, creating melodies

Independence – babbling with inflection, grasping and shaking a maraca, isolating body parts

Control – imitating words of songs, often moving fast and loudly, repeating familiar words and phrases

Responsibility – can sing loudly and in a whispering tone, matching playing to dynamics of song, listening to others while they play

[Cecilia Sousa]

The lists of milestones for each stage of development are a valuable resource that I will definitely be using. It will be great to reference this as I go throughout the weeks working with children, and see how these different skills are displayed in the childrens’ music making. It is also helpful to see what is next for them developmentally, and think about how I can support that growth.

I think that it also brings value to us as professionals to have this information and to be able to share/point it out to the children’s parents and teachers in our sessions. I know that in the Sprouting Melodies course that I help with now, the moms have learned that they can look to us as a resource when they have questions about their childrens’ behaviors. I think it is great to have this knowledge so that we can be a support to the parents as well as the children!

[Cecilia Sousa]

Hello! My name is Cecilia Sousa. I am a music therapy intern at Manchester Community Music School in Manchester, NH.

I would love to do music therapy in the early childhood setting, and I am very grateful to be getting lots of experience with this age group in my internship. Under the supervision of Shannon Laine, I have been able to participate in the Sprouting Melodies program that she started here at the music school, as well as doing music therapy with children in school and individual settings. I can’t wait to learn more about Sprouting Melodies and hopefully be able to lead groups myself some day!

While I have learned a lot about child development through school and in my own research and experience, I am really excited to learn more about a child’s musical development and how that relates to their development overall. That is what I am looking forward to most about this course!

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