[Christina Bartholic]

Tony,
I like the way you phrased the statements to parents as a non threatening question or statement…. Sometimes a direct statement can feel like a correction. Questions can help steer their thoughts in a specific direction without telling them what to do. I also like your reminder to keep the room free of unnecessary stimulation…just warm and inviting. The first few minutes of class and the way we welcome parents as they walk in…that can set the tone for the whole class! We want them to feel a sense of clam acceptance as they walk in.

[Christina Bartholic]

Five words to describe the Sprouting Melodies 1 music al experience:
Calm, Nesting, Supportive, Gentle, Flexible
Five sentences to use with parents:
1.Whatever your child needs, that is the priority…whether sleep, feeding, or a diaper change.
2. Please don’t worry about being late…just focus on the success of getting out of the house and getting here at all because this can be a difficult time.
3. Baby loves to hear your voice..please sing so that you can learn the songs and do these at home!
4. It’s fine that your baby is fussy today…babies are little people, and all people have off days. It’s OK.
5. All new parents are trying to figure it out…you are a great mommy/daddy to your little one. Take this time to enjoy them!

Session Plan:Greeting/Hello: Good Morning, then Oh Here We Are Together (using each baby’s name)
Bonding: Wiggly Jiggly Car and Row It Faster
Body Part Song: My Eyes Are On My Face
Instrument Song:In My Little Hand
Cool Down/Goodbye:Go Now in Peace and Music Time Is Over

[Christina Bartholic]

My experience with babies of this age is limited to my own three children. I remember learning about the “fourth trimester” of 0-3 months. I was taught that so much of what a newborn should experience is that “nested” quality of life in which the baby is held close and kept safe (avoiding too much stimulation). The experience of the womb is almost re-created with the addition of many new sensory experiences… but the warmth, closeness to parent, and rhythmic nature of the womb are captured in these types of activities in Sprouting Melodies 1!

[Christina Bartholic]

Music therapists are like midwives…they guard and support the space so that natural processes can occur, and intervene when necessary. I look at my role as an observer, a grateful eye witness to the strength inherent in all of us. When necessary, the therapist intervenes, guides, leads the way, and encourages whatever the next step may be. From cradle to grave, music is there, and it is enough! But how lucky are we to have the knowledge, training and expertise to embrace others through music!

[Christina Bartholic]

Where I work, the main observation I can make is that there is a lot of pressure to “get kids ready” for public school. The schools in our area have a reputation for excellent and rigorous academics. Early exposure to academic concepts seems to be important in many PreKs. I would like to understand how I can partner with teachers at my schools, both in my understanding of development and the attitude that I carry in with me. Instead of a child being labeled as the “problem child”, how can I as a therapist support that child in music class and point out the ways that he/she is growing each week, even if he/she is not on the same developmental level as their peers.

[Christina Bartholic]

Hi Maryrose,
I was a doula some years ago as well…I am convinced that starting at pregnancy, our support has a direct impact on mom and dads in their confidence and ability to bond. We have such a unique opportunity to partner with parents early on when they need a helping hand a listening ear. And I completely agree that during this wonderful and stressful time of disequilibrium, we can help parents forge new relationships with other parents and professionals in the community that can help prevent the common feelings of isolation so many new parents feel!

[Christina Bartholic]

Amy, I’m curious about your experiences with communicating your ideas to staff/teachers….what have you found helpful? Teaching as you go in the middle os a session? I am able to do a written note to parents after each session to let them know what their kids did with “Ms. Cricket” that day, so I know I can include some information there about music al development. But could you elaborate on what you’ve found in your communications with staff?

[Christina Bartholic]

Emily, I’ve had similar thoughts about my own children. They are now ages 8, 14 and 16…and still growing! But I wish I could go back and appreciate each stage of development, instead of just surviving the day. If I had had someone in my life to say, “Hey! Look at what your baby is doing! It’s amazing!” …that would have been awesome!

[Christina Bartholic]

My first thought as I was watching the videos was that I haven’t spent nearly enough time thinking through my programming and what is developmentally appropriate. I am very excited to have a new understanding of music development and to be able to communicate that to parents! I’m also really curious about the applications for other populations. I work in the hospice setting and feel like I need to really think through these levels in reverse as clients go through the natural stages of decline. There are things happening in each of these stages(if you know what to look for!) and families can be comforted by that.

I always do a lot of singing, but to be honest, I’ve not considered all the different ways that a client can participate. They were either singing or not. So lots of room for growth here!

With movement, I think I’ve done a good job of feeling free with my own movements, and encouraging imitation for children in the control and independence stage. I probably need to rethink the sequence songs..(like was mentioned in the video with the song Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes). I have thought that if the children became more familiar with a song, that eventually they would be able to do the movements, not realizing that they are in a totally different developmental level, and that I can better serve them by adjusting my songs to where they are.

In terms of playing instruments, I’ve fallen into the mindset (along with teachers and staff) of asking, “Is this child following me? Are they listening to instructions?” I think I can shift to a child led learning model, and help staff members to make that shift too. And to begin to recognize all that is happening cognitively instead of looking at what the child is producing and whether or not they are conforming.

With listening, I’ve had a lot of success in getting the children excited about starts and stops, different dynamics, etc..I think most of my programming has been directed at the later stages of development. I am looking forward to a more in depth look at what I can do to support all the different stages of musical development, and to be able to recognize quickly which stage a child is in.

I work in a daycare setting, and the philosophy seems to put a focus on following instructions and conformity. I feel I can offer a safe place for the children to explore, but it might take some time for the staff to be on board. And I need to think through how to best present my ideas.

[Christina Bartholic]

I work in a daycare in Marietta, GA with families representing many different ethnicities. It is interesting to note different expectations culturally for children in terms of toileting, separation anxiety, food choices, behaviors…I feel that there are some conflicts even in between teachers that represent different viewpoints on what is to be expected of children at each stage of development. Sometimes my work there helps the teachers to see how a child is doing in a certain area, but the potential cultural differences are for the most part not discussed. I feel it is helpful for me to come in with the attitude of respect, not knowing what factors might be at play. Even in my attempts to expose children to varying styles, there might be a family that feels uncomfortable with a specific song. I think this issue comes to the forefront during the holiday season when some families are not familiar with traditional holiday songs.

[Christina Bartholic]

I too have used the “Wiggly Jiggly Car” with an online session. One of my students sings to his baby brother at home, so I taught him that song and also the Good Morning song. The build up on the fermata notes on the Car song builds anticipation, and the child really liked it. I think if I had tried to sell it to him (for him) he would have balked and said it was too young for him, but because he was doing it for his baby brother, it was acceptable. I love that he can then have that bonding experience with his family!!

[Christina Bartholic]

@Stephanie Brink…I love that we can reassure parents that what they are seeing is developmentally appropriate and even necessary. I feel that I now too have the tools to see the developmental progression so that I too can reassure and encourage parents.I am curious as to how other therapists address parental concerns about children not being/doing what the parents think they should be?

[Christina Bartholic]

I worked with a small group of 18 month/2 year old children, and now recognize many of their responses were in the “trust” and “independence” stage. At the beginning of the session, I began playing a hello song, “Oh Here We Are Together”. They have come to expect the same tempo and key each time. Some children bob their heads to the music, others bend their toes back and forth, still others mouth the words “To-geth-er” as its repeated several times in a row. As the session continued I used “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”, using different styles and timbre with each verse. The children imitate simple movements of hands and body. They know the song, but I’ve switched up the verses and changed my voice with each one. I use a strong and obvious meter in 2 with exaggerated bouncing side to side. Each verse ends with a small silence. It’s exciting to know why these things worked so well for this group of children. I was meeting them at an appropriate developmental level.

[Christina Bartholic]

@Maryrose Nelson…I’ve done the Dinosaur Song, but it was cool to think of it in terms of the “control stage”…the repetitive nature of the verses,, shouting or saying loudly “what do you think of that?!”, the different dynamics, anticipation of the different parts of the song. It will be interesting to go back through familiar songs to identify the stage they represent! Thank you for the insight!

[Christina Bartholic]

Awareness:showing awareness when a familiar person walks into the room and speaks by turning their head toward that person, when a child shows awareness that another child is crying (different timbre and pitch) and begins to cry as well, a child’s awareness that an instrument has been played..they stop what they are doing and turn toward the sound flapping their arms up and down with excitement
Trust:a child mirrors the emotional content of a “scary” or serious song, and anticipates when the “silly” part happens, jumping up and down in response to rhythmic music being played, grasping and shaking a maraca to play “fast” or “slow” during parts of a song
Independence:a child might experiment with vocalizations and babbling, switching an instrument from one hand to another, begins to enjoy and anticipate musical changes in tempo, dynamics and timbre
Control:Child begins to band on the drum quickly during music, child requests the fish song by yelling out “fishy!”, child enjoys journey songs that begin slowly or softly , then crescendo or get quicker, then return to the original form.
Responsibility: Child can maintain a steady beat and can adjust his tempo to fit in with group playing, child playing follow the leader can imitate the motions of a peer, enjoys call and response songs

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