[Christine Wick]

I just started work in early intervention this year and do home visiting sessions. Some experiences that stand out most to me are when mom/dad find that connection. There’s something so special that happens when all are present in the moment together within the music. Even though I may start a musical experience/song/movement, I’m always trying to work my way out of the forefront and help mom or dad transition into that leading and choice-making role – supporting that dyad relationship. A great part about home visiting sessions is that families can be in the comfort and safety of their own home and musical experiences can be readily embedded. I find I don’t need to bring instruments in except for my guitar and I try to use what is already there in their space so care givers can feel they don’t need XYZ instruments/toys to recreate these experiences. With this age group, many children already have their own set of small instruments as well!

[Christine Wick]

I really like the idea of embedding a welcome that includes a ‘come as you are/I see you’ right from the beginning within the 1st song and experience. Such a meaningful way to begin and create that safe space.

[Christine Wick]

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 1.
Gentle, connection, bonding, joy, touch

Write 5 sentences you can use when speaking with parents about musical responses of children in SM1.
Position yourself and do what feels most comfortable for you and your baby / Your baby is most interested in hearing your voice / If you see your baby’s responses are small, it’s okay, they are taking it all in and connecting with you through the music / I welcome you to slow down and be present in these moments / All of these repetitions help your baby become familiar and comfortable where learning and integration can happen!

Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in a Sprouting Melodies 1 session.
1. Welcome/gathering song: Original 2. Transition song: invitation to sit how is most comfortable for caregiver/baby 3. Bonding song: “Row it Faster” 4. Movement song: “As big as can be” 5. Instrument song: “In My Little Hands” 6. Song about me: “Where is my face” 7. Goodbye song: Original

[Christine Wick]

I haven’t had the opportunity to use these songs within my practice yet, but I’ve explored them and am eager to use them soon.

I really enjoy “Just Like Me”, that effortless repetitive structure and built in rests that reflect what’s happening in real time – a pause to observe the named parts within the music. I also liked the importance highlighted of using a clear structure/chant to then build from within these songs. It creates such a nice access point for both MT and client and safe space to see what the client is maybe particularly drawn to or motivated by. Finding these pieces and using them i.e. glissandos or changes in tempo, using a toy they love etc can all become a part of engagement.

[Christine Wick]

Same! I’m in a smaller community as well so it’s tough to find a regularly occurring activity or group specifically for early childhood and their caregivers. I’m in Juneau, AK so I think something that would work especially well here is a fall/winter group when the weather gets nasty. It can be so hard to find productive and fun things to do indoors for families with little ones during these seasons.

[Christine Wick]

What are the needs of the families that you work with?
Tailored supports that work toward functional outcomes that are meaningful to their everyday lives and routines.

What are the needs of your community?
Access to more person-centered strengths-based services that bring community together.

How can music meet the unique needs of your families and community?
Music and music therapy can meet these needs by providing that safe positive environment for individuals of all abilities to come together and participate. The organization and structure to music creates that necessary reptation and predictability needed for building trust and learning while also providing unique outlets for creativity to come in and shine! Music can help individuals access their strengths and when engaging with others can provide that special opportunity to share in that together.

[Christine Wick]

I liked how you described the positive outcome of bringing possibly more isolated families together. The non-profit I’m working for just received grant money so that in the future we can create a recurring group that will meet together in our clinic space. I think this offering of a different type of bonding experience will be a meaningful way to build that community support system.

The song writing experiences you get to have with caregivers sharing perspectives about the hospitalization experiences sounds so powerful too. It really shows how music can provide that safe access point across so many areas.

[Christine Wick]

Music therapists provide a safe a supportive space for caregivers to connect with their child. It’s a dedicated time to explore, bond, and learn together with the permission to try new things and connect through music. Music therapists have the knowledge and training to meet each child and family unit where they are at and hold them in that space. This is so important in order to ensure positive experiences and that time spent together feels uniquely meaningful to them.

[Christine Wick]

Singing Awareness: Looks at you Trust: repeats vocalizations/babbles Independence: vocalize descending intervals Control: sing two-word phrases using pitched intervals Responsibility: Rhythmic singing with changes

Playing Awareness: tolerates a preferred instrument sound Trust: begins to reach toward new instrument Independence: explores instrument in different ways Control: plays instrument in different ways, deciding when to play and stop Responsibility: trades instruments with partner

Movement Awareness: sits in mom’s lap while mom rocks/bounces legs Trust: repeats familiar movement to music Independence: uses body to rock our bounce rhythmically Control: isolates body parts to move Responsibility: Move differently than mom to music

Listening Awareness: Looks toward music Trust: displays affect changes Independence: Moves to music Control: Communicates changes – fast/slow/loud/soft Responsibility: responds to musical cues within songs

[Christine Wick]

I work in early intervention and also with older children with developmental differences and disabilities.
It was nice to see each musical experience broken down into the different sequences according to developmental milestones. It helps focus attention to be as intentional with musical choice making as the facilitator as possible. I’d say I use my voice the most within sessions, being very mindful of rhythmic cues it can provide or tonal shifts to support arousal levels. I loved when “music is movement and movement is music” was said because I think this is absolutely true. We’re all born to move and music provides such organization and structure to explore, whether it’s just listening, singing, or playing an instrument. There can be movement in all of these and within sessions I’m watching where this is happening and how I can validate, support, and help grow from.

[Christine Wick]

Yes! I definitely know what you mean by feeling that pressure to reinvent the wheel every session. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately with one particular client of mine who greatly benefits from repetition for many reasons and I agree that the validation from this material has been helpful. We or parents/caregivers may feel a sense of “ok I’m ready to move on now”, but creating that safe space of predictability and familiarity builds trust engage and explore.

[Christine Wick]

I work within a community with a large Native Alaskan population. Cultural traditions are very important and highly valued within this community and songs/chants are passed down that tell stories about the world, spirits, and their values. I have just started practicing within this community within the last 6 months or so and am looking forward to building my practice and becoming more familiar with these traditions along the way. Juneau is a very artistic and musical community in general and we have a wide variety of interests here form strong folk music traditions that are displayed in a huge festival each spring to rock, jazz, classical, and everything in between!

[Christine Wick]

Thanks for sharing, Melissa! I haven’t had the opportunity to work with young infants yet. The youngest I’ve worked with is about 18-20 months so I’m looking forward to having this developmental framework to readily apply when any opportunities come up in the future.

[Christine Wick]

I had the opportunity to work with a 2-year old last week and observed some responses within the developmental level of trust. He made purposeful pitched vocalizations within a high and low arousal alternating song structure – bounces with dad alternated with slower strides around the room (being held in dad’s arms). During the first bounces, he vocalized on short “ahs” within the rhythmic song structure and was delighted when dad repeated back to him each time. He vocalized on “ah” each faster rhythm bounce break after this and it was so great to see him attending to bonding with dad in these moments.

[Christine Wick]

Awareness: Turning toward music / reaching toward music / turning attention or eye gaze toward music

Trust: Repeating movements / creating a spontaneous melody / Exploring instruments in their environment

Independence: Using glissandos / isolating body parts to move to music / Transferring instruments from hand to hand

Control: Making up their own songs / Demonstrating a fast internal rhythm / banging on a drum

Responsibility: Listening to others / Maintaining a steady beat on a drum / controlling dynamics

[Author]

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