[Courtney McDonald]

Singing: A- turn eye gaze toward the source of singing. T – show pleasure when hearing a familiar song. I – display attention toward familiar songs when contour and range are preserved. C – use gestures or words to request a favorite song. R -sing familiar songs using melodic contour.

Playing: A – turn facial attention toward source of sound. T – reach out to touch instruments. I – explore instruments with hands, feet, or mouth. C – use familiar instruments functionally. R – maintain grasp on a mallet to play an instrument.

Moving: A – alter movements in response to changes in movement. T – tolerate movement of body parts rhythmically. I – use hands to move strings on a guitar or autoharp. C – start to move in response to music. R – recall and reproduce simple learned movement patterns.

Listening: A – tolerate live music in the environment. T – initiate vocalizations in response to silence in music. I – use hands, feet, or face to touch instruments. C – stop action to listen to music. R – listen to the music of others.

[Courtney McDonald]

I use the three of the four areas very often. Listening is the most easily misplaced. The information this week has helped me to think about how listening can be more intentionally incorporated into my sessions, especially because most of my clients function in the awareness/trust stages. My job is to deepen and expand their experiences within awareness. I need to assist them to grow horizontally. I have unintentionally done this the past few weeks because I was bringing in a different, novel, instrument each week for them to experience. Part of their experience is listening to me play a simple tune.
Within movement and playing, I feel as though the information this week backed up what I am already doing. It is as if the information helps me to more accurately verbalize and solidify my experiences.
In singing, I have always looked for opportunities for clients to vocalize with me. I am going to add more musical cue to help prompt vocalization as well as give clients more opportunities within each song experience.

[Courtney McDonald]

I use a song that is very similar to the idea of the tickle song. I am looking forward to trying it out this week. The reactions for “Gonna get you” have evolved from showing dislike and turning or moving away to watching other participate and enjoy the song to finally that child feeling comfortable enough to engage in the music and play.

[Courtney McDonald]

Awareness – vocalize within pitch structure in response to singing; calm to familiar melodies; turn eye gaze toward source of sound

Trust – use hand to grasp instrument for short periods of time; reach out to touch instruments; laugh out loud in pleasure response to music

Independence – move whole body rhythmically; clap hands; bang two objects together

Control- sing two words in phrases using pitched intervals; use gestures or words to request a favorite song; turn a rain stick up and down

Responsibility – sing familiar songs using melodic contour; purposefully alter melodic contour; sing three-note phrases

[Courtney McDonald]

During a group session, J. (6 yr old male), was very upset it was music time and the teacher had taken away his ipad. The ipad is used for entertainment and not communication. He was yelling and crying during the beginning of our greeting song. As the song progressed he gradually calmed down. When the song was finished and we had sung to each member of the group (approximately 5 minutes later), J looked at me and vocalized an approximation of “do”. This was very exciting and I pointed it out to the teacher and other staff in the room. This was the first time he had been in the circle and for the entire greeting song.

He is new to my group and I do not know him well. Up to this point he showed responses in awareness but they were fleeting as he is generally walking the room with his ipad or has been removed from the room due to screaming, or aggressive responses towards staff and students.

[Courtney McDonald]

I work in a school environment. The majority of families are Hispanic and primarily Spanish-speaking. As a result, I have made the goal of learning/practicing Spanish. I have incorporated simple songs in Spanish about body parts, animals, or colors. The aides in the classrooms are fluent in Spanish and they help with directions and social interactions. I have also used popular genres of music from Dominican Republic (which is the most prevelent country) such as Reggaeton and Bachata.

[Courtney McDonald]

I bring a balance to my practice by using developmentally appropriate skills with chronologically age appropriate music. This has been a challenge in the past when working with professionals in other fields. Yes, this child enjoys listening/moving with wheels on the bus but they are chronologically 13 and are growing a mustache! I bring variety in subject matter and genres with focus on the appropriate developmental skills. There is a time and space for musical preferences but that should not define the totality of music for that individual.
I also bring joy and excitement along with my instruments!

I agree with the above comments about autonomy and agency for all beings. We can create safe spaces to be completely themselves and express their musicality.

[Courtney McDonald]

For me, this week’s information really brought home my personal journey with this material. I learned this material originally in undergrad (as we all did), revisited it in graduate work with a small amount of experience, experienced the stages from the parental perspective, and now reviewing it all with many more years of experience and the emotional connection from clients and my child. I can better appreciate the complexity of each stage and the awe inspiring changes that occur. It is a reminder of my own growth as well.

The musical connection to each stage become more clear with each review and breakdown of skills. Skills that are not overtly musical but are tied to musicality start to stand out in greater relief. Every aspect of development can contribute to the overall musical being of each human regardless of where they are on their developmental journey. As someone who works with children who have more severe disabilities, I experience the earliest stages of development over a much longer time frame. A deeper dive into the later stages (48-60) months was a great refresher because I do not experience that in my practice on a daily basis.

[Courtney McDonald]

Hi, My name is Courtney and I live in Northeast Pa. I graduated with a dual degree in music education and music therapy from Elizabethtown in 2006. I interned at Matheny Medical and Educational Facility in New Jersey. My career has taken me all over the USA from Nevada and California back to the east coast in Maryland and Pennsylvania. My main focus in both education and therapy has been children. I have taught at public schools, mainly with ages 4-13. In additional to being the music teacher at many of these schools, I also serve as a music therapist to the students with disabilities both self-contained and integrated classrooms. I completed my Masters of Music Therapy from University of the Pacific in 2011.

I am currently teaching K-6th grade music classes at a public school along with two self-contained multi-handicapped classrooms ages 5-12 and two Kindergarten Autistic Support classrooms ages 4 – 7.

I am the only music therapist in a 50 mile radius so connecting with others is hard. I am looking forward to gaining knowledge and professional interactions.

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