[Christina Wood]

5 words: Fun, Rhythmic, engaging, playful, surprise

It’s ok if your child chooses to observe, he/she will participate when ready/comfortable. It is ok for your child to explore the room as s/he is gaining independence. If your child isn’t vocalizing/singing don’t worry as s/he is taking it all in and will most likely sing/hum these songs at home. Your child is taking in all this information and the environment around him/her. If your child chooses to face outward, that means s/he is ready to see the rest of the group which is exciting but it’s ok if h/she chooses to face you still too.

Gathering/greeting: Hey Hey Come & Play!; Bonding: Horsey, Carry Me; Songs About me: Just Like Me; Instrument: Dancing in the mIddle; Movement: March with my Baby: Goodbye: Thank you Very Much

[Christina Wood]

Kim: Yes! Keep the music going 🙂 So often we become too dependent on our guitars (or other instruments) when many times just using our voices (and/or body percussion) is more than enough

[Christina Wood]

Sammie: I think you’ve been doing a great job with the daycare & a big piece of what you mentioned is that if you’re not modeling, they may stop (especially if there’s not another adult/teacher in the room modeling)

[Christina Wood]

HALLY: I never would have thought about tone bars or chimes for this age for transitioning…good idea!

[Christina Wood]

ANGELA: I LOVE your bucket drum comment….we have some and don’t really use them & never would have thought about them for this age group, but you’re right–they’re the perfect height!

I have also used the smaller djembe or tubano (Remo Kids) to help kids stand at this age but that’s a perfect/cheaper option 🙂

[Christina Wood]

I’m excited to try/purchase some of the instruments that Meredith & Elizabeth have suggested during our call the other night. In general for this age (and many ages) I love the kids (red-rimmed) ocean drum. In this group setting it might not be as appropriate but for 1:1 I love it for so many reasons!

In this group setting, definitely the chiquitas (large and small), I also love buying mini rattles (for gifts) which I noticed were just revamped to finally not have holes on the top to get slobber in, so now we can use them more in groups (probably more for SM1). We definitely need some more frame drums though and look forward to using those more (we have a few of the Lynne Kleiner baby drum that does work well). I also love my parlor (smaller) guitars for kids this age to let them explore touching, feeling & playing

[Christina Wood]

I think too many times kids are overstimulated (well society in general actually!). Creating a space for them to walk into where we are fully present in the moment to make music, inviting them in with the caregivers/parents, allowing them to explore instruments as they settle in & make their nest yet then provide structure for starting with “hello” and moving throughout the group with high & low energy, constantly observing the needs of the kids and adjusting accordingly. That’s the beauty of music therapy is that we are constantly assessing are they overstimulated with more rhythmic activity in this level, more instruments, more movement, etc. Validating that it’s ok if they are overstimulated and adjusting/modifying and giving the parents some tips/tricks during the group would be valuable. But I also think that transitioning the group/kids down at the end is crucial which is done by a book or something less stimulating before singing goodbye.

[Christina Wood]

It’s fun to read through everyone’s words/validation for group participants 🙂 And I really love how so many people stressed the importance of the caregiver’s voice…it really is something that people forget about

[Christina Wood]

I just realized I never added my session outline:

Gathering: Gather ‘Round Babies & Today’s a Beautiful Day
Bonding Song: Wiggly Jiggly Car (this is one of my favs that I remember from many years ago that EKS taught at a conference!)
Songs about Me: Just Like Me (I love the body-part identification…2 eyes, nose, etc)
Instrument Song: Sit with Me & Shake (using maracas…can’t wait to buy some of those yellow ones you recommended)
Movement: As Big a Can be & then cooldown with a book (I LOVE books as a transition!)
Goodbye:

[Christina Wood]

5 words: Nurturing, Bonding, Engaging, Swaying, Peaceful

5 sentences: You are welcome to participate at whatever level is comfortable for you & your baby with vocalizing just like you did or simply swaying/rocking back & forth. Notice how your baby reacted by turning her head towards you when you started humming! Your baby responds best to your voice & doesn’t care how wonderful/silly/bad you think you may sound…your voice is the best voice. Your daughter is exploring her own voice and having fun babbling with those sounds…great job imitating! It is ok if he has a confused look on his face right now…this experience is new and that is ok.

[Christina Wood]

ANGELA: I agree that becoming a parent is a game changer! It was validating but also gave me new perspectives too in my work

And yes…the ocean drum is amazing!! It is my #1 gift to give at baby showers for many of the reasons you listed. 🙂

[Christina Wood]

I have always loved working with babies and consider this my area of expertise & passion clinically in the hospital. I love empowering parents to be parents, helping calm/soothe an upset baby, teach a nurse how to promote self-regulation, and more. Once I had my own babies my love for this age was solidified but also became aware of additional tips/tricks and ways to share knowledge and understanding in how music can be used in the home. I think it took me a while to realize though that just the simple use of voice is so important (and often necessary vs using guitar or ukulele) with this age

One of my favorite things our team gets to do is participate in the NICU follow-up clinic where we basically do “neurodevelopmental check-ins” with NICU grads. The patient/family stay in one clinic room and a whole team of people (neurologist, RN, SW, PT, OT, SLP, dietician and MT) all rotate in & out of the rooms sometimes at a very fast pace. It gives us an opportunity to share with parents/caregivers the importance of using music in the home for many different reasons and explain the research & science behind it in a simple way that helps them understand

[Christina Wood]

SAMMIE: So glad you got to hear about the pyramid model from Meredith 🙂 Being creative & thinking outside the box on how we can continue to support community needs is always my goal for our team

[Christina Wood]

ERIN: co-existing is great for neurotypical & other children with developmental/cognitive needs.

[Christina Wood]

My viewpoint and understanding of community-based music therapy has shifted greatly in the past 5-10 years. As music therapists we have a ton of knowledge & skills to share with the world, including those that may not need “music therapy” per se. Offering music therapy in a more community-based setting, such as a daycare, wellness-based class or early childhood music class with the influence and skills of a therapist, grief-based music offerings, drum circles facilitated by a music therapist that is informed on how to support changing needs, etc. I get really excited in thinking about how we can empower people of all ages & abilities, including “healthy individuals” to more intentionally utilize music in their lives

Our team offers quite a few community-based music therapy offerings now and I am excited to see how it continues to grow to serve the unique and changing needs of the community through music

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