[Christina Wood]

In working with newborns in the Awareness phase it’s so interesting to just observe them as they become more aware and to help parents understand how and why music is so important…especially their own voices! I am constantly telling them their child doesn’t care what they sound like and that the baby would rather hear them than me no matter how good or bad they think their voice is 🙂

I also remember when my oldest son moved into the responsibility phase and starting “writing” his own songs…so much fun! He still sometimes sings his made-up song about police officers.

[Christina Wood]

My personal upbringing was in a small farming community. I was raised in a Lutheran church so many old hymns & Bible songs (Amazing Grace, Holy Holy, Jesus Loves Me, etc) are familiar and comforting to me. I still love much of this music and find myself singing it to our boys. I recall mostly country music playing in our home (and some 70s folk too).

As for the communities where we work/serve: primarily white lower-middle class with many religious believers (Lutheran, Catholic, etc). However, we are definitely serving more diverse populations in the hospital (middle-eastern/Arabic, Spanish, Amish-German speaking, Hmong, Somali). We continue to try to learn music of theirs or empower the parents/kids/families to teach us. However, it does continue to amaze me that often times the traditional children’s tunes (Twinkle, ABC, etc) carry across cultures and languages.

As for the older/adult patients we serve the music is diverse: old country & polkas to classic rock, rap, metal, folk, traditional hymns, praise & worship, and everything in-between! It keeps our team on our toes for sure!

[Christina Wood]

Angela: Good reminder that biting isn’t defiant behavior….its from pain or sensory seeking needs. And yes! Short & simple answers to the million questions they ask 🙂

[Christina Wood]

Lots of great take-away/reminders in this week. Although I have two boys of my own, sometime working with sick kids I forget what “developmentally appropriate milestones” are when you never see a healthy child. I think a big theme that others have noted is how society wants kids (even this young) to grow up so fast. Reminding and empowering parents what is developmentally appropriate. One thing I noticed with our own son recently was using alternating feet on the steps….It’s soo cute! Also remembering that moral concepts are not always understood at the 3-4 year old level is important.

[Christina Wood]

Samantha: I sometimes find it interesting when I work with “typically-developing children”. I find myself forgetting at times when I observe my kids or other healthy kids meeting developmental milestones (or in my case when my son wasn’t and finally did….). I think it is so important for us to have a grounding it what is “normal development” before we work with medically fragile or other neurologically/developmentally diverse children.

And yes–stranger danger is real. And you make a good point how the 1st thing strangers want to do is talk to (and touch!) a baby. Having spent much time in the NICU for work, I always find myself asking first if I can touch/hold a baby because you never know if they’re immunocompromised or not. But finding a way to build rapport with babies quickly is something I pride myself on at work….I used to think being called a baby whisperer was somehow demeaning and now I love it! YES…please page me when your baby is fussy…I would love to help them self-regulate and give you a break 🙂 And better yet…let me empower you to use your own voice (and music) to do the same thing!

[Christina Wood]

Kim…isn’t it interesting how our life experiences shape us, inform us & help us be more aware & compassionate?

[Christina Wood]

I have always had an interest in children (particularly a dream to work with hospitalized children, which I have been blessed to do). Children fascinate me, along with their resilience, their brutal honesty, sense of curiosity, furious love, and JOY! While I would have told you I always have felt like I had a strong understanding of child development, being in the middle of raising two crazy boys has humbled me and they continue to teach me every single day! So I think my constant love for children, experience working with hospitalized (and healthy) children, and being a mom is definitely a strength of mine and it continues to inform my practice as a music therapist each day. I also think one of the best things we should do as parents and professionals is to HAVE FUN! And Be Silly!!! The kids love it and it’s good for us too 🙂

[Christina Wood]

Oh my goodness!!! THREE Wartburg grads…how awesome is that?!? WOOHOO!! Looking forward to getting to know you Kim. #GoKnights!

[Christina Wood]

Hello everyone! I am Christina Wood & the owner of Healing Rhythms Music Therapy (www.healingrhythmsmt.com) in Rochester. MN. My husband graduated from nursing school last year & we just built our forever home on a lake and are raising our two boys (ages 6 & 2) so we’re constantly embracing the chaos with young boys, our golden retriever & cat.

I am a graduate of Wartburg College & St Mary of-the-Woods College. My clinical work has primarily been in pediatrics, but has also included hospice, palliative medicine & research. At Healing Rhythms I lead a fabulous team of 10 board-certified music therapists provides services across 18 counties in greater southern MN and we have over 30 community partners that we contract to provide services for beyond our own clinic. We just added a hospice massage therapy position & I have the most wonderful office manager that keeps us running smoothly!

I have wanted to do this training for awhile and just sent 3 staff through it this summer and now am doing it myself. We have offered a variety of our own early childhood offerings in our clinic over the years and I want to standardize and educate our team on what we are providing to our communities. I’m excited to learn and get this program running for our communities 🙂

[Christina Wood]

Done! 🙂

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