[Daniel Henry]

I’m lucky to work at Roman Music therapy services with Meredith and hope to have the opportunity to lead a Sprouting Melodies group in the future. But This training is also helpful in working with my current clients. I believe that one area that it has already helped me in is communicating with parents and caregivers. It’s a great help to be able to effectively communicate with parents/caregivers about how music therapy is helping their children and how their children are doing in the session. This has allowed parents to trust me as a clinician and I have certainly noticed how once the parent trusts my judgement and leadership they are much quicker to participate and model for their children which makes such a difference in getting their children engaged in the music and makes the sessions more effective over all. I’m also looking forward to continue my learning about early child development now that this course has come to a close.

[Daniel Henry]

I think I plan on sharing by advocating music therapy services to families I meet and one’s I already know. I’m reminded of what Meredith said in this week’s presentation about how you don’t get unless you ask. Since this is such a great resource for parents asking whether they would be interested in services doesn’t feel unwarranted, intrusive,or as if I’m selling a product, but rather offering a great asset to parents should they desire. I think I also visiting areas in the community that are frequented by families (such as coffee shops or grocery stores) could be a great place to post flyers about Sprouting Melodies.

[Daniel Henry]

Here are some strategies that I find really helpful:
Use the music to engage the children. Music is the easiest way to redirect a child and get/maintain their attention.
Express to the parents how their children are engaging and praise the successes.
Have a solid understanding of the behavior and expected responses for each developmental age/level.
Encourage participation/modeling from parents. Having the parents participate and engage with their child helps tremendously!
Keep lines of communication open with parents to better understand their child and their needs.

[Daniel Henry]

I am most looking forward to observing the children engaging in music and growing as they progress in Sprouting Melodies. I am also excited to seeing the bonding that will happened between parent and child through music. It’s really such an honor to be able to provide an environment and opportunities for parents to connect and bond with their children and have fun. I’m also excited to grow in my leadership and skills as a clinician. This course has really provided me with a lot of knowledge and tools and now it’s up to me to practice and put what I have learned into practice.

[Daniel Henry]

5 words for Family Sprouts: inclusive, Flexible, Cooperative, Joyful, and Supportive

5 words for SM3: Accepting, Creative, Active, Enthusiastic, and Deliberate

SM3 Session Plan:
1.Gather round 2. Where is the music? (Chants will make it easier for parents who feel uncomfortable with singing to participate) 3.Swimming together 4. My brand new friend (encourage parents to model by interacting with other adults in the class) 5.That all makes up me 6.You play a little 7.The leaves are falling 8.Time to go.

Family Sprouts:
1.Hey Everybody 2. Row it faster 3. Wiggly Jiggly Car 4.Where is my face?(Parents can help younger participants while older ones can participate independently and with others) 5.That all makes up me 6.I like this song 7.I really gotta jump(Parents again help younger participants who need assistance) 7.Music time is over

[Daniel Henry]

Music for development is using music to meet the child where they are developmentally and providing them opportunities in the music to engage in a way that encourages their developmental growth in a variety of areas (language, cognition, motor, etc.). Music for skill building would be more focused on a child’s skill in a particular area through music. For example building vocabulary or learning the names of the states or alphabet through a song.

[Daniel Henry]

Meeting the children’s needs without alienating anyone is one is a challenge that I see for multi-age groupings. It’s important to have a good session plan and songs/activities that offer opportunities for engagement and activity for all the children regardless of their age group, but it’s also important to have flexibility to meet needs as they happen in the moment. The resources and songs given in this program is like an awesome tool box for my sessions that I can go to and use to better meet the needs of the children in my sessions.

[Daniel Henry]

Energetic
Playful
Explorative
Timbre variety
Surprise

1. In SM2 we are going to be helping your child grow in their language and communication skills, their motor planning , as well as their social development.
2. Often times at this stage in development these children are observers and really absorb what they are seeing and then give it back to us later at home or in the car. Don’t worry they will eventually display that activity here in the group. It’s a very typical and natural part of development.
3. As you help your child jump make sure their feet are landing firmly on the ground so that they can remain certain about their position in space. we really want to help your children organize their body not disorganize it.
4. It’s okay if you’re child does’t quite follow the directions given. It’s really about allowing your child to make their own musical choices and observing the adults so that they can mirror that activity.
5. Your child is starting to play instruments on their own! they can really play the maraca and hit the drum and explore these instruments on their own now.

Hello Everybody
Wiggly Jiggly Car (child can begin to choose other laps than their caregivers if the like)
That all makes up me (child is beginning to perform movements on their own)
Sit with me and shake (child can be in lap of care giver or exploring the room)
I’m gonna march with me baby (child gets some bonding time with caregiver)
Goodbye song (Thank you very much)

[Daniel Henry]

I think that the therapist really does need to be in control of how much stimulation is going on within a session. Overstimulation can happen for a number of reasons, be it overly excited or energetic participants or playing instruments, like drums, that can easily generate a lot of volume and sound. I think that the therapist should always be be easily heard to give instruction and prompts, and I think that stimulation should not be at a point that a participant begins to fell anxious or uncomfortable. This can vary from group to group and it’s the therapist job to really be aware of the group and it’s dynamic as we as each individual in the group, making sure that the environment being created is an inclusive one where all participants can be comfortable and free to join in the music making.

[Daniel Henry]

I typically use shakers with handles that are not a choking hazard (i.e. egg shakers) and that are easy for the children to grasp. I also have a djembe drum, paddle drums, jingle bells, tambourines, and wind chimes. West music is a great resource and I always have my eye out on amazon or ebay for good deals to keep my instrument collection growing.

[Daniel Henry]

1. 5 words to describe the music experiences in SM1:
– Bonding
– Adaptable
– Trust
– Supportive
– Fun!
2. 5 sentences for parents when talking about musical responses in their children:
– I want to encourage you to sing along because your child recognizes your voice and will respond to your voice more so than anyone else.
– Don’t worry if you’r child continues playing when the music stops or maybe doesn’t play their instrument when the music starts. Often times this is just their way of interacting with the music. They are just saying “I want more!” by playing their maraca.
– At this point your child is in what we call the “awareness” stage. Their going to prefer consonant or happy sounding music and they are going to interact with the music by turning their attention toward or maybe away from the music.
– Other children might be entering into the “trust” stage of musical development. Here they are going to start moving and recognizing familiar songs. They’re going to explore instruments in different ways and even create spontaneous melodies.
– I encourage you to sing because that’s going to be the easiest way to learn these songs so you can use them at home with your kiddos.
3. Session plan for SM1:
– Hello today is a beautiful day (go through each child in the class by name and have the adults touch their child when their names is said.)
– Come and sit with me and clap your hands (Child in the lap of caregiver)
– Row it faster (Child in the lap of caregiver)
– Wiggly jiggly car (Child in the lap of caregiver)
– Sit with me and shake (Care giver assists child playing instrument if needed)
– That all makes up me (Caregiver assists child in identifying parts of body)
– Where is my face? (each adult puts scarf of their face first and then a verse where the child gets the scarf on their head)
– As big a can be (Caregiver lifts child up)
– Goodbye

[Daniel Henry]

Music therapy allows for opportunity for parents to bond with their child, to learn tools that can be used at home to encourage health development with their child, gives parents resources they may not otherwise have access to, and allows them to make connections with other parents and children in their community that they may not have otherwise met.

[Daniel Henry]

I have had family and friends with children of this age and level and it’s been very valuable in getting an understanding of how they interact with the world. Just last week I had dinner at a friends house who has a little one who is now 10 months old. She’s now crawling on her own and playing independently. She still gets some separation anxiety, but can be separated from her mom and dad without becoming too upset. It’s been great to learn about her development and see those developmental milestones reflected in her.

[Daniel Henry]

I was able to us “Are you ready for music?” with a group I do with children of with varying diagnosis in East Boston. The tune did a great job of introducing music and, as Elizabeth said in the video, creating a forward momentum into the music. The song was simple enough for parents to easily sing along and participate as well. I was able to incorporate different actions into the lyrics, such as “clap your hands,” “Stomp your feet,” and “do a dance.” I will definitely use it more in future groups!

[Daniel Henry]

My most valuable take away from this week’s module is learning about the specific milestones in each stage of development and how to observe them in and out of music as well as what might be red flags that a child might have some delays. This information will allow me to help parents understand their child’s development and assist with developing strategies meet their child’s needs in music and at home.

[Author]

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