[Debrah Evans]

First, I’m hoping to share this information with administrators and leaders in the community through presentations and workshops, until I am able to find a place that agrees that this will be a great program for the community. Within the program, I plan on talking to the parents about. Once I establish a program in my community, I’m looking forward to keeping parents up to date with the newest research in the field with monthly newsletter, and through the help of social media. It will be some time before I start this, but I can’t wait to educate the teachers and parents at the preschool where I am currently working and to tell them about all this new knowledge that I’ve gained over the course of this course!

[Debrah Evans]

This training has really given me a better understanding in early childhood development and the unique ways that music can help them to grow. I’m excited to take this knowledge and apply it to the intergenerational groups and preschools that I work with to help form connection between the residents and the kids, and how to use music in a way that supports them developmentally. I’m looking forward to using the songs and knowledge that I’ve gained throughout the course and I am excited that in planning new sessions and activities, that I no longer feel lost in leading groups of children. Overall it’s given me a new perspective on how to use music in early childhood and of community music therapy programs in general.

In the future, I do hope to join the Raising Harmony/Sprouting Melodies community as a provider and work within my own community and use early childhood music therapy to advocate in the field as a community leader.

[Debrah Evans]

I think that making a group successful involves being very prepared and having your “music therapy toolbox” well stocked. If so, you can change to a song that will still benefit the whole group, but can engage the child who is not participating by bringing in something that they like as well. I think incorporating sign language and working with smooth transitions helps to make children more successful. Additionally, if you find that a child isn’t engaging (and it isn’t for a developmental reason), I think a little extra 1:1 time in the group can be very beneficial. As a group leader, we can try to engage the child by giving them a little extra attention by having them help model. Additionally, it helps to find more about the child and what their preferences are so that they can be more engaged, and also employing strategies that work for them in other settings.

[Debrah Evans]

In explaining to a parent, I would make sure to explain the difference in what music educators do, versus music therapists, versus a Sprouting Melody provider. I would explain that groups run by a music teacher are focusing on using music to develop musical skills with any other benefits being secondary. A music therapist would be doing a group more clinically – using music to work on non-musical goals involving specific goals and interventions, and then charting on them for each person individually, similar to how a physical therapist would use exercises to work on a busted ankle. As a Sprouting melody provider, we aren’t charting on each individual child, but are just working to choose music to match the child developmentally and to encourage a relationship between parent and child. In Sprouting Melodies we are working on overall wellness and community development as well, where if it was just a music therapy session we would just be working on the individuals.

[Debrah Evans]

Going forward, I’m glad that I took the course to get a better understanding of children developmentally in and outside of music, and understand the many and different ways that music can support development and connection with a child.

As a Sprouting Melodies provider, I would hope to create opportunities for low income families to be able to participate in a developmental music course like this one because not only does it promote bonding (which can be hard for a family struggling financially due to parents working), but it also helps provide them with resources for appropriate developmental questions which they may have and not have access to knowing due to time or financial constraints. Additionally, I look forward to being not only a music leader in the community, but a leader in my role as a music therapist which overall helps advocate for the field.

[Debrah Evans]

Singing:
Awareness: can start to imitate sounds, has no tonal center,
Trust: Explores sounds including imitating pitch (glides) and timbre, Vocalizes on a few to show pleasure or disdain for activities, makes purposeful pitches vocalizations and starts to match pitch, uses descending intervals
Independence: sings repeated sounds, sings descending, uses glissando, M2 present, starts using varied vowel production, no tonal center
Control: produces discrete pitches, can match pitch, sings interval up to Major 5th, imitates words before pitch and rhythm, sings spontaneously and some standard songs, and use dynamics
Responsibility: better matches pitches and tonal center, uses melodic contour, can sing whole song, can shout and whisper, loud and soft and major and minor, independent sings

Instrument Playing:
Awareness: Can look toward instrument, can start to grasp toward instrument (but not necessarily grasp instrument.
Trust: explores instruments with hands or mouth, picks how long to play, can grab and hold instrument
Independence: which instruments, how to play and how long to play. moves from one hand to the other, moves body rhythmically
Control: call and response can be used, match temp and dynamic, likes to pound and bang, choose instrument with size, color or shape, can imitate rhythm
Responsibility: maintains instrument within group, can group pattern of rhythms, listens to other people playing, can maintain steady beat, can sequence instruments

Listening:
Awareness: Can discriminate timbres in voice of parents and pitches, responds differently to different types of music, can tell change in melodies
Trust: recognizes familiar melodies (and changes), follows descending melodic contour
Independence: develops favorite songs, can sense (and match) intensity of music, start to understand structure and predictability
Control: follows melodic contour, imitates pitches and rhythms, hears songs structures , hears tempo and dynamics
Responsibility: can listen to others, can imitate rhythm pattern of peers, can listen and learn song

Movement:
Awareness: responds differently to different types of music, can move in simple rhythms, rhythmic movement is instinctual
Trust: starts using pulse and meter, uses repetitive movements in music, rhythmic movement but no necessarily with music
Independence: grasps at instruments, starts to get pulse and meter, whole body is rhythmic, and single parts can move rhythmic
Control: dances on own to music, fast internal rhythm, imitates learned movements
Responsibility:remembers movement sequence, can follow directions, and interact with peers

[Debrah Evans]

I think that everyone above mentioned a lot of the difficulties that can arise from groups with diverse developmental levels. It’s about a balance of keeping every developmental level engaged and not overstimulated while still managing to promote the relationship that brought them to the group in the first place. Additionally, you have to consider each song and how it could address the needs of each child, because if it is too challenging for one dyad, it could dis-engage those children as well. I think like a few people mentioned above, it is great when the older kids can help and b leaders, and I loved what Victoria said about it teaching the older children empathy.

I think that what a few people said as using the music as an opportunity to help support parents, and to use the group as a community support for parents as well, and I loved what Courtney offered about checking in with each parent to make sure that the group is helping to meet their needs and expectations as well.

[Debrah Evans]

SM3: Independence, Social, Dynamic, Movement, Creative

SM3: Gathering: Good Morning followed by Sit Down with Me, Bonding: Hold on Tight follow by My Brand New Friend, Embedded Song: This is the Way We Read a Book followed by Hand Hand Finger Thumb Book-song Instrument Song: You Play A Little Movement: Will You Come? Goodbye: Thank You Very Much followed by a Parody of Goodnight Ladies – Goodbye Everyone with each child’s name in the song.

Family Sprouts: Connection, Play, Joy, Leadership, Levels

Family Sprouts: Good Morning, Bonding Song: Row A Little Faster, Songs About Me: Just Like Me with Older Kids helping younger siblings Instrument Song: In My Little Hand and Music is the Way Movement Songs: Will You Come? Goodbye: Thank You Very Much followed by a Parody of Goodnight Ladies – Goodbye Everyone

[Debrah Evans]

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 2. Write 5 sentences you can use when speaking with parents about musical responses of children in SM 2. Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in a Sprouting Melodies 2 session.

Exploring, Playful, Energetic, Independent, Discovery

1.) It’s ok if your child wanders away, but continue to try to engage them from where you are! 2. At this stage, your child may not be singing along, but they are still taking it in – don’t be surprised if they start to sing at home! 3. At this level of development, children are starting to gain control of their movements, so they might not be playing instruments the right way at first, but that’s ok! 4. If your child wanders away from you, its not that they are rejecting you. At this stage they should be exploring their own freedom. 5. Throughout the group, feel free to turn your child out to the group if they seem like they are ready to take that step to start connecting with their peers.

Opening: Good Morning (EKS) Bonding: Swimming Together Songs About Me: All of This is Me Instrument Songs: In My Little Hand and Dancing in the Middle Movement Song: Match with My Baby and Can You Follow GoodBye: Goodnight Ladies with each child’s name followed by Thank you very much.

[Debrah Evans]

In my experience watching stimulation with young children is paramount to having a successful session. As a music therapist, we are trained to watch for signs of under and over stimulation in clinical settings, and it can happen very quickly with young children. As Beth and Meredith mentioned, it is very important to match their energy while maintaining that inner calm. In general I am a very high energy person which makes it easy to match the energy level of the children, but also can lead to problems with over-stimulation. I really liked what was said in the video about mapping out energy levels in a session and being able to come together and then break out to maintain that balance of stimulation.

Additionally, in past groups that I have done, I have found I tend to stay away from guitar because I have noticed that sometimes it can be too much aural stimulation (especially with new songs). The guitar can make so many sounds and has so many tones that I think it becomes too much to take in. Sometimes the guitar works well to keep that energy and hold that space, but if you aren’t conscious of the energy level of children and how the music is matching or amplifying it, sessions can quickly get out of hand, and so I’ve most resorted to using percussion (often body because I work with older kids) and voice to help ground kids. I did like the incorporation of the surprises though because they are really just a momentarily shift in the energy of the group which can really bring a group together!

[Debrah Evans]

Currently, I haven’t worked with any children this age. With the older kids that I work with I stick to egg shakers (because they are old enough to not put them in their mouths), frame drums, and some nesting drums. In the future, in working with children this age, I would definitely invest in the maracas that were mentioned in the video that are both easily washable and weighted, and those with the rounded handle. As for drums, I think small frame drums would be great and maybe some shape drums as well. I think having a smaller set of nesting drums (compared to the big set we have at our facility) would be engaging for the kids. I’m always hesitant to use jingle bells in groups because they often have the cloth handle connecting them and I worry that they can’t be cleaned properly. As far as brand, I think Remo and Basic Beat create sturdy, washable instruments.

[Debrah Evans]

I am not yet a parent, and have had no clinical experience with this age group yet. In my experience with children this age though (from family members), I notice how fast they grow and change from one time to the next just as the video mentioned (and Tori mentioned too). When they are in their first few months I seem to remember them sleeping a lot, and remember a lot of the startle reflex occur with loud noises or changes in the visual environment. Children around the 6 month age are fun to interact and play with because they enjoy simple play of hiding (Peek a Boo) and start to mirror changing facial expressions.

[Debrah Evans]

Could you let us know as well when you find out about the songs Erika?

Thank you!

[Debrah Evans]

Write 5 sentences you can use when speaking with parents about musical responses of children in SM1. Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in a Sprouting Melodies 1 session.

Five words I would use to describe SM 1 would be: warm, connected, loving, supportive and soft.

1. Hearing your voice is beneficial for your baby’s growth and development. Don’t worry about sounding like the next American idol, but more focus on using your voice to connect and bond with your child.
2. “If you can talk, you can sing.” The best way to get the most out of this class is to sing these songs here so that you know them and can take them home to use there as well!
3. An infant in this stage of development is still become aware of their surroundings, so use a soft voice and slow movements to best engage them.
4. Your children have a field of vision that is limited to 12-18 inches in front of them, so don’t be afraid to get close!
5. This space is a safe one for not only your child, but for you as well! Bring whatever you need to make yourself and your baby comfortable, and don’t be afraid of feeding, or changing a diaper during the group because your baby feels safest when his/her needs are met.

Transition with soft recorded music of familiar child songs and songs used in the group. Opening: Good morning to you! Followed by Today’s a Beautiful Day with each child’s name. That is followed by Row It Faster with rocking and then Hold On Tight. For a song about me I would adapt Have you Ever Seen a Lassie to Have You Ever Seen Mommy(Daddy etc) using the scarf to hide followed by Just Like Me and All of This Is Me. Cool Down would be a familiar children’s tune such as The Itsy Bitsy Spider. The Closing would be a parody of Goodnight Ladies with the names switched for each child and a common refrain for Merrily We Roll Along followed by a few sighs.

[Debrah Evans]

When I first started doing clinicals, I really questioned the role of music therapy in working with normally developing preschoolers and older adults. I didn’t understand how our role was different than that of a music teacher or activities therapist until much later in my clinical practice because the role of music that I had was almost prescribed. I was under the impression that to do music therapy, clients had to have a medical need (one that isn’t only for wellness), so that music could “fix” whatever problems they had. Due to the structure of our medical system, I had this misconceived notion that music therapy should be reserved for those who are sick or have a disability. A lot of this changed when I did my clinical at the place in which I now work full time.

In doing music groups with older adults, I realized the value of using music for overall wellness. Even if someone doesn’t “need” music, music in a therapeutic setting is extremely valuable. Because of the universal nature of music as a human trait, it has the ability to connect people and motivate them to grow. In the same manner that individuals use music to motivate them to run on a treadmill, music groups can motivate people to connect with others around them to grow socially, emotionally, and in the case of early childhood – developmentally. As music therapists, we know how to make music individualized: to tailor it to promote growth towards wellness in many domains instead of just encouraging growth musically. Additionally, music therapy is a relationship based practice which really helps foster a safe accepting environment beneficial to building a sense of community in community based music therapy settings.

Additionally, I agree with what Tori said about music being able to unite people across age as well. I really resonate with that when I see it occur within my own intergenerational groups with music as a medium to bridge the gap between all of those years and still helping each side grow. It’s one of the reasons I’m so excited to incorporate this course into my work.

[Author]

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