[Elizabeth Carras]

I have used each of these 4 categorizations of musical experiences. I have worked providing music enrichment programs to area preschools in the past, and the school specifically asked that each music class include gross motor movement, instrument playing, and fingerplay as three separate experiences.
I try to structure music experiences to cross or combine the four mentioned in this training – for instance, I play and sing a song using high pitches for the first verse and low for the second, and ask those that are in later developmental stages to move their scarves high in the air or low by their feet or on the group, depending on what I am playing. This involves listening and for those in the Responsibility level of listening to music, they can organize and structure their musical responses to reflect what they are hearing. Children in the Independence level can observe their peers moving to the music in these different ways and explore those movements for themselves, regardless of whether the movements match the current pitches. And those in trust can experience moving their whole body to the music and practice manipulating this new object of the scarf.

[Elizabeth Carras]

Singing:
– Awareness: The child uses pitch in vocalizations and mirrors changes in facial expression when an adult carer vocalizes different vowel sounds.
– Trust: Child can match pitch with some accuracy, and can implement changes in own vocalizations to mirror others.
– Independence: Begins to babble in the presence of vocal music, can match pitch to what they are hearing.
– Control: Can follow general melodic contour of a familiar song (ascending pitch in first phrase of Row Row Row your boat, descending pitch in the “Merrily” section, even though they are not staying within one tonal center)
– Responsibility: Can reproduce the melody and rhythm of familiar songs, enjoys repeating familiar songs over and over and over to demonstrate what they can do.

Playing Instruments:
– Awareness: Child reaches toward music or reflexively grasps small instruments.
– Trust: Child accumulates a pile of like instruments, and seeks around the room to make sure they have found all the bells to add to their pile.
– Independence: Child intentionally chooses instruments based on the contrasting sounds, e.g. switching between a drum and a bell to explore the different quality of sound or exploring how to tap or rub sand blocks to make different sounds.
– Control: Child initiates striking a drum at suspended phrase endings.
– Responsibility: Child can sustain a steady beat and change how they are playing to match the tempo, volume, articulation of others.

Movement:
– Awareness: Child initiates sucking when music begins and sustains sucking response for a longer duration when music is present.
– Trust: Child reflexively moves his entire body when hearing music; not necessarily on the beat, but is in response to music.
– Independence: Child imitates others in a music group to pat knees, reach up high, or stomp feet along with the music.
– Control: Child recognizes the familiar song that mommy sings when helping the child wash her hands, and the child rubs hands together or walks toward the sink when that song is heard.
– Responsibility: Child can recall and replicate organized movement to music, such as motions to The Wheels on the Bus or The Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Listening:
– Awareness: Child orients toward the source of sound (instrument, voice) when the music starts or stops, or changes in pitch, or a particular vocal timbre.
– Trust: Child demonstrates relaxation response when listening to a soothing familiar melody.
– Independence: Child demonstrates dynamic shift in facial expression or movement in response to changes in the quality of the music.
– Control: Child stops moving watches a peer or adult respond to music, and begins to mirror these responses.
– Responsibility: Child takes turns playing and listening, or engages in the call-and-response structure of a song.

[Elizabeth Carras]

I love having children of varying musical developmental stages in my early childhood music classes, because it presents a great opportunity for scaffolding. If one child is helping Mom play a drum in a mostly steady beat (trust level), and another is not showing much interest in the instrument but is attentively watching their peer play (awareness level), I love being able to tell parents, That’s alright – your child is learning through observing the other child, and interacting with music, and the world, in a way that is comfortable for him/her right now.

[Elizabeth Carras]

One of the biggest culture shock moments for me during my internship at a pediatric hospital was that not everyone knows what I thought of as “children’s music”. I discovered that the music therapy clients in the 3-7 age group had never heard The Wheels on the Bus or Row Row Row Your Boat, but knew every word to Nikki Minaj’s pop songs. Partly for that reason, when we do early childhood music classes in our community, we do self-written embedded songs but also include teaching songs like Hickory Dickory Dock or the ABCs, simply because children in our community aren’t hearing them in their homes.
There are certain songs that I notice parents are more likely to join in singing when used in class, such as Shortnin’ Bread or Oh Susannah, ones that I classify as American Folk Songs.

[Elizabeth Carras]

When I was first starting out with early childhood music groups, I struggled a little bit with “gathering/greeting” type songs, because many of the ones I knew had the words “Good morning,” but classes were held in the evenings and I felt very silly singing, “Good morning” at 5:00 pm. I tried adapting the songs I knew by substituting “Good evening,” but that felt very stiff and not as welcoming as good morning. I finally found that “Welcome” – or “Oh, welcome” if you want to use a three syllable phrase – works really well, as does “Hello there.” Maybe because of that experience struggling with “good morning,” I really liked the “Are You Ready for Music?” example, and also one that I heard Beth present at conference that has the lyrics, “Come along, sit down in the circle, come and sit down with me!”

[Elizabeth Carras]

I have really appreciated the ‘ages and stages’ type review of development. The last time I went over this information I was still in school, and looked at everything as facts and numbers to memorize. Now, reading/listening about each of the developmental stages I picture my clients and my niece. This week’s content really brought child development ‘to life.” and I’ve loved the music class tidbits thrown in – applying the knowledge as I take it in! Also really helpful to have suggestions of how to approach questions that parents frequently ask.

[Elizabeth Carras]

Hello! My name is Liz Carras, and I work for a private practice called Arts for All based in Mansfield, PA. I primarily provide IEP-based music therapy services through public school districts in the area, but Arts for All also offers early childhood music classes in the community.
We have our own curriculum for these early childhood music classes, developed by my boss, Julie. She was at one point a certified Kindermusic instructor, but made the decision to drop the trademark to make classes more affordable to our clients in this rural area. I have experience doing music therapy with young ones through my internship at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, but I am really looking forward to this Sprouting Melodies training because I want to learn more about child development specifically as it relates to music therapy and group music classes. I’m hoping that this course can help me become a better provider for these community based services!

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