[Elizabeth Gifford]

@Kristen
Isn’t that so cool how a simple conversation can open up so many doors?! I’ve had similar occurrences with parents of piano students requesting music therapy at their place of work or helping connect me with program coordinators at facilities that are really difficult to get that initial communication started. Congrats on starting a new contract!

@emma
My discussion with the administrator was really a music therapists dream discussion! I have worked with him a few times this past year in volunteer events so he was able to see what I could offer and he received really good feedback from kids and parents who were a part of the music activities I facilitated. Because of that, he has been completely on-board with whatever music classes I was willing to offer, even without me having to advocate for them. While we were discussing what the classes would look like, the executive director of the museum asked for more clarification about what music therapy is and how that is different than the Sprouting Melodies program. That opened the door to advocating for music therapy and also being very clear about how the Sprouting Melodies program is music therapy informed, but not clinical music therapy. They were both very receptive to everything I said and excited about both my music therapy work and the Sprouting Melodies program. They even started suggesting other groups in my area that I could connect with to potentially open more doors to music therapy programs.
I really don’t think there was anything in particular I did to make the conversation go well, it was more a matter of waiting for the right opportunity to present itself and then being prepared to take it. All of our discussions on the forum really helped me have my thoughts organized so that I felt confident in answering their questions clearly and concisely.

[Elizabeth Gifford]

@Jessica
I also worked with children during my internship and wish that I knew this information then! Going along with what you said about coming to new awarenesses about yourself as a music therapist, I think this course taught/reminded me that it’s ok (and really good) to be present in the moment without thinking about what you’re doing next or mentally rehearsing the next song/what to tell parents/etc. I get so caught up in planning and thinking ahead that I forget the best connections can happen when you are present in the moment!

@emma
It sounds like you’ve been really busy networking, connecting, and researching! It seems like there are a lot of really exciting possibilities opening up for you!

[Elizabeth Gifford]

I have been very fortunate in that I was approached by the Children’s Discovery Museum in my community to begin providing early childhood music classes just as I was finishing this training! I am looking forward to beginning facilitating those classes as a Sprouting Melodies Provider and seeing how the program grows in the future!
I am not sure in what other ways this training will impact my work as a music therapist, but I am sure that it will come up as I continue growing my business.

[Elizabeth Gifford]

I have already had one instance of sharing some of the Sprouting Melodies information with the administration of a facility when discussing the possibility of beginning Sprouting Melodies classes in their facility. They were very open and interested in hearing about what makes this program different from other early childhood music programs and how these classes are music therapy-informed without actually being clinical music therapy. It was a challenge for me to explain it all succinctly, but it was also quite fun to be able to use the information I’d learned in the past 10 weeks to expand my work!
In sharing the information with families, I liked the idea of frequently providing handouts about music therapy research to families involved in Sprouting Melodies and would be interested in carrying that idea to include FAQs about the Sprouting Melodies program or about early childhood development. It could be handouts, social media posts, or free presentations given in the community, any of the options Meredith discussed in the videos.
In sharing the information with colleagues, I would imagine the most prevalent way to share the information would be in sound bites as applicable to the situation. This would mean that I would have to be very familiar with the information and able to recall and disseminate it at a moment’s notice!

[Elizabeth Gifford]

I think the most effective way I have found to encourage every child to be successful is to make sure I have thought through and created a thorough session plan before beginning. When I am confident in my memorization of the songs, the flow of the session, ways to discourage or encourage certain behaviors, and backup plans for when the session doesn’t go as planned, I have found that it is easier to be in the moment with the students and provide opportunities for success because I can devote more of my attention to those areas rather than trying to remember what I’m supposed to be doing next. Even though I know this, however, it is still difficult to make myself plan everything beforehand rather than procrastinating and waiting til the last minute.

@emma
I like what you said about encouraging small successes in the kids that are more shy. I always tended to be that kid growing up, and it always made me feel special when someone took the time to notice what I was doing well and comment on it. As a therapist now, I can see how much easier it is to notice and comment on the outgoing kid’s actions, but I also remember how much I appreciated being noticed as a shy kid too.
In response to your question about what language to use, my experience is pretty much all with autistic kids. Some of the kids respond better to redirection (we are playing maracas right now, etc.), but some of them respond better to being told “don’t” or “no.” This could be due to what they are more familiar with and what their parents and teachers use with them. I try to use positive language, but if they continue doing the behavior, I will eventually use “negative” language and explain why they need to not be doing whatever it is they are doing. I’ve gotten mixed results with doing that, so I’m not sure how effective it is.

@destiny
I like what you said about offering choices and opportunities for kids, but also acknowledging their non-verbal communications. Like Meredith said on the video, offering choices even for kids who aren’t able to respond verbally, can be an effective way of re-engaging them with the music.

[Elizabeth Gifford]

I am looking forward to being able to provide services that my community is currently lacking. I met with the program director of the Children’s Discovery Museum last week, and he told me that he has been receiving a lot of feedback from parents that they want a music class for their children, and our area does not have anything like that for the community. To my knowledge, the only music class offered is through the Early Childhood Intervention for children with delays. I am very excited to begin offering this program, seeing how the community responds, and seeing how the program will grow in the future!

@destiny
I concur that I also feel more knowledgeable and confident after completing this course! I was discussing with a friend what I was learning about early childhood development, and was surprised at how much more I had learned and remembered that I thought I would!

[Elizabeth Gifford]

Sprouting Melodies 3

5 words:
• Choices
• Action!
• Personality
• Emotions
• Push and Pull

Plan:
• Gathering/Greeting: “Sit Down with Me” I like how this song has a strong beat and also provides opportunity for pauses to engage the children.
• Bonding: “My Brand New Friend” I love how this song prepares children to transfer what they’re learning in music to life outside of music class. Also how the structure makes it easier to play with different people, which might be more difficult for the shyer kids.
• Songs About Me: “Where Is the Music” As @emma commented, the chant format can make it easier or more encouraging for parents to join in, while the driving beat and varying dynamics are very engaging for children.
• Instrument Songs: “You Play a Little” I think the wide range of notes provides a good contrast from the previous songs while the back-and-forth of you play and I play keeps the kids engaged.
• Movement Songs: “Will You Come?” The familiar melody can be welcoming for parents to sing along while the driving beat really grabs children’s attention.
• Goodbye: SM Goodbye song

Family Sprouts

5 words:
• Variety
• Modeling
• Sharing
• Cooperation
• Joyful

Lesson:
• Gathering/Greeting: “Come and Join the Circle” I like the engaging rhythm that is also steady for the younger kids. I also really like the opportunity for adding harmonies for any parents that are musically inclined.
• Bonding Songs: “Hold On Tight” I think this would be very interesting to facilitate an older child doing this with a younger child.
• Songs About Me: “All of This is Me” I like how Elizabeth said she could sing it differently for the older kids after going through it with the younger kids. That provides such a good opportunity for the big kids to “show off” and really feel like they are grown up and have more skills.
• Instrument Songs: “I Like This Song” It would be fun to encourage the older kids to dance/play with the younger kids in this class and the free structure of the song would be very encouraging for that.
• Movement Songs: “I Can Move Around” This is a familiar melody for me, which would make it easier to learn and begin implementing.
• Goodbye: SM Goodbye song

[Elizabeth Gifford]

I think my biggest challenge with running a family group class would be in keeping the kids engaged while also keeping up the conversational tidbits to the parents about what is developmentally appropriate for their child. It seems to me that this would be easier in the classes where all the kids are at about the same developmental level because what I say to one parent could easily be transferred to another parent. In groups where the kids are different ages, I envision it being mayhem… It may not end up being as difficult as I’m thinking once I actually get into doing it. I think it would also be easier if the families have been through other levels of the class before coming to the family class, that way they are already familiar with the structure and some of the music.

@Kristen I can’t even imagine planning for a group with that much flexibility! Kudos to you for doing that!

@Melissa In the classes you went to with your daughter, were there any other family members that went as well or was it just you and your daughter?

[Elizabeth Gifford]

I was quite confused by this question at first but loved reading all the responses as they made complete sense and bring up some excellent points! I agree with @melissa that music for developmental support is about supporting natural developments and progressions whereas music for skill building is to help elicit actions that aren’t occurring naturally. And as several other people have commented, it all depends on where your focus is. Music for skill building happens when you are focusing on reaching the end goal. Music for developmental support is encouraging the actions and reactions that are naturally occurring. For myself, it is difficult to imagine working with typically developing children since so much of my work is centered on non-typically developing children.
@destiny In doing group sessions with autistic kids, I frequently have to remind the teachers that it’s ok if their students aren’t doing exactly what I ask them to or have modeled for them. Sometimes it can be ok for them to just observe for a while to see what is going on, and that can help them with their development.
One of the things I’ve talked about with parents, and people in general, is the concept of mirror neurons that we learned about a while back. I love being able to have the words and reasoning to explain why observation before action can be so developmentally beneficial.
@emma That can be so frustrating when people have unrealistic goals for others. It makes me wonder if they’ve really come to terms with what is happening to their loved ones or if they are still in denial in some way.

[Elizabeth Gifford]

I like using shape drums, egg shakers, jingle sticks, and the cabasa. The cabasa I have is one my brother got many years ago and hasn’t used for a while. It’s a great sensory instrument and has a variety of sounds, but mine is too big for kids younger than 4-5 years old. I think my shape drums and egg shakers are Remo. Most of the instruments I have were gifts, so I’m not entirely sure what the brands are. Most of them seem to be pretty good quality in the make and in the sound. @melissa I agree that they have to be well-made in order to tolerate the sound at high volumes or for long periods of time!
@jessica Have you had issues with the kids in your groups trying to eat the fruit shakers? Or is it just the typical mouthing that all kids do?

[Elizabeth Gifford]

As everyone has already stated, finding the right balance of stimulation varies depending on the kids in the group and their energy level that day. I attended a session at conference a few years ago where the speaker talked about how she had to change the contour of her session to match the energy level of the students who were coming in from the playground versus those who were coming to music therapy after taking a nap. I love that the songs from Meredith and Elizabeth have the flexibility to vary the energy and stimulation level based on the needs of the kids in the moment, which really allows for utilizing the iso-principle as well.

@melissa I like how you pointed out that we will need much more than 6 songs to fill a 45-minute session. I don’t particularly enjoy session-planning before the fact, but once I start planning I find it more enjoyable. And then when I get into the session, I am very thankful for all the advance work I did!

@kristen I also find myself making up songs in the moment! Usually because I can’t remember what song I was planning to do next, or the session went in a very different direction than I was planning. For some reason, I find it much easier to make up songs in the moment rather than writing them beforehand.

[Elizabeth Gifford]

I have three nieces and a nephew all under the age of 4 years, which has given me some experience with this age group. My two youngest nieces are 7 weeks apart in age, so it is quite fun to see one of them mastering a skill just as the other is starting to explore it! My oldest niece and nephew are 7 months apart, but have developed at very different speeds. My nephew seems to be at a more advanced level for his age, while my niece is on the slower side. Watching them grow and learn new things at different rates is an excellent example of what Meredith and Elizabeth have talked about with kids developing at their own speed and how important it is not to compare them to other kids. Watching my nieces and nephew grow has given me a real life example of the different speeds and ways in which typical kids develop. I think this will help me recognize red flags as I begin working with more kids in the future.

@Melissa
I totally agree that it is so fun and exciting to view the world through kids’ eyes! I tend to be overly sarcastic and cynical at times, and spending time with my nephew is a great reminder to take joy in any and every little thing!

@Kristen
That’s so interesting that you were able to work with kids with developmental delays as well as typically developing kids! I can imagine that gives you a good idea of the contrast in kids’ developments as you are going through this course.

[Elizabeth Gifford]

5 words:
• Soothing
• Connecting (Bonding)
• Relaxing
• Supportive
• Refreshing

5 sentences:
• “Try holding and moving your baby in different ways to find what works best for you and your baby.”
• “See how your baby responds to your voice by looking at you, smiling at you, or moving in response to your voice!”
• “Your baby was so relaxed and soothed by your voice and cuddling that they fell asleep!”
• “Try moving your baby in different planes, up and down/forward and back, to see how they respond differently.”
• “Watch your baby’s face to see how they respond when you rock them, smile at them, and sing to them.”

Plan:
• Gathering song: “Hello” song where you only sing the word “hello.” This will be more easily attainable for the parents and help ease some of the tension/awkwardness of singing around other people. The focus is on the beat or rhythm of the song and connecting with your baby. It also sets the stage for providing space in the music for parents and babies to relax and take their time.
• Bonding song: “Row It Faster” lyrics are “Row, row, row your boat; gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream. Row your boat a little bit faster, row your boat a little bit faster, row your boat a little bit faster, time for us to go, go, go. Row your boat a little bit faster, row your boat a little bit faster, row your boat a little bit faster, now let’s go slow. WHOAAAAAA.” As an already familiar song, it can help parents feel more comfortable with focusing on moving and bonding with their child rather than trying to learn something new. The second section can also show parents how they can change the words or tempo of the song to keep their child engaged and interested.
• Songs About Me: “Just Like Me” lyrics are “You have two eyes, just like me, just like me, just like me. You have two eyes, just like me, just like me, just like me!” After the first two songs being focused on the connection between the parent and their child, this song can begin introducing awareness and connection with other people in the room.
• Instrument Song: “Sit With Me and Shake” lyrics are “Sit with me and shake, yeah. Sit with me and shake, yeah. Sit with me and shake, yeah. I like to shake with you.” Moving from “Just Like Me” to “Sit With Me…” reinforces the connection between the child and the parent as it moves from recognizing similarities to doing similar activities together.
• Movement Song: “As Big As Can Be” lyrics are “I looked in the nest and what did I see. A little bird growing big as can be. Growing up, growing up, growing up as big as can be. Growing up, growing up, growing up as big as can be.”
• Goodbye Song: SM Goodbye song lyrics are “Bye-bye music time is done, bye-bye music time is done, bye-bye music time is done. We’ve had a really great time, we’ve had a really great time. [Sigh] But now we’re done. [Sigh]”

[Elizabeth Gifford]

In my community, there are music classes offered for children below the age of 3 years through a program called Early Childhood Intervention. One of the ladies who runs the class is an acquaintance of mine and while she is not a music therapist, she is very skilled and gifted in music and working with kids. Other than this program, I don’t believe there are any other music classes offered for young children, nor are there many people available and/or willing to offer classes for young children or kids in general. Even the piano teachers in my area have commented that there are more and more teachers retiring and few to no young people coming to fill their spots. As one of the first music therapists in my area, I am finding that there is a higher demand for music activities-classes, therapy, lessons, etc.- than there are people to meet the need. I think that music therapists are especially well-prepared to fill that need due to our training in including people of all ages and individualizing it for each person so that everyone feels special and involved; as well as our training to be flexible and adaptable to many different situations.

[Elizabeth Gifford]

@Emma
That’s a good idea to connect through the YMCA! I had thought about the library already and started looking into their programs, but I never considered the Y.

@Elizabeth
I also struggle with setting rates and pricing. I had thought about doing a sliding scale as well, but got overwhelmed with trying to figure out what would be a good rate and how to determine what the sliding scale should be! I’m fortunate that my clients so far have not had any concerns about my rates, particularly since I mostly do private pay – no insurance. Another good/bad factor I face is that there are no other music therapists in my area. So I have no competition to be concerned about stepping on their toes, but there is also no way I can meet all the needs of the area by myself!

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