[Emily Seymour]

What a big question!  This training increased my repertoire and also taught me what is musically appropriate for each stage of childhood development.  I don’t feel quite ready to go off on my own just yet-  especially since I don’t have my own private practice.  From here, I am looking forward to practicing what I’ve learned from this course with the young children in the Early Intervention System.  With some clinical time under my belt, I am hoping to get to the point where I feel comfortable saying that I am an expert in this field and population.  Thank you all for the great information over these past ten weeks.

[Emily Seymour]

Since I work directly with parents, I plan to share this information with them on a weekly basis!  I have a few colleagues who work with this population and have networked with them.  To my surprise, one of them had already taken the course!  As far as administrators go, I have my “music therapy speech” ready to share in case the opportunity ever arises.  A new way to share information that I learned from this week’s lesson is to create a newsletter.  I would love to try that out in the future!

[Emily Seymour]

Simple strategies I’ve used to engage clients in the past include making eye contact, using closer proximity, or verbally inviting them to participate in the music.  Having consistency and structure in your session is a great way help children be sucessful.  I commonly use adapatations in instrument play, movement, etc. so that everyone can successfully participate.  Sometimes these problems surprise you in sessions and you have to think of strategies fast!

[Emily Seymour]

As a recent graduate, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to network with fellow students.  In this class it’s been great to connect with other professional music therapists who have more experience working in the field.  As a Sprouting Melodies provider I would look forward to learning from the community of Sprouting Melodies music therapists.  What I’d look forward to most, however, is working with the infants and toddlers themselves.

[Emily Seymour]

Music for development is music that supports the process of natural growth.  When using music for development it is important to give our little ones exposure to a range of experiences.  For example, we may sing a song about body parts during a session.  We do not sing this song because we expect an infant to have the cognitive skill set of identifying body parts; but rather to give them an awareness of their body.  When using music for skill building, the music therapist must target which skill they would like to work on.  The music therapist then uses music as a tool to target and work on that specific skill.  

[Emily Seymour]

One of the challenges I face when working with multi-age groups is using music that is age appropriate for every member of the group.  Even beyond the music itself, some members of the group may be cognitively ready for certain activities while others are not.  This goes back to the idea of finding that balance and providing enough stimulation for each client.  In Sprouting Melodies, I think that tailoring the music to fit the developmental needs of each child may be a challenge since each stage is so unique and specific.  There were some great strategies in the video that I appreciated!

[Emily Seymour]

Family Sprouts:
1. Instrument Exploration   
2. Hello/ Gathering: Hey Everybody (EKS).  
3. Body Percussion: All of this is me (EKS). 
4. Lap Ride: Hold On Tight (EKS). 
 5. Instrument Play: Dancing in the Middle(EKS).  
6. Gross Motor Movement: I Can Move Around (EKS). 
7. Cool Down: From Head to Toe (A book by Eric Carle)
8.  Goodbye: Goodbye (MRP)

Sprouting Melodies 3
Instrument Exploration
Hello/ Gathering: Gather Round (EKS).  
Body Percussion: Where is the Music? (EKS)
Lap Ride: Swimming Together (EKS)
 Instrument Play: You Play A Little (EKS)
Gross Motor Movement: The Leaves Go Down (EKS)  
Cool Down: Thank You For the Music 
 Goodbye: Goodbye (MRP)

[Emily Seymour]

1. Bonding 2. Adjustable 3. Broad 4. Fun  5. Supportive 

[Emily Seymour]

1. Independence 2. energetic  3. exploration  4. interactive 5. creative
 

[Emily Seymour]

Here are my questions for week 7:

Would you be willing to share the guitar chords for Sit with me and Shake?
What do you use to clean your instruments?
Besides Imagine, where can I find current research on this population?  What are the most interesting studies you’ve read?

[Emily Seymour]

Pre session-  Instrument exploration
Hello/Gathering:   Hey Hey Come and Play! (EKS)
Body Percussion: There’s No One Quite LIke Me  (Margie La Bella’s Music Therapy Tunes) 
(I would add movements to this based off of the text of the song)

There’s no one else quite like me. 
There’s no one else quite like me. 
Like Me.  Like me.
There’s no one else quite like me. 
From the top of my head all the way to my  toes. From the back of my ears to the tip of my nose. 
There’s no one else quite like me.

Lap Ride/ Bonding Song: Hold on Tight (EKS)
Instrument Play:   Sit with Me and Shake  (MRP)
Gross Motor Movement-  Move Your Body Along  (Rachel Rambach) http://timetosinghello.bandcamp.com/track/move-your-body-along
(^ I would adapt some of the commands for this population.)

Cool Down- Pick Your Hands Up High (EKS) with scarves at a slow tempo.
Goodbye- Goodbye Song (MPR)

[Emily Seymour]

 When working with this developmental level I would use jumbo chiquitas, mini maracas, and drums.  I think it would be neat to try using a floor piano mat with this developmental level to give some sensory input to the feet.  Personally, I would use the guitar, ukulele, and piano with these children.  I have never purchased instruments before so I’m not sure what the best brands are.  I’m looking forward to learning from other members of the group about brand names.

[Emily Seymour]

Children in this class enjoy free movement and may wander in and out of the circle during music time.  They have a faster internal rhythm and move their entire body in response to music.  At this stage, they will be looking to share musical experiences with an adult rather than a peer.  These children recognize songs and anticipate what’s coming next in a familiar structure.  These children babble with melodic intonation, but often choose to showcase their skills during the car ride home or play time instead of in class.

[Emily Seymour]

 Adventure, Experimenting, Security, Anticipation, Surprise

[Emily Seymour]

I think the best rule of thumb when it comes to stimulation is to take cues from the energy level of the child.  Like Meredith said in the video, kids who are banging against the wall have high energy and need more stimulation.  If you used that energy in Sprouting Melodies 1 however, this stimulation would frighten the child.  As music therapists, we need to be watching for cues of stress and overstimulation.  The last thing we want to do is provide too much stimulation and cause the baby to associate Sprouting Melodies with a negative feeling.

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