[Greta Yates]

Five words I think of are: Bonding, Arousing/Alerting, Emerging, Gentle, and Relational

Five sentences-
1: Your baby can recognize the changes in voice quality.
2: Your baby prefers familiar voices such as mom and dad.
3: Babies will begin to calm/relax with lullaby style music vs playful music
4: Babies will begin to produce and change pitches in response to singing.
5: Babies will begin grasp a shaker for short periods of time but not sustain the grasp.

Session Plan:
Greeting Song: Today’s a Beautiful day (Sing to each baby individually)
Bonding Songs: Riding in the Car (Music together song)-Lap bouncing song
Just Like Me (Caregiver identifying body parts on baby and themselves)
Instrument Play: I like this song (small tambourine)
Movement Song: As Big as Can Be
Calming/Relaxation: I know a baby (caregivers providing attributes while rocking)
Goodbye: It’s Time to say goodbye (waving, saying each name)

[Greta Yates]

I have been working in medical pediatrics for 6+ years. I worked with children as young as 32 weeks to 26 years old, but my census is often children under 4 years old. When not in the NICU, I often use a ukulele or just my voice as a guitar is bigger and can take away from natural movement and being more in the moment. I have varied experiences with caregivers as sometimes they are just exhausted, needing a break, engaged with other staff, or not present. We receive many referrals for younger patients whose families cannot be present as often. When I work with infants, I do give parents education on using music to promote deeper sleep, relaxation and calming. I also give education on when and when not to use music. In my practice I have not given much education on development related to music because my focus is often not broader development. If a child is more well and the purpose of the consult is for development/physical activity, I do give education about how music may support these goals just as PT or OT does.

With children at the hospital who fall more into the SM1 age, the goal of music therapy is often comfort. I will use action songs, gentle patting rhythm, and gentle touch to promote calmer states. This is often an age I do cotreat with rehab more regularly because we both recognize how music can promote greater engagement, prolong participation, and promote comfort allowing rehab to achieve their goals and have longer sessions. I use a variety of shakers and shiny tambourines to promote reach/grasp and exploration. I cannot use items such as scarves given infection risks.

[Greta Yates]

I think having a music therapist lead community classes can provide families so much more than entertainment and ‘something to do.’ we have the additional training in development, family dynamics, and group dynamics that will provide families more “bang for their buck.” Families can not only bond with their child and learn new ways to interact with them, but have more insight into development and how their child is changing and developing. Also we can provide so many different sensory experiences in music therapy that music therapists can simply provide so much more in a single class. As a working mom, I know I’d prefer a community class that can hit more levels of engagement instead of having to do many different classes

[Greta Yates]

Sorry if this is duplicated! My forum went weird…

At the hospital, family needs can be diverse. Sometimes families just need a break: a chance to get food for themselves, do a load of laundry, or just get out of their room. Sometimes families want to see their child engage in typical developmental play and see them be a “normal” kid again. Sometimes families also just need new ways to interact with their kid in new environment and how to safely engage with a younger child when they have lines/g-tube etc. I collaborate almost daily with rehab and with their guidance and my expertise speak with families about how their child can still safely play. </p>
<p>I did a quick google search and found that the community music classes offered are really only available M-F. I think there is a need for potential weekend or early evening classes so families who work M-F can engage more in the community offerings.</p>
<p>I also think the community would benefit from low resource ways to interact with your child. I feel more and more young children are using technology/TV and parents can be overwhelmed by everything targeted at them. You don’t need THE best things to play with your child or to promote development. Your child doesn’t need 100s of toys and a child will actually play longer and more independently if they have fewer options. Social media is warping what is truly beneficial and parents (myself including) can get caught up feeling inadequate or that they’re doing it wrong. </p>
<p>Music is a very accessible and affordable medium. Musical instruments can be affordable and access to recorded music is easier than ever. In the hospital music is a safe space, a place for children to play for play’s sake if that is what we need. Sometimes with patients my goal is to simply engage, explore, and to be a kid, especially following medical trauma.

[Greta Yates]

This course has made me want to engage more as a mom in community offerings. After a day at work, I want to be mom not my daughter’s music teacher/music therapist. Because of this course and my base of knowledge, I feel I’d be picky and be sure to pick a music therapist’s music class because I know the interventions are selected with such intention! Not sure I’d openly admit to the MT that I’m also an MT though 🙂

[Greta Yates]

I agree that saying music therapy for a community based music class will likely deter families because the average consumer wouldn’t understand and think “my child doesn’t need therapy.” I think it was an interesting point by Meredith when she said to consider using center vs clinic. I know if my practice at the hospital I typically just say “do you want to do music.” Therapy can have such a negative connotation in the hospital. This was true for adults when I worked adult medical as well. They don’t have to know they’re doing music therapy to reap the benefits!

[Greta Yates]

I think we as music therapists can teach families different ways to engage with their children in an easy, non threatening, and approachable ways. For example, an imbedded song is brief, short, and spontaneous. There are no expectations and yet it is a great way to bond with your child and just be present in the moment. We understand the development and children’s needs in a way different than a traditional music class. I think we have a unique skill to empower parents and also highlight development.

As a newer mom, I know how much “stuff” is targeted to me that my child “needs.” As Meredith and Elizabeth said, there is SO much we can do with a few instruments. We can help families recognize that you don’t NEED everything to promote development and that purposeful play doesn’t need to be expensive or stressful.

[Greta Yates]

I have not led early childhood groups in quite some time. My work in pediatrics is 1:1 and we did not offer groups in hospital even prior to covid. When I used to lead groups, I was influenced by strategies from Music Together and mentored by colleagues and friends who worked more in school and group settings. I made sure to have a variety of musical experiences and create a natural arch to my session so children could warm up and then in a sense ‘cool down’ before the session was done. So for example ending with a musical book or relaxation and not with an energetic gross motor intervention. I still use this model in 1:1 visits and try to have the final songs be without instruments/visuals to assist in the transition out of the session.

Since beginning this course, it’s really informed and helped reinforce my observations of musical responses. I can get caught up in my head that I don’t know enough action songs. This course has reassured me that anything can be movement/action and it doesn’t need to be a complex multiverse song to be effective in promoting movement. If anything, it should be repetitive! I use Head/Shoulders a lot in my practice, but I actually use it to promote comfort with touch as patients often have to be poked and prodded. My goal through using that song is to safely allow touch in an expected and structured way. I’m also beginning to use more pause/silence across all age groups to promote different responses for both singing and listening. These levels and differentiations in musical outcomes has just been so helpful to identify the different successes a child has in a session. They may not do the actions or sing, but they stopped and listened or made eye contact which is all part of the process. I remember early in my career how formative it was to learn that children learn/practice in stages. They will watch you, they will practice alone, and then they will come back and do it with you. This course has been as formative in my approach.

[Greta Yates]

Sing
Awareness: Imitate a modeled pitch
Trust: Vocalize in tonality of song
Independence: String two pitches together for an interval
Control: Sing a phrase using three or more pitches
Responsibility: Sing familiar songs using melodic contour

Play
Awareness: Alter movements in response to sound
Trust: Reach out to touch instruments
Independence: Grasp maracas or jingle bells and shake
Control: Grasp mallet to play an instrument
Responsibility: Alternate hands to play shaking instruments

Move
Awareness: Make repetitive, rhythmic movements with body
Trust: Move body parts with internal, rhythmic beat
Independence: Use body to rock or bounce rhythmically
Control: Isolate body parts to move rhythmically
Responsibility: Play rhythm pattern on two handed instrument (eg triangle)

Listen
Awareness: Show pleasure towards music in environment
Trust: Adjust vocalizations to indicate happiness or displeasure
Independence: Attend to favored music despite extraneous sounds
Control: Stop action to listen to music
Responsibility: Accepts music suggestions of others

[Greta Yates]

What’s your opinion of that resource Maggie?

[Greta Yates]

I also really liked this song and am excited to use it in my practice! It is an ear worm and the relatability for children also seems very sweet.

[Greta Yates]

I sang “Coming to Get You” to my daughter a few times yesterday. She immediately had a big smile and reached out for my hand while I did it. I’ve been concerned about new repertoire and seeing how simple and short these songs are while still be effective was reassuring! I’ve felt concerned that some of my songs are too short, but this was a great reminder that effective music does not need to be overly complex. I’m going to try to focus on being more being in the moment, reflecting what I’m seeing, and being more spontaneous.

[Greta Yates]

I wonder if he was actually in the “independence” stage as he could recognize the familiar song even with the change in timbre and has a clear preference. As someone who likes when things are all explicitly labeled, these fluid ranges are certainly more challenging for me to conceptualize!

[Greta Yates]

What fun it must be to overhear her singing about her day and exploring her own voice! This new way of looking at musical development makes me want to go home and look closely at my daughter and just think differently about how she is perceiving and engaging with music! As she hears Spanish songs all day, I know I need to expand my repertoire more to engage differently with her though!

[Greta Yates]

Forgot to say that my daughter appears to be in the ‘independence’ stage. She also knows to shake and play her shakers and tambourine and plays her piano-though like a drum!

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