[Ian Crawford]

There is so much so share and so many people to share with! I think my first step will be to check if there are any SM providers in my area. I haven’t heard of any, but I haven’t really looked yet. Since I don’t plan on becoming a provider in the near future, I won’t exactly be doing marketing in my area, but I will definitely be sharing my excitement about SM with local MT’s and through my incorporation of these songs and concepts in my work, my co-workers will also be hearing about it. And who knows, once I get a feel for the local market, maybe I’ll change my mind! I definitely feel much more confident after this course!

[Ian Crawford]

Although I may change my mind down the road, I do not currently plan to become a Sprouting Melodies provider. I started a job working in early childhood about 5 months ago and plan to stay put for a while. That said, the information in this course is already impacting my work in a positive way. So far, what’s helped me the most is all the information on the developmental levels. It’s helping me speak more articulately to parents and other professionals about music therapy, and I feel more confident in my approach to the classrooms I see each week. I’m looking forward to going over all of my notes and re-reading the book so all of this great info will really sink in!

[Ian Crawford]

Somehow this post slipped through the cracks last week! I think I wrote it and then closed the browser before clicking ‘submit.’ Sorry it’s so late!

SM3 5 words: Playful, focused, empowering, accepting, active

FM 5 words: Adaptable, playful, engaging, spontaneous, fun!

SM3 session: Set up the room with instruments ready to be played. Depending on the atmosphere, maybe using embedded music, following by the usual sequence of gathering song, bonding song, songs about me, instrument song, and movement song, incorporating opportunities for individual responses and ideas during each song. I might use a large gathering drum to share for the instrument song and ask for ideas for how to play the drum. The movement song would incorporate marching while playing instruments (or just marching). The goodbye would use functional social language and be interactive between peers to support social development.

Family sprouts would be very similar, with even more room for adaptation. I would provide more opportunities for older children to be leaders and have responsibilities such as handing out instruments or leading movements.

[Ian Crawford]

If I decide to become a Sprouting Melodies provider, I would really look forward to working more closely with families. I currently work in a pre-school/day treatment facility that has family-centered care as one of its priorities, but there are still many cases where I never even meet some of my clients’ parents. I see one group of 0-18 months kiddos, but none of the parents are present during music time, so I don’t get to see them interact together. I would love to share these music experiences in a community setting where there is a greater possibility of communication and family interaction.

[Ian Crawford]

Considering the groups I see are only 15 minutes long with anywhere from 4-15 kiddos in each group, it can be challenging (or impossible?) to meet the needs of every child every time. Some strategies I have uses include: doing my homework by learning the ages and general developmental level of each classroom; Using songs that are adaptable enough to suit various scenarios; Constant observation of group dynamics; Spending even a small amount of time 1:1 with each child; Offering a variety of instruments appropriate for each developmental level; Offering choices regarding how to play instruments (fast, slow, tap, shake, etc).

I’m sure there are many more ways to provide safe and success-oriented music experiences and I’m looking forward to reading the other responses!

[Ian Crawford]

I would probably first explain the developmental levels and how music therapy can target skills and utilize interventions that are appropriate for each level. I might give examples of music responses and possible goals/objectives for a few of the levels. I would then explain that while we are always aware of which developmental level the child is in, we can use music to target individual skills, which in turn can lead the way to healthy development.

[Ian Crawford]

I think the biggest challenge is making each music experience developmentally appropriate for each child. It requires a lot of adaptation and thinking outside the box. It’s just as important to keep the older kids engaged and interested as it is to not overwhelm the younger ones. I don’t currently see any groups with more than a 1 or 1.5 year difference in age, but even within those groups there are sometimes big differences developmentally.

[Ian Crawford]

This is a question I’ve been asking myself lately! It’s difficult to know because it’s different with every child in every situation. To answer the question simply, I suppose it’s enough stimulation when everyone is engaged and in good spirits, and it’s too much when someone in the class is crying or withdrawing in some way. Our role as the group leader can be especially challenging when we have to balance the needs of each child when they have differing needs regarding stimulation. How do we support the children who are clearly ready for ‘more more more!’ while also supporting one or two children who are overstimulated?

[Ian Crawford]

5 words about the music experiences:
Exciting, playful, engaging,

5 sentences for parents:
1. It’s ok to let your child move in and out of the circle. This supports their movement from Trust to Independence by allowing them to choose to engage actively, observe, explore on their own, or take a break.
2. It’s ok for your child to explore the guitar!
3. When we play instruments, it’s fine if your child isn’t playing all the time, or isn’t doing exactly what I’m doing. Having those musical choices is what’s important at this stage.
4. When engaging musically with your child, observe his/her movements and reflect (or synchronize) his/her rhythms and tempo with your own movements.
5. Your child may simply sit and observe at times. Remember that even in those moments of observation, your child’s brain is still at work gathering information, and you may hear them singing these songs in the car or at home.

I don’t feel like I’ve explored enough of these songs to create a decent plan for a Sprouting Melodies 2 class yet. But I do understand the structure and I’m starting to really think more deeply about the songs I currently use in my work and how they might fit into the framework of a Sprouting Melodies class. However. tomorrow I plan to dive into the songbook and hopefully will come up with something to post tomorrow evening!

[Ian Crawford]

Ooh, fun question! My go-to instruments for this age group are egg shakers (or chiquita shakers), small ocean drums, lollipop drums, a buffalo drum, and a large gathering drum. The drums are all Remo except the ocean drums which are Hohner.

I find that the small ocean drums are really great for this age group. It’s so easy to make a sound, you can tap them, shake them, sway with them, spin them like a steering wheel, roll them on the ground, or whatever else you can think of. That said, I also can’t stand them sometimes because they are IMPOSSIBLE to keep quiet!

I’ve also recently grown very fond of the buffalo drums. So much can be done with just one drum, with or without accompaniment. The nice sound makes them so satisfying to play. I sometimes just sing a simple song and hold the drum out for each child to play one at a time. Works great for this age group (they get so excited waiting for for their turn to play!)

[Ian Crawford]

I’m admittedly not very articulate on this point, but I’ll try! What inspires me most about community music groups/classes is that one of music’s greatest strengths is it’s ability to unite people. I really loved Adrienne’s example about the high school she works at. It’s a much different experience with each age group, of course, but in every setting music can create a sense of togetherness.

In terms of early childhood, there really is a need in most communities for these types of music classes, run by music therapists trained to provide individualized classes that meet the needs of children with or without disabilities. We truly have so much to offer!

[Ian Crawford]

5 words to describe the songs: Calm, swaying, friendly, engaging, comforting.

5 sentences for parents (there are technically 7 sentences here. woops!)
1) Your baby hears your voice above all others and will gain more from you singing these songs than from us singing them.
2) Babies are aware of vocal timbre and respond to subtle changes in the timbre of our voices, so it is important to always be aware of how we are using our voices around them.
3) Babies love repetition and absorb new information best when it is repeated again and again and again. And again.
4) Although we may not always notice it, babies use pitch in their vocalizations. When you hear this, use your voice in a reflective way to support those pitched vocalizations.
5) Listening to instruments is the first step towards playing instruments. Allow your child the opportunity to simply listen if they choose not to play.

[Ian Crawford]

I may have mentioned this before, but I have had strikingly few experiences with young children throughout my life. No younger siblings or cousins, no jobs working with kids, none of my close friends have had kids… Yet, I’ve always wanted to be involved with that age group, despite being slightly terrified of those little ones! It wasn’t until this year that I finally started a job in early childhood, and I simply love it. I work with children age 0-6 years in classroom settings as well as 1:1 sessions. about 5 of the classrooms are 3 yrs and younger. When I first started, my biggest challenge was ‘how do I even interact with these kids?!’ Now I’m in the stage where I’m in awe of everything they do, and especially of the way they are in awe of the world around them. It’s so much fun watching children take in their surroundings and learn how the world works. Getting to do this in a musical setting is just incredible! And with the knowledge I’m learning in this course, I’m now starting to recognize where some of these kiddos are in the stages of development. I’m sure if you ask this question again after week 10, I’ll have many more exciting things to say!

[Ian Crawford]

I agree with Ericha that it’s hard to follow up the great comments in all of these posts, so I’m going to write this one without reading anyone else’s first! (except the first sentence of Ericha’s)

When I stop and think about it, we offer such amazing value as music therapists! We have gone through extensive training, we provide individualized services, we are trained to support individuals of all developmental levels and with a variety of disabilities, behavioral issues, etc. We are trained to adapt to the needs of the situation and we don’t flinch when something doesn’t go as planned. We can provide helpful information and support to parents. Lastly, we can provide a highly structured, yet flexible, social environment involving music, which many families are not experiencing elsewhere in their lives.

Go us!

[Ian Crawford]

‘Funding’ seems to be a common thread in these posts. With music therapy being an out-of-pocket service (with a few exceptions), it’s one of the biggest obstacles I come across. I also live in a culturally diverse community with a large population of a culture that traditionally does not accept autism as a legitimate disability, and even holds a certain level of shame around having a child with autism. I have not personally worked with families that have experienced this, but I’m aware that there is an ever-growing need for advocacy and parent support/education within the community.

[Author]

Posts