[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

I feel like I definitely have another edge to my skill-set as a music therapist now that I hope to use moving forward. I also feel like I have some great resources and options for how to use this information. I agree with Jaycie that I don’t yet feel like I’m an expert, but I’m looking forward to marinating in the information, learning the songs even more, and starting to think about the best way to use this information going forward.

[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

I am excited to be able to have this information to use and share as I search for employment here in my new city! Prior to this training, my experience/knowledge of music in early childhood was limited to coursework and 1-2 practicums. most of my direct MT experience is with older adults and palliative/hospice care. So this is definitely an added area for me, which I think will be beneficial in allowing me to be versatile with various populations.

Just in driving around town getting things done associated with moving, I’ve noticed several childhood centers, know some folks who work or have worked with preschools, church schools, daycares, etc. and who have indicated that there is likely a lot of interest in music therapist led classes. I am excited to investigate those opportunities more.
I’m excited to tell other of my music therapist colleagues who work with children about this training. I really value that it’s designed by music therapists FOR music therapists, and I think my colleagues would as well.

[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

I am excited to be able to have this information to use and share as I search for employment here in my new city! Prior to this training, my experience/knowledge of music in early childhood was limited to coursework and 1-2 practicums. most of my direct MT experience is with older adults and palliative/hospice care. So this is definitely an added area for me, which I think will be beneficial in allowing me to be versatile with various populations.

I’m excited to tell other of my music therapist colleagues who work with children about this training. I really value that it’s designed by music therapists FOR music therapists, and I think my colleagues would as well.

Just in driving around town getting things done associated with moving, I’ve noticed several childhood centers, know some folks who work or have worked with preschools, church schools, daycares, etc. and who have indicated that there is likely a lot of interest in music therapist led classes. I am excited to investigate those opportunities more.

[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

I have gained so much knowledge during this training!! I think the thing I’m most looking forward to utilizing are the wonderful songs and techniques. I’m also excited by the thought of working with typically developing children so as to enhance my understanding of what milestones are expected at certain stages of development. Since I’m not a parent myself and have not worked with children a ton, this will definitely be a good thing to gain some more experience in.

I am interested in becoming a Sprouting Melodies provider, but I’m not sure if I’m in a great stage of my career to do that quite yet. I’d love some input! I’m newly relocated to Atlanta, GA (as in 1 week ago!) and, as yet, have not found a job. I don’t currently have my own practice, or anything like that and no real knowledge on the ins and outs of how that works, either. Maybe that would be a first step with Sprouting Melodies to follow?

[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

1) Keep the music going as much as possible! I have found this to be SO helpful in my brief experience working with young ones. Using musical transitions (either planned or spontaneous, if needed) keeps the flow of the session and maintains the attention of the little ones. I’ve found that when I stop the music for a time, attention is interrupted and the kids will find other places to focus their attention. 2) I agree with what others said about proximity, as well. As Beth & Meredith mentioned during one of the trainings, I’ve found that using the guitar isn’t needed with young ones nearly as often as with other populations – and there’s the added benefit of allowing you to be a bit more mobile as needed (for assistance in any way with the kids or parents). 3) Finding ways to fit the kids responses into the activities has worked well for me – for the child and for the parent. Maybe the child isn’t doing exactly what a lot of the other children are doing, but finding a way to incorporate that action into the activity can be helpful – even if it’s just something as simple as acknowledging the movement, etc. that the child is doing in a positive way. 4) I completely agree with what Amanda said about the way you phrase instructions. I remember being taught in my work with young ones that if you give them a choice by the way you word something, you have to be ready to accept the choice they make (e.g. “Can you put away the maraca?” “No!”)

I found the information on class size very helpful – thank you!

[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

Family Sprouts:

5 words: Bonding, Collaboration, Flowing, Sharing, Understanding

Session Plan:
Gathering: Sit down with me (I love this one for a transition into the beginning of the session as it gives clear instructions and gets everyone primed and ready)
Hello: Come on, let’s make some music
Bonding songs: Hold on Tight (appropriate for younger and older children as they can partake of the movements to varying degrees – emphasis on the “ohhhh” part can vary according to developmental levels) & Can you see me?
Instrument Songs: I Like This song (I love this song as it leaves the children totally free to determine the complexity of their instrument play on their own)
Movement (can hold onto instruments): Dancing in the Middle & I can move around
Cool Down: The leaves are falling (allows a natural decrease in the energy level and caters more toward the younger ones)
Goodbye: Music Time Is Over

Sprouting Melodies 3:

5 words: Engaging, Active, Versatile, Support, Dynamic

Session Plan:
Instrument Exploration (with plenty of options for instruments that are “2-handed”)
Gathering: Sit Down With Me (the strong rhythm of this one is so enticing for getting attention and getting everyone in sync)
Hello: Hey, y’all (original song)
Body Percussion: All of This is Me
Bonding: Swimming Together
Instrument song: You play a little (increasing interactions with others in the group)
Movement song: Will You Come?
Cool Down: My Brand new Friend (using scarves or other less stimulating objects (i.e. not tambourines, etc.) and to follow up on the inter-play between peers that was touched on during the instrument song)
Transition to Goodbye: Music Time is Over
Goodbye: So Long! (original song)

[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

My immediate reaction to this question is that these two things are not mutually exclusive, and it’s actually rather challenging to define what makes them different!

To me, music for development focuses on broader goals. I think immediately of musical elements that work with the development of the child: anticipated surprises, dynamic ranges, pitch ranges, rhythmic complexity. Introducing more of these elements as we follow the progression of the child’s development. Supporting the growth we can see and coaxing additional growth. Also the interactions of the children with the music – interaction with their caretakers, peers, their own body (movements), etc.

Music for skill building makes me think of very specific goals that are addressed through other facets of the music: content of the songs (academic skills, counting, colors, etc.), following directions embedded within the music, using that functional language within songs as Beth and Meredith have spoken of. I think a great example of this is what Beth touched on as far as the use of books and using the presence/use of books within the music to work on building the skill of literacy.

But I think that one of the great things about this program is that it’s very clear that the music being used and the philosophy of the program works toward these two things almost simultaneously – which is why I think it was a little bit of struggle for me to differentiate the two within this framework!

[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

I also don’t have a lot of experience in leading multi-aged groups (at least for children!), but I’ve been reflecting on it some. I agree with LOTS that others have said: the continual reading of the room, working to not overwhelm little ones while still engaging the older ones, and using modeling and helping behaviors from the older kids to facilitate interaction with the younger ones. This discussion relates a lot to the one last week regarding over-stimulation. I think it’s a real challenge to have music that is stimulating enough for some more developmentally progressed kids while not over-stimulating the lesser developed children. I am a person who tends to err on the side of caution, too, so I think I’d lean more toward engaging more developed children in helping, modelling, etc. I also really liked what Beth said about using the “Goodbye” to really gear more toward the younger ones – it’s a little bit more natural to do so at that part of the session than during, say, the movement part of the session. I also really enjoyed seeing the adaptability of the bonding songs part – I typically automatically think of those songs as being more subdued and gentle, but the adaptations she mentioned for the kids who are ready to move a bit more opened it up even more to me.

I will also say that, during those times when you do need to focus on a child who is in a different area developmentally, if that means that another child isn’t being stimulated enough in the moment, perhaps that’s an opportunity to work on practicing or introducing those real-life/social skills of waiting your turn, being patient, etc. That in itself isn’t damaging to the child and, while it can cause some struggles in the moment, I think it’s helpful to keep in mind that it’s necessary work for the child as well – even if it’s not quite as fun.

[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

5 words: Movement, (Anticipated) Surprises, Energy, Exploration, Changes

5 sentences:
1 – Your baby is at the point where anticipated surprises can be really fun for them – and for you!
2 – That is fine if your baby goes outside of the circle or explores other areas of the room – this is part of the process of gaining more independence.
3 – We really want your baby to experience the feeling of these movements and rhythms – try placing your hands on the outside of theirs to help them experience the movement and rhythm of clapping.
4 – Your baby is starting to create a sense of independence but they still need that sense of security that comes from being close to you – that’s why we’ll be doing a mix of songs that focus on interactions between you and your baby and other songs that focus on interacting with the group.
5 – It’s possible that your baby could get overstimulated if we continue with all really high energy songs – let’s slow it down a bit for a rest.

Sample Session Plan:

Instrument Exploration using appropriate items such as little drums, shakers and maybe some scarves as well. Use some embedded songs about playing instruments to facilitate exploration as everyone gets settled into the group.
Hello song: I have a hello song that I’ve written that I think would work well with this group – greets each child by name and says hello.
Lap Ride/Bonding: Hold on Tight followed by Wiggly Jiggly Car. Emphasize the surprises in these songs more as the babies learn to anticipate them.
Instrument Play: Sit with me and Shake (with shakers) followed by In my little hand
Gross Motor Movement: March With My Baby (higher energy with movements like jumping, etc.) followed by a slightly less energized movement song such as Pick Your Hands Up High (with scarves)
Cool Down: Can You See Me using the scarves used in the last movement song.
Goodbye: Music Time is Over

[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

I also really agree with most of what others have listed, especially the “err on the side of caution” statement. I feel like that is a personal philosophy of mine, particularly in a situation like this. I also have to understand that when I actually get into the room and we’re in the middle of a group, there is a whole lot more stimulation occurring than just me, my singing, and some instruments. There are lots of kids crawling/walking/running around, too! And I think all of those things can easily combine to turn into something a bit more overwhelming than perhaps one would think it might be during session planning. So I totally agree with all of the statements about reading the room and adapting in the moment – something that we, as music therapists, are already really used to doing.

[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

Since I haven’t worked with this age group before, I don’t actually have any instruments that I use currently. All of these responses are great information, though, for starting to build an instrument library!

[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

I actually had a GREAT experience with this age group just this past weekend when I met my brand new twin niece and nephew. They are about a week old! And I really used that opportunity to put some of what we’ve talked about into practice. I sang quietly to them using a fairly narrow range and watched how they responded with their eyes and their bodies. I prided myself that neither of them startled while I was singing (because I’ve been told that I can be pretty loud – even when I don’t realize it)! I also used some very gentle rocking and swaying motions. I can definitely understand, after that experience, that parents may not be convinced that their babies who are that young are connecting with the music. The responses are SO subtle that I can see how important it becomes for us as the music therapists to be constantly pointing some of those responses out, reassuring the parents that their baby is responding normally, etc.

[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

I think that music therapy in the community is a fantastic thing. In thinking about how it relates to Sprouting Melodies 1 – the community feel as a support to the parents feels very similar to group process in mental health. Having members of the community make up the group allows for parents to see so many things: that they’re not alone in their struggles, that others who have had similar struggles now have progressed out of that stage and they will too, sharing resources and strategies, seeing the progress of other children in the group and being able to look forward to progress in their own child, etc. And the use of MUSIC in these groups takes all of this to a whole other level – one that allows for increased bonding (with others in the group and with their child) among many other things. And for the babies at this young stage – music is the perfect tool to use with them in order to connect and bond before language development is really there. As we know, music seems to be innate through the rhythms of the body (beating heart, breathing, etc.) and so it makes sense that music can be a kind of window into a child’s being before other avenues are accessible.

[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

The 5 words I came up with to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 1 are: subtle, bonding, articulation, affect, quiet energy.

In coming up with the 5 sentences to use with parents, I tried to envision different situations that might come up during a group. 1: “Do you notice how your baby is moving her/his eyes toward the sound/vocalizing with you/babbling (etc.)? She/he’s really connecting to your music.”
2: “It looks like your baby might be a little more fidgety than in past sessions – someone might be ready to move a little more! If you’re comfortable, see how she/he responds to standing or using slightly bigger movements.”
3: “Your baby is going to respond to your voice the most, so really sing to them!”
4: “Repetition is so important – and your baby’s sense of trust will grow as she/he learns and knows what to expect from these songs. Take these songs home and use them there, too!”
5: “Your baby loves your touch and these gentle movements and soothing, quiet sounds can really enhance bonding and trust between you and your baby.”

In thinking about potential session “plans”, I was thinking that Sprouting Melodies 1 might be a great group (during the body percussion time, etc.) to incorporate some elements of baby massage.

[Jacquelyn Blankinship]

Since I’m not currently working with children or families, I’m trying to think about this from the perspective of offering early childhood classes in my soon to be new city of Atlanta. Since I’m not there yet, I’m not quite sure about what the needs of the families will be quite yet. But I imagine that in a city as large and diverse as Atlanta, the needs will be also be diverse. According to my research, there are several established early childhood music groups throughout the city that are facilitated by folks of varying backgrounds and professions (including a good number of music therapists) and using many different approaches (including some Music Together – which I think we’re all familiar with – and quite a bit of Musikgarten – which I had never heard of).

I appreciated the exercises in this module to think about what music therapists bring to this field and – but separately – what I, myself, can bring to this field as a music therapist. Those are different things, but they tend to get muddied in my mind sometimes and separating them out has helped me to clarify my vision. I think this will help me in identifying the needs of my soon-to-be community and how I can fit into helping to fulfill those needs.

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