[Jen Hinton]

All great posts. It is often easy to tell when something is not quite right. When you look at your group and it’s not the developmentally appropriate exploring but is more a domino effect of behaviors causing other behaviors or notice caregivers looking stressed. I think that as MT-BCs we have the insight to assess is this because of too much stimulation/too many new things/too loud?
If a particular experience becomes really loud or out of control, then helping to bring things way down and reset could help. We need to react and change our plan to support individuals and the group as needed. I think that reassuring caregivers and adjusting to your group is crucial.

I appreciated the insight into the MT-BC presenting with authenticity and reading cues re: timbre, approach. Trying to pretend energy or enthusiasm isn’t the way to approach our role. Sometimes as a Mom or even as an MT-BC I feel like I’ve lost my energy or ability to be playful. But, so often I find it by connecting with my kids or my clients/groups. I think that for me that’s the key to showing up authentically.

I appreciated the insight into energy – that energy can mean your commitment to changing levels (ie. floor, standing up, jumping) and can also be channeled into a quiet, directed whisper/sing. We need to balance the energy that we see from our group and provide them with an adequate amount of simulation or they will create their own!

One more aspect that I think can play into stimulation/overstimulation is surprise/spontaneity. We need to balance our playful surprises so that they are anticipated. I think we can incorporate more spontaneity and changes into the group once they are established in what to expect and have a trust and confidence.

All easier said then done, I’m sure. ????

[Jen Hinton]

I typically order from West Music and favor toddler Chiquita shakers (but I am guessing the larger ones are better because they don’t fit the whole way in the mouth?!) I have some frame drums similar to the ones shown in your video and some that I use more often for older adults. I often find that they have difficulty holding and tapping on the drum so sometimes opt for a tambourine with a head to help them have more success. I have a 10″ ocean drum and small rainstick that I like to use. On the fun and spontaneous end, there’s something called a giggle stick that I use to get giggles 🙂 – it doesn’t take a lot of motion to make a really funny sound…you would have to watch that it’s not too loud. Would use it sparingly. I also sometimes use a slide whistle in the same way. I would wait until the group has built up a lot of trust though. I let the kids move the slide part with a little bit of regulation on my part. I do use boomwackers too – am guessing that with a caregiver to help you could have them tap together, but I would be worries about them getting weaponized quickly. I use my guitar a good bit and the kids love to explore it. I usually take the strap off so that it can be farther away from me and closer to them and use a recorded song that we can sing along to and I can play the guitar chords while they each play. I show them some ways to play: tapping on the strings or even the body, reaching out and feeling the strings, and sometimes actually strumming or plucking a string. It is a great way to give opportunities to share and lets them explore that instrument. Downside of this can be loss of attention for those who might not be as interested.

I also use scarves and small parachute with this age group.

**I am very interested in how to really clean instruments – and props (ie. scarves).
What do you recommend? If I were doing back-to-back groups I wouldn’t have enough to trade out I don’t think.

[Jen Hinton]

Laura Pruett- trying to respond directly to your post…I love your wording in sentences for the parents. Love how you direct them to notice things and can see this being such an accessible way to connect developmental info for parents, rather than just listing facts. Glad I got to read yours first…you shaped my language for the better! 🙂

[Jen Hinton]

5 words to describe SM2 music experiences:
playful, anticipated surprises, spontaneous, authentic, connections

5 sentences to parents to describe responses in SM2:
1. Being close to you is home base but watch how they soak in the environment- any way they explore- watching, walking around, mouthing an instrument is ok. (point out bin to wash instruments)
2. They are observing a lot during class so it is normal for them to not do all the things you see them do at home when they’re taking in and experiencing the group participating.
3. When you physically guide them to move their hands, let their arms be on the outside of your arms (demonstrate.)
4. When we stomp and march, you can use your hands to assist their feet to strike fully on the ground (demonstrate.)
5. Look at how your child is moving and try to match them rather than thinking of matching “the beat.”

Session Plan
• I am planning here as if for my first SM2 group – participants all new to the program and myself being somewhat new to the music. So, I am purposefully trying to mix in songs that I think families in our area would know and that I am very comfortable with. Adapting music from the awesome book we received and over-planning because 45 minutes is a lot longer than the groups I usually do, so I am estimating time just to get a sense of how long that might be. I don’t regularly work with parents – just kids and 1 teacher/aide per classroom so it is new and neat to think about how to incorporate them into the group.

Gathering/Greeting Experiences
• Hello Everyone (wave, hug, blow a kiss, hi) 2 min
• Signature SM Hello Song (2 word hello song) (2 min)
• The Wheels on the Bus (Familiar Bonding Song-wheels/round-wipers/swish-seats on the bus/bump-my family/I love you(hug)-people on the bus wave/how are you(wave) – 3 min
• Wiggly, Jiggly Car – 2 min

Transition Invitation to Play Instrument– Listen to the Sound of my drum (gathering drum) (2 min)

Instrument Playing/Exploring Group Cohesion –Gathering Drum -can move it over toward pairs if needed
• Sit Down and Join My Circle (will you tap in our circle? Now let’s tap in our circle) 4min
• Come with Me and Play a Little-while we’re dancing in the middle…accelerando 2min

Transition – Give instruments out – Come with Me and Play a Little – with toddler maracas (3 min)

Instrument Playing – toddler maracas
• Invite to return to pairs (remind it’s OK if not!) with verse of Wiggly Jiggly (now let’s go back – to find your lap) repeat until ready for 6/8 section (1 min)
• Wiggly Jiggly Car 6/8 section with stops (3 min)
o Extend to do whole song with pairs again(2 min)

Gross Motor Movement while holding maracas
• The Ants Go Marching – piggybacked marching/stomping song (2min)

Instrument Playing – toddler maracas
• I Like to Shake (shake-shake/shake-shake to tune of Blue Danube) shake it up high/down low (4 min)

Gross Motor Movement – hand out scarves – one for each pair or children can explore with their own
• Row it Faster (tune of Row, Row)- using scarves for caregiver and child to hold together? (3 min)
• Can You See Me? (peek-a-boo with scarves and find body parts) (3 min)

Closing Experiences
• Good-bye Everyone (same as 1st opening song – wave, hug, blow a kiss) (3 min)
• Music Time is Over (2min)
• Thank You Very Much (2 min)

[Jen Hinton]

I have been to a variety of library programs that use books, songs, props, instruments, and sign language. Some are really great…and I have preferences with facilitators. However, I know that as a MT-BC we have a flexibility and ability to be in the moment, adapt, and pull children into the group in a way that other facilitators do not.

We have music. And we have strategies for how to use it. MT-BCs have a broad set of experiences across populations, group sizes, and diagnosis. We support, educate, and model music/play-centered techniques to support child development. And we are required to do continuing-ed…like this…so that we can continue to broaden our resources and create developmentally appropriate practices.

[Jen Hinton]

I do not currently work with families, just really supportive, knowledgeable teachers and aides. I learn so much from them. I do hope to work with families in the future and to learn from them as well as supporting them.

As I have not facilitated groups with parents, most of my parent-related thoughts are coming from my own experience as a Mom. I have a 5 1/2 year old and a 2 year old. I really identify with the “educated parent who needs support!” We train and prepare and focus for so many things in life. As a parent there are so many details to check off and so many parts of parenting to try to be good enough. Parenting is not the only reality or focus in life. Any positive support and modeling is helpful. I do think that this paradigm, Laura, lends itself really well to being a sort of educational and supportive group while not calling it a “support” or “parenting group.”

I listened to the types of group structures offered through Sprouting Melodies. I listened as a Mom and thought about what would have worked for me when my oldest was an “only” and also “how would I manage a class personally now that I have two.” Finding the right timing to attend can be a struggle and I wonder what time slots would work best for the parents in our community. I wonder about working around naps (for those really little ones) in addition to the logistics of parents or caregiver schedules. Money is always a need. Even when we find value in something…if we as parents have time in our schedule to make it happen it seems like the trade off is not enough money to make it happen. I think all of these things have got to be needs for most families. I’m guessing this might be addressed as we continue in the course.

I wish that we had a program like this offered in our community but we really do not…yet! 😉 I did as a Mom attend a series of library classes that were offered (free) to the community – both with my oldest only and with both kids. One of the needs that we parents had was to know that it was OK if our kids moved around or were loud…at times people were encouraged to take their children out if they were crying. I think that in a music-based intervention lead by a MT-BC things could be managed differently. Kimberly, I think that your comments about what a family needs from a group facilitator are great.

Our community has a variety of suburban towns as well as a moderate urban setting. There are small liberal art colleges and pre-K programs located at centers as well as in churches. I think that any of these settings could potentially engage families where they are but currently I am not aware of any programs being offered.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and for listening to my thoughts as a family member with needs! 😉

[Jen Hinton]

I think in most sessions I try to include all four types of these experiences. In my work with older adults (especially those with dementia) I might have thought of the “listening” experience more as a cognitive or social experience, depending on the specific group goals. There are so many ways and it is difficult to isolate each as a separate experience because they are so connected…
Singing Experiences- I use a ritual song to open and close sessions. I use singing to make space for phrase completion. I teach new melodic material through chucking teaching. I use call and response songs. I help students to create lyrics and sing their creation for them. I use vocal play sometimes, asking them to model an instrument, like a slide whistle. I hope to be able to explore more vocally so that I am able to better emulate Elizabeth’s differences in timbre, tone, and expression…even though I’m comfortable as a singer I almost always have a guitar or piano accompaniment.
Playing Instruments- I use instruments with starts and stops a lot with the children I work with. I try to vary temp and often cross over into a bit of movement depending on the instrument. Using dynamics changes. Exploring different instruments.
Movement Experiences- body percussion, directed movements, rehearsed sequences. Use of props. I have yet to work with caregivers and children together(with the exception of teachers and students) and I think the directed movements together are something I would love to try.
Listening Experiences- Opportunities to listen to others, i.e. Instrument pass-listen to each student play. Others show how to move, play, or how loud to be, when to stop. I was trying to have a leader in a drum circle…mirroring back the rhythm got muddy. Next time I will try watch/listen to the conductor for dynamic, speed, and/or tempo. Directed listening- listen to this rain stick or listen to the way the music sounds like rain falling down. Directed listening with movement and directed images to classical music to help them hear themes that repeat. Listen to your music…sometimes my teachers record them so they can LISTEN to themselves singing!

[Jen Hinton]

Some different ideas really flowed for me and for some developmental areas I seemed to be focused on the same examples given…but, here goes:

Singing:
A- produces different timbres in vocalizing
T- more purposeful vocalization during music experiences
I- matching breath and facial affect to timing cues
C- repeat sort, melodic content
R- singing whole chorus or song

Instrument Playing
A- visually attend to the location of the instrument
T- explore instrument through reaching, touching, holding
I- play instrument while displaying awareness of intent
C- play instrument in an intentional way (notes up or down)
R- play melody (created, learned, or improvised)

Moving
A- reaching, kicking
T- moving head; bouncing body
I- waving (hello!) in our gathering song
C- clapping, stomping, wiggling
R- recall sequence of movement (clap, stomp, wiggle)

Listening
A- change in respiration to match or reaping
T- change in affect
I- showing body language to reflect
C- active listening to directed listening (i.e. Certain instruments or sounds in music)
R- ability to recognize a particular instrument by sound

[Jen Hinton]

Hi Meredith!

Trying to carve out some regular time to dig into this amazing course! Yes, I am loving the deeper understanding of “why” and “how” that the material is showing me already. The resources being so varied (book, PPT, video, sheet music) is great. I just had an open house at the early learning center that employs me and had a similar comment from a Mom that her son comes home and imitates me and hearing so many of them share that `”the rainstick is made from a cactus” was pretty cool. 🙂 They are catching it. I am excited to throw more their way. Looking forward to learning, growing, and being part of this community!

[Jen Hinton]

One of the things that I LOVE about sprouting melodies is the permission to adapt and spontaneously use songs as clinicians. Hearing Elizabeth demonstrate her interpretations of the songs really made them come alive to me! It was really helpful for me to understand examples of what it means to use timbre, adjust timing, hear the punctuation, and see movements that she pairs with the different sections of the song. Although I have looked at a lot of the songs in the “You and Me Makes We” book I have only tried one in sessions so far: “Rain is Falling Down.” I used it with instruments and during the middle part of the song where the song adds some dissonance, used the thunder tube. I did elongate that section a bit and play with the words a bit to include more content about the season as well as the rain. I am really excited to try “Hold on Tight” with my daughter as she is just starting to ask for songs that she hears in her daily life. I am excited to expand her repertoire with some E.K.Schwartz! I’m looking forward to incorporating more of these songs into my enrichment programming and hopefully to use as I look to expand my services into our community!

[Jen Hinton]

I am working now in Music Enrichment at an early learning center, providing services to children ages 12 months to Pre-K(4-5yrs). I have also been enjoying this review as I think it’s been at least 13 years since I really studied this theory…wish I had dug into it before having kids! So, I wanted to share something from each stage that stood out to me. Awareness: I do not serve infants but think of my own kids moving their heads toward sounds of familiar vocal timbre. Another preference from this stage that stood out to me was the preference for higher pitch and how we tend to speak to infants…we do so many things that work without intention or fully realizing the reasoning behind them! I appreciate so many of you sharing the examples of these stages that stand out to you in clients who have diagnoses that take them down a different path. I worked for 11 years in long-term care and it is interesting to think of these levels in those terms as we work to help each individual attain the highest level they are able to in the moment they are in presently. When I thought initially about horizontal movement, I thought in terms of growth, but it seems reasonable that these levels could move in the opposite direction based on barriers that occur later in life? The Trust Level: I think of my 12-month old classes where many children explore by putting the maraca in their mouths to explore. Independence: In my Preschool class we do a lot with STOP and the sudden stop! of this is really engaging to them and many approximate it by imitating my change in body language, approximating the word, exhaling, or putting their hand out to show it non-verbally. Control: My older Pre-K classes display the ability to follow call and response, including songs in other languages. Something else from this stage that stood out to me was the imitation of lyrics first before pitch and rhythm…maybe one of the reasons that we (I) use speaking the words first before adding the melody! (We don’t always know why what we do works!) Responsibility: We do drum circles where one student will get to be the leader, demonstrating the rhythm and the group reflects it back. this peer to peer cooperation reminded me of this developmental outcome. Thank you for all of your moments.

[Jen Hinton]

Hi all! I live in rural/suburban PA but work in a downtown area that serves families of college and hospital employees. My breakdown of kids and caregivers (in my case, teachers as well as parents) – includes a variety of cultural experiences. My own cultural experience includes a variety of classical, folk, popular American music from 1910 to 2004(not too familiar with the newest stuff!), Christian, instrumental, vocal, and blues/jazz. I try to intentionally integrate as many different musical genres and types of cultural music as possible and love to learn from my clients. In our hello song we currently use English, Spanish, Polish, and Hebrew…as those are the different languages that my students and teachers have taught me to use! 🙂 I also love Ella Jenkins and found her to be a great resource for African music, call and response, and specifically Swahili. After using the song “Jambo” in my curriculum as a part of Black History month, I learned that one of my students’ families speak Swahili at home! I try to introduce music from around the world, as we do a bit of music education in the Music Enrichment services that I provide and have specifically explored Germany, Ireland, and Africa so far. I love to use American folk music as I think it is such a blend of musical cultures and think that Elizabeth Mitchell provides a great model for ways to arrange and songs to pass along. Blues and the blues structure are also something that I use a lot with improvised instrument playing and a sequenced movement song I wrote that we use weekly.

[Jen Hinton]

As a Mom of a 5 and 2 year-old, I listened very intently to where my 2-year old is developmentally. I appreciated the reassurance about the range of timing that each person progresses and I know as a parent that’s an important aspect to me. I think providing this educational component to parents is great…I personally have not done a lot of reading…until now ????…since becoming a Mom. I am really eager to review the musical development!

One of the points I remember hearing in week 1 is that as MT-BCs we are trained to incorporate clients in the midst of behaviors, i.e. developmentally appropriate behaviors like moving around-I think that as a facilitator modeling how to handle this while reassuring parents that this is a developmentally appropriate way to participate. I have personally experienced community library groups that were very well run but where children and parents were ultimately asked to step outside if their little one was too mobile. I think that music gives us the structure to manage these challenges.

[Jen Hinton]

The developmental information was great to review. I especially appreciated the concrete examples of bending over to pick things up while standing. The red flags were helpful and I think too the reminder to reassure parents of typical development. I currently work with only children but hope to expand my services to include family. I appreciate that we have the reference book. I am hoping to better ground myself in these stages.

[Jen Hinton]

???? thank you!

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