[Jennifer Sokira]

Singing:
Awareness: Prefers infant directed singing in higher timbre level
Trust: Sing or vocalize in the key of the song
Independence: Sing or imitate short intervals
Control: May sing phrases of 3 or more pitches!
Responsibility:Sing intervals in a wider pitch range

Playing:
Awareness: Tolerates new and familiar instrument sounds, instruments played on or near body
Trust: Touch and mouth instruments
Independence: Play instruments with whole hands and grasp instruments
Control: Demonstrated ability to play at various tempi and dynamic levels
Responsibility: Participate in musical call and response with others

Moving:
Awareness: Tolerate being moved or rocked rhythmically
Trust: Rhythmically move parts or whole body in response to music
Independence:initiate clapping to music and imitate whole body rhythms
Control: Able to start and stop in response to music
Responsibility:Able to execute a greater range of locomotor movements and to move with others

Listening:
Awareness: Prefers consonance
Trust: Recognizes familiar melody and can differentiate focus to self for lullaby and to others for play songs
Independence: Demonstrate musical preferences and attend to preferred music despite distractions
Control: Show the ability to anticipate end of songs and phrases and routine of session
Responsibility: Listen to and follow multi-step musical directions

[Jennifer Sokira]

I have used all of these experiences in my practice, overall and with young children.

I will say that using movement is never in isolation, but on reflection, I use it much more than I would have initially given myself credit for. Similarly, I think many of the musical experiences I use have listening opportunities built in, however it is an area I’d like to develop more.

I do a good deal of singing with my clients to provide structure sessions, to improvise and to meet children “where they are”.

I’d say that the instrumental experiences I tend to incorporate have been for children from control on, so one area I can grow is developing more instrumental experiences for children prior to the control phase.

[Jennifer Sokira]

Can you clarify what you are looking for with this question? Would you like us to select one intervention-type in one area (sing, play, move or listen) and share what would happen in each stage? Thanks!

[Jennifer Sokira]

Connecticut is definitely a melting pot and living in the Greater NYC metro area, the people with whom I work hail from a very diverse background.

In my extended family, my father in law plays the accordion once in a while and sings polka. In my home we have a very eclectic collection of music and that has impacted our children’s musical preferences. To give an example that demonstrates the Sokira musical culture, my older son (currently) equally enjoys “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons, “The Last Waltz” by Englebert Humperdink and “Hotel California” by the Eagles.

[Jennifer Sokira]

I’ve been loving Wiggly Jiggly Car and am going to use it with my caregivers and babies group at a local library tomorrow! It certainly has my son’s stamp of approval, as does anything with that level of structure, anticipation and fun. I am also planning on using Sit Down With Me with this group and hoping to use the structure to encourage a little bit more singing from the caregivers!

[Jennifer Sokira]

Sorry to be late to the week three party! I would like to share about two things:
1) I will be honest and share that my most present thoughts about musical developmental stages are in relation to my two sons! I am not doing regular early childhood groups at this time, but I have been enjoying really looking at them through the clear lens provided by this course. Ryan, 5.5 y is in the stage of responsibility and he really is digging into the layers of music more than we’ve ever seen him. He is singing on pitch, playing songs by ear, composing and improvising more meaningfully on the piano and voice. Such an exciting transition to see him growing into this phase. Zachary, 18 months is entering the control phase. I am enjoying hearing the melodic nature of his vocalizations, and I am hearing songs and pieces of songs that he initiates more than before. He’s loving to make sounds on the piano and on anything he can bang, including doing some drumming on his high chair tray together with me. He is imitating lots of words and sounds, but his favorites all have to do with the Sesame Street characters from his favorite books, especially Cookie Monster (which means we are making up lots of Cookie songs lately too)

On a separate note, I am also working with a pre-teen with some attachment issues, so my assessment has included thinking about ways in which I can provide age appropriate bonding opportunities at the awareness and trust levels- this framework has been a resource in more ways than I had expected!

[Jennifer Sokira]

I think that I do well with meeting children “where they are” from a developmental and musical level, and this is something that has been a part of my intention going into all of my early childhood work to date. Working to see things from the perspective of the child has been a good tool as well to assist my families with developing insight into what’s going on with their typically or not typically developing child.

When I had my own children, my perspective on development really changed as well- especially with my older son I had many “oh wow, he’s doing that- he’s supposed to do that!” moments because a great deal of the young children I’d been exposed to at that point had not been typically developing or had many significant needs. Now that I’ve had a few years to integrate my understanding of development, I think that I am able to better serve my families, better able to spot and name what I am seeing, etc. I also feel this week’s module really helps to crystallize and reinforce that understanding.

[Jennifer Sokira]

For me the most valuable takeaway is reinforcing to families that while each developmental age has specific tasks and milestones that every child is going to develop a little bit differently. Reflecting that what they are observing is normal, and providing developmental information if something is a “red flag”.

I also loved that Beth highlighted that it is important that the child be introduced to the MT or other strangers. As a parent and as a therapist I have observed individuals who are unfamiliar to the child, albeiet with good intentions, really invading a child’s space and causing them to feel upset, etc. It happened this past weekend to us at a restaurant when the waitress was in my 17 month old’s face and cooing at him, playing with his hair, etc. As he started to have a meltdown I had to politely ask her to stop and say “he doesn’t know you so he’s scared”…. SO important that we remember that we need to give children the time and space to develop trust in us!

[Jennifer Sokira]

Hi Everyone! My name is Jennifer Sokira and I am a board certified music therapist from Monroe, CT. I have been working as a music therapist for almost 12 years (!). I began my career working for four years at a day school for children with significant neurological and behavioral disorders. I started my private practice, Connecticut Music Therapy Services, LLC in 2005 and a big part of my clinical work has been in integrated preschool settings with children ages 3-5. I also have provided groups in community settings (mostly libraries) for children 0-3. CTMTS became a Sprouting Melodies Provider this past spring, however due to my having a new little one at home (I am mom of 2 boys- Ryan, 5 years and Zachary, 17 months) we chose for my business partner Emily and some of our staff to take the training, so I haven’t personally been able to facilitate the groups.

As a business owner I was really looking for a way to to meet the need for quality early childhood music in a way that didn’t re-invent the wheel, so when I learned what Meredith (we went to our undergrad together…I remember wondering who that Beth Schwartz person was that she kept harassing at conferences!) and Beth were up to, I knew we had to be part of it.

I am looking forward to expanding my repertoire of songs and interventions as well as deepening my understanding of the connections between music and development. I am definitely looking forward to getting to know you all through this experience as well!

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