[Jessica Bogacik]

This training has really helped me to take a step back and examine exactly why and how I would approach my work with children. Having the background information about general development, as well as musical development, will help me to be able to recognize those steps and changes in the kids I will work with. Also, having the resource of Raising Harmony, and the experiences that Meredith and Beth have been through and shared through the videos are helpful to know where to get started in trying to become more involved in the community.

[Jessica Bogacik]

I really appreciated the suggestions for spreading Music Therapy advocacy and becoming the “go-to” person for music in early childhood in your community during the video. I am excited to start researching what some of those resources/groups/places are in my community to start reaching out and spreading the word about using music for child development. In my community, Ohio State University is a HUGE institution. I remember speculating at the beginning of this training that having this university in my town would be great because it would mean there may be a lot of young families in the area, but now, thanks to your suggestions in this video, I am thinking more about how Ohio State may actually be a source of great resources like early intervention and early childhood programs, preschool programs, and other opportunities for connecting with the community. I believe that it where I will start in my endeavors to advocate about music therapy.

[Jessica Bogacik]

In my limited experience with kids, I have found that the variation in timbre, volume, rhythm, or tempo can be very engaging for children who may be losing focus. My past work has mostly been with pre-school age children, so another fun tool to use was taking advantage of their very active imaginations!

[Jessica Bogacik]

I am most looking forward to the joy of learning – including my own learning, as I gain more experience working with young children, and also witnessing the incredible steps that each child takes as they develop. I also look forward to the parents of the children learning how to use music with their children at home, and learning positive parenting skills. I am excited to connect with families in this area and share my joy for music!

[Jessica Bogacik]

I think that music for development would be music and experiences that simply support the natural progression of a child from one step to the next (Like, I Like This Song, which can be accompanied by the child on whatever instrument they choose, and whatever instrument is most appropriate for them developmentally). Perhaps songs that help with skill building would actually contain information or teach a skill that the child can practice (Like, You Play a Little, which teaches the child about taking turns and interacting).

[Jessica Bogacik]

5 Words for SM 3:
– Imagination
– Independence
– Creativity
– Learning
– Movement

5 Words for Family Sprouts:
– Dynamic
– Adaptable
– Creative
– Togetherness
– Bonding

SM 3 Plan:
– Hello Song
– Gather ‘Round (This song is so unique and I loved it!)
– My Brand New Friend (Encouraging the movement from bonding with parents to bonding with another child, and moving into the circle, away from parent)
– You Play a Little (Again, encouraging that bonding and interaction with another child, and learning about taking turns)
– Will You Come? (Asking children for their suggestions for movements, supporting their creativity)
– A Book – I loved the suggestions in this video, and would love to learn about some more books!
– Goodbye Song

Family Sprouts Plan:
– Hello Song
– Come and Join the Circle (Bringing everyone together and into the group, encouraging older sibs to help out the younger ones)
– Hold On Tight (Maybe older sib can give the younger sib a lap ride, or, as Meredith suggests, positioning older sib closest to parent with younger sib in front)
– I Like This Song (With a large variety of instruments available for the older and younger children that may attend)
– I Can Move Around (Adapting so younger children are observing or just beginning to move, and older children can exercise creativity in suggesting new ways to move)
– All of This Is Me (Older sibs help younger sibs point out body parts)
– Goodbye Song

[Jessica Bogacik]

I think the musical selection is the biggest challenge here, and being able to reach everyone in the group through the experiences. Older kids would definitely lose their focus and engagement in the session if it was too geared towards the younger kids, and the younger kids would not benefit from the session as much if it was totally geared towards the older kids. I love the songs that Beth and Meredith shared that are adaptable to meet the needs of all of the potential age groups in the sessions

[Jessica Bogacik]

None yet! But I think that it’s definitely important to consider choking hazards with this age group. I also really like the idea of having a large gathering drum in the middle of the room to encourage the children to come away from their parent to explore an instrument and make musical choices.

[Jessica Bogacik]

– Five Words: Playful-Explore-Growing-Moving-FUN!

– Five Sentences: 1. Let’s make sure our babies’ feet are planted on the ground so they feel the rhythm of this lap ride.
2. It’s ok that she is just watching us sing and play. She is participating by absorbing everything around her, and she might go home and practice the songs and join in next week!
3. It’s so great that he is moving away from you while he is playing that maraca! He’s really growing.
4. We teach our babies independence by giving them freedom to move away from us, but always being the secure base for them to return to when they choose.
5. I’m so excited to see him playing the drum/maraca/shaker any way he chooses to! We’re looking for our babies to explore and make their own musical choices!

– SM2 Plan: 1. Hello Song (Greeting, and transitioning into musical space)
2. Sit Down With Me (Gathering, bringing everyone together)
3. Wiggly Jiggly Car (Child starts off with parent, getting lots of rhythmic input through their feet and interaction with that person that they trust the most)
4. Sit With Me and Shake (Giving children opportunity to branch away from caregiver a little – make musical choices, explore instruments, but still following adult models, and knowing they can come back to their caregiver)
5. March With My Baby (The children keep their instruments and may really start to demonstrate independence here)
6. Just Like Me (Cool down – bring children back to the safe base of the caregiver, but maybe facing outward towards the rest of the group this time)
7. Goodbye

[Jessica Bogacik]

I’m inclined to think that there is no set recommendation here. I would think that the appropriate level of stimulation is going to vary from group to group, and from child to child. Going back to what we bring to these groups as music therapists, we have the skills to be aware of the children’s responses and to adapt our behaviors/timbre/energy level according to what seems most appropriate, and what is needed by the specific group. I would also think that the comfort level would change within a 30-45 minute period, as well as from week to week as the children become more comfortable and confident with the group, and with the music therapist.

[Jessica Bogacik]

My favorite thing about children of this age is their awareness and watching them just absorbing every piece of sensory input that comes their way. They just watch and listen and take it all in, and it’s amazing to see their wheels turning as they start to learn and figure things out on their own!

[Jessica Bogacik]

Five words to describe SM1 – Trust, Acceptance, Calm, Love, Bonding.
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Five sentences to use with parents (I hope I understood this part of the assignment) –
– “Look at how she’s watching and listening while you sing to her!”
– “Let’s use soft warm voices and slow movements so we don’t startle or overwhelm the babies.”
– “It’s ok that he’s looking away – he’s listening to everyone singing around him.”
– “Take this opportunity to be relaxed and really present in this moment, to bond with your baby.”
– “When we sing hello, press on his chest so he knows that we’re singing to him!”
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SM1 Plan (I picked out some of my favorite songs that Meredith and Beth have shared in these modules)
1. Hello – Today’s a Beautiful Day
2. Just Like Me (I like how this can be adapted for older babies or younger babies)
3. Wiggly Jiggly Car (not too fast with the younger ones, gauge babies’ readiness for faster movement)
4. In My Little Hand (encourage baby to reach out and maybe grasp an instrument, move it slowly in front of their face)
5. As Big as Can Be (gentle movement)
6. Goodbye (sung like a lullabye)

[Jessica Bogacik]

I like Meredith and Beth’s discussion about using the word “classes” when describing and marketing Sprouting Melodies. I believe, as Meredith said, that is a term very familiar to parents seeking to enrich their child’s life and it is very welcoming and friendly to the parents. I agree that it is still important to refer to ourselves as music therapists, because WE ARE, and we’re using our music therapy training to help facilitate the growth of the parents and their children.
As everyone has mentioned in previous postings, music therapists are so uniquely trained to provide services to communities, and I guess here I would just reiterate that we can use our training to support the families in knowing what to look for – what is normal and what might be a red flat. Also, I believe music therapists are just going to be more keenly aware of the distinct needs of each child and each group.
Finally, music therapy within community based settings is such a great opportunity to grow the profession by helping that community gain acceptance of the field, and of the use of the word “therapy.” Bringing music therapy to a wider range of people means that they will begin to understand that alternative therapies can be helpful not just when something is “wrong” with you. I can imagine parents thinking, my child is fine – he/she doesn’t need therapy! But I think often people’s misunderstandings of music therapy are quickly corrected when they actually see it happen

[Jessica Bogacik]

As I’ve said before, I am relatively new to my community, but I’ve learned a little in my time here, and I also did a little online research. Columbus, Ohio is the 15th largest city in the U.S., and the largest city in Ohio, with over 800,000 people. Franklin County (of which the City of Columbus is a part) has over 1.22 million people. There are SO many people here! All counties in Ohio have a program called Help Me Grow, which offers services to families prenatally through age three, to support the healthy growth and development of children. This program recognizes the importance of nurturing children in their early years, and aims to give families of all socioeconomic backgrounds the same opportunities through early intervention services. I know that some children in this area receive music therapy services through this program!
In the Columbus area, there is another music-based early childhood program, which has been around since the 1980s and has been very successful. The difference between this program and Sprouting Melodies is that the program here is not run by music therapists, and it uses a set lesson plan/methodology that each teacher must use for their classes, regardless of the unique needs of the individuals in the classes. Sprouting Melodies, as an Open Source Model, would promote the music therapist to meet the unique needs of the groups (planned, and in the moment), and the music therapist (through their training) would be able to accomplish that task.
Here in Columbus, there are a couple of large institutions that I believe strongly impact the culture of our community. Ohio State University is a massive institution here, which results in a large young adult population (in my mind, young adults = new families = young children). Additionally, OSU is a very well-known supporter of the arts. This culture would promote, in parents’ minds, the importance of the arts for their children, and hopefully encourage them to introduce their children to the arts. We also have Nationwide Children’s Hospital, which is obviously dedicated to helping children and their families. Again, this impacts the culture of this community in that it is familiar with the importance of supporting children, and accustomed to services that provide excellent and renowned services.

[Jessica Bogacik]

Music therapists are uniquely positioned in communities to bring huge benefits to young children and their families. Because of our specialized training, we know how to really utilize music as a TOOL – and not just present music in the same way for each child/group as a music teacher might do. Our training and special skills allow us to know how to elicit and promote responses to music using certain harmonic, rhythmic, or melodic structures. This is how we are unique as compared to music teachers or other professionals using music with young children. We’re also trained to work with a large variety of individuals, which is beneficial in that we can feel prepared to meet the needs of children with delays or disabilities within the framework of a group with typically developing children. Also, we may be more sensitive or prepared to interact with parents who may be anxious, frustrated, or uncertain about their child’s behavior/development. What I love most about the Sprouting Melodies program is the emphasis on sharing tools and skills with the parents. Like the mom in the interview said, this program means that her daughter has music in her life more than just one day per week – it’s at home, it’s with grandparents, it’s with her cousins and friends, and she uses it all the time in her life. The music has really become a part of her life. And what an awesome opportunity for mom and daughter to bond, learn new skills together, and get to know each other in a positive environment. Moms and dads don’t get to go to school or educational classes with their kids all the time, so being able to see their child in that learning environment, and also to learn methods of positive parenting is such a HUGE benefit for Sprouting Melodies parents.
Obviously, I’m really excited about this program! 🙂

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