[Jordyn Shaffer]

I will be more mindful about the children I already see and recommend these groups for children who I think will benefit. I will also inform family-friends about the services we provide and encourage them to come. Because it isn’t direct music therapy, we have the ability to be able to recommend these services even though our company provides them! Other than that, what Skye said is great! We work for the same company and I agree that a raffle is a great idea to grab everyone’s attention and bring people to our table.

[Jordyn Shaffer]

Moving forward, we now get to call our early childhood groups sprouting melodies which is very exciting! I think that this training has allowed me to become more confident in the skills I already had as a music therapist in early childhood, but it has also furthered my knowledge on the development of children throughout the ages. Most importantly, I think this training will allow me to pick out behaviors that aren’t “typical” for children of a certain age ans give me the confidence to speak with parents and caregivers about certain behaviors.

[Jordyn Shaffer]

Shannon,

I love what you said. I agree that based off of your experiences as a mother and the fact that this is an early childhood group not necessarily directed towards any one specific clientele, it will be a great place to get your feet wet and start again!

[Jordyn Shaffer]

If a child struggles with being shy or fearful during the first group I offer up the opportunity for caregiver and child to come early to explore the instruments and get more comfortable with the music therapist. During the group, I am very verbal about naming what I see with the child whether they are “taking it all in” or “taking a break” so that the parents can feel reassured that their child is doing anything wrong. If I feel that I’m losing children during the group I will often take a minute to sing some very familiar tunes like Old MacDonald or Wheels on the Bus to reengage the children with something familiar.

[Jordyn Shaffer]

I’m looking forward to the opportunity of providing more well rounded music groups for children now that I’ve done this training. I am also looking forward to building connections with families in my community that could potentially lead to more open doors in the future for our music therapy company.

[Jordyn Shaffer]

I view music for development as the things we do as music therapist-the non-musical goals such as communication, self-expression, motor movement, communication, etc.

I view music for skill building as things like learning how to properly play a drum, shake a shaker, or move a scarf.

This is exactly how I would describe it to the parents. This might help them decide whether they want to join a Sprouting Melodies group verses another music group.

[Jordyn Shaffer]

Some really good information was shared above my Maureen and I certainly agree. Some challenges can often be that at a certain age children become more independent and want to do things to impress their caregiver or the music therapist- always being the one to answer, share movement suggestions, pass out instruments, have the best drum, etc. verses other members of the group simply trying to process everything in the environment. Though brief, I think the suggestions they share in the video are great! making the older children feel special by having them be the leaders, lead by example, and help the younger children do the interventions.

[Jordyn Shaffer]

SM3

• independence
• self-control
• accepting
• intentional
• emotional

Session plan

• Hello-Sit Down with Me
• Bonding-Swimming together, My brand new friend
• Songs about me-My eyes are on my face, watch me go,
• Instruments-music is the way, I like this song, shake and stop
• Movement- in the mood for music, the leaves are falling
• Goodbye-Time to say goodbye

Family Sprouts

• inclusive
• interactive
• busy
• transformative
• cooperative

session plan

• Hello-hello, hello, hello
• Bonding- wiggly jiggly car (with older kid and sibling)
• Song About Me-can you see me, all of this is me, watch me go
• Instrument Songs-dancing in the middle, You and me makes we
• Movement- I’m in the mood to…, shake and stop, Clickety Clack
• Goodbye- It’s time to say goodbye

[Jordyn Shaffer]

Maracas, shape drums, remo paddle drums, scarves, singable stories, parachute, gathering drum from remo, ocean drum from remo.

[Jordyn Shaffer]

I have to agree with what everyone has stated above. An idea i’d like to throw into the mix is the idea of HOW you set up your sessions. In our office here at Noteable progressions we talk all the time about arching the session content. I think that if you start of with lower stimulation, increase it gradually, and then decrease it back down again before goodbye, you will notice that your groups (also clients) are able to handle more stimulation because you’ve given their brain a warm-up of sorts. So if you try a song near the beginning that appears over stimulating, it’s possible they may just need a larger sensory warm-up before you try that experience.

But again, I agree with everyone’s statements above. generally, every child is different but based off of age you might be able to eliminate certain instruments that we know will be too overstimulating for a child that age like bells in SM1. I also agree that it is our job to adjust in the moment.

[Jordyn Shaffer]

Authenticity, playful, exploration, energy, free

1. this intervention works on increasing interest in your child playing with others
2. We do the bonding songs to show them that they are safe with us (the care giver) but that they can also be secure enough to really go out into the world. they need to be able to come back but they also need to be able to move on.
3.We are doing ‘ songs about me’ to help show the children that they are separate from their caregiver- they are their own entity!
4. When we have the baby their feet, place your hand over their shoe laces and have them stomp flat footed. We do this to help organize their bodies. We don’t want to disorganize them.
5. When giving your children directions of high and low it’s not really about them doing it right but about giving them choices.

hello- Hello, hello, hello
bonding-wiggly jiggly car, horsey, carry me
Song about me- All of this is me, Can you see me? Where is my face?
Instruments- In the mood for music, shake and stop, in my little hand
movement- Shake our scares, pick your hands up high
Goodbye- It’s time to say goodbye

[Jordyn Shaffer]

Skye,

It is great that your internship was able to offer that and it will FOR SURE help you on your journey through sprouting melodies. I know that for me, it will be one of the things I will need to work on the most because I don’t have a lot of experience with children that age who are more atypical. I did see babies with heart condition in my internship but they were so young and so medically fragile that it was hard to see any responses which will look a little bit differently in Sprouting Melodies.

[Jordyn Shaffer]

Maura,

I like that you mention that music therapy can bring different groups of people together that wouldn’t otherwise connect. This is so true and such a big part of what we do. Building a good community means bridging the gap. LOVE that you brought this to light.

[Jordyn Shaffer]

I have a large family and because of that have had many experiences with children. I have often seen babies going through the trust phase where they are unsure of strangers and unfamiliar environments. At these stages, they are very reliant on their mother’s and father’s which is why they are often so tired. Even when they get the opportunity to go out, the children in this stage are often in need of constant support. Children in the awareness stage sleep a lot so I have often seen babies experience the startle response. That being said, babies that I have seen who are growing up in a more hectic environment are way less disrupted by noises than say a first born child.

[Jordyn Shaffer]

gentle, slower pace, soft but energetic, bonding, space

1.) Even though the baby is sleeping, you can take this time to learn the songs to sing with your baby at home
2.)The music is soft and steady in order for the children to get used to the stimulation. The children might startle for the first few weeks and will get more used to the music over time.
3.)If your child is beginning to push themselves during the movement experiences, they might be ready to move on to SM2!
4.)The music will maintain a structure, but a flexible one in order for the children to gain trust within the environment and help you as the caregivers learn the songs.
5.)Move slowly during the movement songs so that your baby can follow you with their eyes.

Hello: Good Morning to you
Body Percussion: I’m in the mood for music, All of this is Me
Bonding: Wiggly, Jiggly car, Row your Boat
Instruments: In my little hands, We’re gonna shake
Cool Down: Where is my face, singable story (Itsy Bitsy Spider)
Goodbye: It’s time to say goodbye

[Author]

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