[Julia Park]

I used “Good morning to you” and “I like this song” with my 8 month old daughter. Both tunes had such simple, pleasant, and catchy feel that my husband was also able to sing with me to our daughter in no time. I think one of the important thing to consider when choosing songs for the groups is to choose tunes that are easy for the families to learn so that they can listen, learn, and adapt in no time. My little munchkin was somewhat grumpy this morning and when my husband and I sang “Good morning to you” as we were preparing breakfast, she smiled quietly and watched us sing to her in a calm and gentle way. This was a perfect song for our daughter as we were helping her transition from waking up to eating breakfast.

[Julia Park]

I don’t think you have to be a parent to do these groups. If I had a choice, I would have taken this course BEFORE I had my first child so that I did not freak out so much when I actually became a parent. Being a parent is such a raw and emotional experience and I believe that it is different for everyone. There are common themes and questions such as “what is developmentally appropriate for this age?” and “is this normal that my child has not reached this developmental milestone?”. These are questions we as sprouting melodies can provide without being a parent. Most importantly, it is wonderful to be able to provide a space for the families to have fun and exchange support in a safe and supportive environment.

[Julia Park]

Nicole, giving the room and space for the child in order to experience autonomy is great and Susan, I hear you about the challenges we face as we try to collaborate with the parents and the other therapists. One of my first clients was a 5 year old boy with autism spectrum disorder. His mother was so thrilled when she saw him come alive and explore different instruments in the room. Another little boy I worked with had a mother who was a bit more rigid and strict. She was determined to have the child play at the recital along with what she called the “normal children”. The mother instructed me to give the child a sugar coated almond when she felt like he was doing a good job in the lesson. I did not agree with her and try to intervene but she did not listen and instead, wanted me to continue to do what she and the other therapists were doing with him. It is challenging when some of the parents that we work with do not understand exactly what music therapists do no matter how many times we explain. They believe that music therapists are music teachers who work with children with disabilities and we are suppose to make them play instruments or sing to perform at the recitals. Music therapists are certainly more than that and when the families understand that and are aligned with you, that’s when we experience magic in the room.

[Julia Park]

This week’s lecture was so helpful to me not only professionally but also personally because I have a 7 month old daughter. What I can bring to early childhood music therapy based programs as a music therapist (trained in sprouting melodies) and as a new mom is my expertise in DAP (Developmentally Appropriate Practice) in early childhood music education and my love and curiosity in working with these specific groups. I have never been a parent before and now that I know the developmentally appropriate behaviors for different age groups, I feel more confident and at ease knowing what to expect. What a gift it is to offer this depth of knowledge in early childhood development in such a fun and engaging way called music to the children and their parents! Whenever I have questions or concerns about my child, I usually search internet or read books which can be kind of overwhelming because there are so much information out there. It is also nice that music therapists can psychoeducate the parents while they are having fun and actively engaging with their children. I love the “red-flaggs” shared in the lecture.

[Julia Park]

The takeaways from this week’s material is the concept of respecting each person’s unique timing in combination with the knowledge of developmentally appropriate practice. As a music therapist, I was trained to create and carry out personalized goals and results. This person centered approach theory allowed me to have flexibility but also uncertainty in not knowing what I am doing is really the right way to do it. I now have more confidence and clarity especially in working with these specific age groups (0-5 years old). Because music therapists have the background and training in tailoring to the clients’ needs, I think what we can bring to the clients are infinite.

[Julia Park]

Hello, it looks like mine was posted on a separate tagline so just in case, I am posting this again. Please see below. Thank you.

I am very excited to begin this journey with everyone. My name is Julia Park from the rocket city, Huntsville, Alabama and I recently had a baby girl named Amelia. She is the reason why I decided to do sprouting melodies so that I could have my daughter in my program. I am so happy to even think about my daughter in my class where she can see me as a professional who is teaching her, her tiny friends and their families how to have fun and learn in fun, engaging and supportive ways.

Before I got married and had my first child, l worked mainly with children with autism spectrum disorder(ASD) and social communication disorder (SCD). I started my master’s program in marriage and family therapy in 2013 and expanded my practice working with children and youth at risk. I then left music therapy for two years while I was working on my licensure in marriage and family

When my daughter came into my life, I have decided to do what works for my family. I want to do something that is beneficial to my family in positive and supporitive settings. I am very eager to learn more about early childhood development so that I can support my daughter during her physical and emotional transitions and as a by product, help and support the new parents and their children in their transitions.

Thank you everyone and looking forward to hear about your stories.

Best,

Julia

[Julia Park]

Nicole,

This is great! I love your integrative approach by working with not only the military clients but also with their families. I look forward to hear more about your stories.

-Julia

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