[Kate Potrykus]

I was so nervous starting a practice, but after meeting Meredith at a conference and talking to her about Sprouting Melodies, I became incredibly excited. Through this training I’ve learned a lot about early childhood and how music fits into this age group. While this age group is not one I have a lot of experience working with, I have had many parents come up to me at marketing events and ask “how young will you work with?” I can now honestly answer that there’s not such thing as too young when it comes to working with people through music. I hope to apply a lot of what I’ve learned to my clinical practice, and, of course, I hope to become a Sprouting Melodies Provider. I think it will be a great addition to my practice as a program we offer, and I truly believe this is something my community could benefit from.

[Kate Potrykus]

I’m currently advocating music therapy in my community as a new business owner, so not only am I advertising my practice, but now I’ve been able to talk to families and other professionals about Sprouting Melodies and how I hope to become a provider soon. I have a colleague who I have been discussing the course with and who plans to become a provider as well. As I’m spreading the word of my practice, I’m spreading the word of Sprouting Melodies with everyone I talk with. I already know a few people who have been looking for classes like this for their children, so I have high hopes that my community will be excited to have a Sprouting Melodies provider in the neighborhood.

[Kate Potrykus]

I think the number one strategy I will be using is confidence. Being confident in my newly gained knowledge about developmental stages and how music can apply to those stages is going to be the most useful strategy. Julia mentioned keeping the “fun” and I completely agree with that as well. I think being fun, energetic, and observant will also help ensure that every child gets what they need out of the music experience. An continuous open dialogue with parents and caregivers will also go along way with knowing how to provide for each child in the best way possible.

[Kate Potrykus]

I am excited to have the opportunity to work with age groups I have yet to have much experience working with. I look forward to being challenged, to applying my new knowledge, and growing as a Sprouting Melodies Provider. I am also looking forward to having a support system behind me. As a new owner of a private practice, it will be so nice to have a program to offer my community that is supported by other therapists all over the country and that is offered by therapists all over the country. Knowing that I will have a group of other providers to reach out to if I ever have questions is comforting and exciting!

[Kate Potrykus]

Music for skill building is very specific. It focuses on one skill and the music is designed to promote change in that one area. Like Charniqua said, it is often easier to use music for skill building within an individual setting. Music for development has broader effects and covers more areas than one specific skill. It lends itself very well for group settings since everyone develops at different rates. Music is adapted for different ages and developmental levels, but no specific outcome or change is expected necessarily. The music fosters growth in a natural way through the exploration of the sounds and instruments and through engaging with the music.

[Kate Potrykus]

SM3 Words: Push and Pull, Active, Intentional , Creative, and Learning and Growing.

Due to not having a ton of experience using music with these age groups, I’m going to create a plan using the songs talked about in the videos.
SM3 Plans: Start with Hello Everybody. Encourage clapping, and patting, and bring everyone together. Next, for a bonding song, use My Brand New Friend. At this stage we are encouraging exploration and independence, so help the child widen their social circle. The therapist should play with the child, and encourage play with other children. Repeat the song as many times as necessary for the children to have a chance to open up to other people in the group. That All Makes Up Me brings it back to the individual, identifying body parts and the self. For instrument songs, children can start to work on turn taking, sharing, and reciprocal playing in You Play a Little. This, again, goes along with making connections with other people. Will You Come lends itself well to more structured movement. Children can stand up if they are ready to march and move, they can beat on a drum, skip, dance, jump – it works for diverse movements. Finally, end with a familiar goodbye song and perhaps Thank You Very Much to reinforce the concept of connecting with others.

Family Sprouts Words: Diverse, Cooperation, Engaging, Inclusive, and Individuality.

FS Plan: Start off with just an instrumental of the Hello song and allow the group to explore the space, the instruments, and perhaps even their own voices. Work on self identification and identification of others (for the older kids) with All of This Is Me. Tempos can be varied throughout the song for the older kids while the familiarity and repetition will be good for the younger kids. For instrument songs, Dancing in the Middle could be used to promote exploration of both the space and the instruments. A gathering drum can be put in the center which would foster the connectedness aspect of Family Sprouts while not forcing any child to play that particular instrument. Movements and instrument playing can be paired in I Can Move Around. Allow the entire space to be used, encourage parent participation, and vary the movements so that both the little ones and the older ones get something out of it. Finally, a Goodbye song. As suggested in the lessons, instead of a more upbeat goodbye song (which I’m usually inclined to use), it may be in the best interest of the group to bring it down at the end. It brings the group back to a common place and is accessible by both the younger children and the older children in the group.

[Kate Potrykus]

I have a lot of Basic Beats shakers, Remo drums, and several other West Music products. I use a lot of colorful instruments – small maracas and egg shakers, homemade rhythm sticks, and Velcro strap bells. I like the bells because you don’t need the full grasping abilities to play them. They are actually perfect for the even younger kiddos as you can strap them to their wrist or ankle and allow them to discover how moving their bodies can trigger the jingle on the bells. I also like using any small mallet drums because it’s fun to watch children explore how using the mallets may create different sounds than using their hands to hit the drum.

[Kate Potrykus]

I agree with those who said that the amount of stimulation utilized should be dependent on the situation. Many children respond very well to a lot of stimulation, but it does depend on the age as you don’t want to startle the child. A lack of stimulation does not promote a sense of anticipation and exploration. But too much stimulation can cause agitation, so you really have to find a balance. Familiarity and repetition will help prevent startling, as the child will know what to expect. Spontaneity in music does not have to mean a huge change in volume, there are other ways to keep it exciting. Too much volume can lead to startling, so the therapist should come up with other ways to be spontaneous within the music.

[Kate Potrykus]

Five words: Playful, energetic, authentic, spontaneous, and exploration.

Five sentences: 1) Don’t be afraid to let your child explore the space, but always be ready for them to come back to you, 2) We don’t expect your child to follow directions…it’s about making musical choices, 3) Find the beat and put it on your child’s feet, arm, or somewhere else on their body, 4) It is okay for your child to explore everything in the room, and 5) We encourage you to allow your child to face inward toward you, but also out towards the group as they begin to explore outside their secure base.

SM2 Plan: Begin with music as the children enter and begin to explore the space. During Hello, encourage parents to bounce their child on their lap. The therapist should engage with the children, and also include familiar but surprising elements in the music – exclaiming “hey!” during the song for example. Hold on Tight will come next. Parents should have child on their lap and should be encouraged to wrap their arms around their child to promote that bond and remind the child that the lap is their safe space. The therapist should begin to interact with the kiddos as well. Can You See Me? allows children to identify parts of their self. The therapist will encourage the identification of body parts and incorporating gestures. The therapist should allow for opportunities for response from the children, as well as initiation – so stopping and starting the music to illicit responses. For an instrument song, Sit With Me and Shake can also use the stop and starting of the music to illicit responses. Vary the tempo and the range of motion for playing the instruments. For movement, March With My Baby is good for both the younger kids and the ones transitioning to SM3. Movements can be varied, and some parents can stand up with their child if their child is able, or they can tap their child’s feet on the ground in a marching fashion. Again, it is about the exploration of the room, so the movement should allow that. Finally, Goodbye. I have a repetitive goodbye song that allows for some sort of response from the child but also incorporates varied tempos and timbres to keep it interesting. After “Goodbye,” “Thank You Very Much” could be sung since it is great for promoting the recognition of others. As children move into this independence stage, it is good for them to connect to other children and people.

[Kate Potrykus]

The biggest challenge has to be adapting the music and activity for multiple ages. You want to excite the older children and provide playful changes in the music without startling younger children. You need to make sure there is a little something for everyone within each activity. You need to offer a variety of instruments and a variety of musical elements that are accessible to children of all ages. Another challenge may be explaining some of the developmental milestones that are occurring. I imagine parents come in and see that their older child is doing something that their younger child has yet to try. Parents often compare their child to other children, but as we know, each child develops at different rates. Though challenging, the multi-age groups sound like a fun way for families and siblings to interact with music, as well as for children to help other children by being good role models.

[Kate Potrykus]

1) Five words to describe the SM1 experience: Awareness, calm, exploration, sensory, and inviting.

2) Five sentences: a) We invite all parents/caregivers to interact with their child as much as possible throughout the experience, b) do not be afraid to sing to your child – your voice is most important, c) use your body to engage the child in the rhythm – gently tap the beat on their body or sway and rock your child to the music, d) closeness is important for that bond, so hold your child close as we engage in the music together, and e) this music setting is for both the parent and child – feel free to bring in anything you have with you, from diaper bags to strollers.

3) I always like to have music playing as people enter – it brings them directly into the music experience without hesitation. On my guitar I would play soothing music as the families unpack, settle in, and I greet them. Instruments will be set out on the floor in the center of the circle. Instruments chosen will be instruments with a nice timbre that are easy to play, but nothing harsh like a tambourine. As families settle in, we will begin with “Hello” as we sing to one another and greet one another. I will encourage all parents to hold their children in their laps as we transition to “Row it Faster” for a bonding song. With their knees up and their child on their knees, parents will be invited to rock their child and sing along. From there, we will transition to “Just Like Me.” Parents can sit with their legs out and their child on their lap as they tap the beat somewhere on their child’s body. When a body part is identified lyrically, the parent will be guided to point to the body part on their bodies. Keeping with the theme of body parts, I would move to “In My Little Hand” for an instrument song. Again, no tambourine will be used. Instead, maracas, nesting drums, and light bells will be used to shake on the different body parts sung in the song. This will be the highest point in the session as we will start to bring it down again during the movement song. I have an unnamed song that I use with little ones to allow them to experience different planes. The lyrics are about flying in the sky like a bird and then coming down to land. Parents can either lift children up from a sitting position, or, if the child is learning to stand, they can stand as part of the movement. Finally, we will end with “Goodbye.” Everyone will be encouraged to sing as we come together again with a deep breath at the end.

[Kate Potrykus]

I have yet to work with children at this age within a music therapy setting. I do, however, have experience with interacting with various friends’ children who are at this level. It can be an intimidating experience – interacting with a child so young. They seem so fragile. It is fun to watch them explore this new world around them in different ways. I love singing to children at this age and found that quieter singing using a varied range seems to intrigue the child. I’ve also noticed how attracted children at this age are to exaggerated facial expressions as well as exaggerated vocal expressions. Listening to the examples of what the experience of working with these children in SM1 will be like certainly got me excited to try it out!

[Kate Potrykus]

My instinct in answering this question was to write what most others wrote – music therapy in the community setting is about achieving non-musical goals. But I’d also like to add that, in my experience, music therapy in the community setting is about the process of engaging in music with others without expectation of an end result, such as a performance. I’ve read a lot about community music therapy and what makes it so effective is that it promotes natural social interaction and can elicit feelings of empowerment, togetherness, and pride. The end result doesn’t matter as much as how each individual engages with the music as part of a group. As a therapist, we have the knowledge to adapt music and the musical instruments to make the experience accessible to all individuals. In Sprouting Melodies, our knowledge of development helps us choose appropriate music and allows us to recognize these developmental milestones as they occur through our facilitated classes. To me, the key role of music therapy in community based settings is to bring all types of people together, regardless of disability or developmental level, and engage them, all together, in music.

[Kate Potrykus]

The needs of my community, overall, differ greatly. Families seem to be actively seeking out new social groups to join and be a part of. There is a group of families with children with special needs that don’t seem to have as many opportunities to be a part of social community groups. There are a lot of families that work for the government and many children move in and out of the local school system because their parents are in the military and foreign service.

The needs of the families I currently work with vary as well. For some, their child has aged out of the school system but is still looking for something meaningful to do with their day. Parents of these children are looking for an activity that can be engaging and fun, but will also allow for their child to develop or maintain their skills. For some other families, music therapy is one of the many therapies their child receives in order to help support their development. Families are hoping that these therapies with boost their child’s development so that they are able to function in the community more independently.

[Kate Potrykus]

Music therapists bring a lot of different things to the table when working with children and families. They have a strong awareness of diversity among individuals and use that to provide the best service they can for each different individual. One of the most poignant things I learned while earning my degree is that everyone is different, but people are people and should be treated as such. This reminds me, as a therapist, to be patient with those that I work with. It also goes hand in hand with what has been reiterated in this training course – there are developmental milestones that children are expected to reach, but every child takes their own time getting there and some don’t always reach it the same way others do.

A music therapist is also a good communicator – which is important when working with families. I think most of us would say we’re pretty used to having to communicate the therapeutic process and any progress made toward goals to parents. I have many parents who sit in on my work with their children, so I have a lot of practice explaining what I’m doing and what I’m seeing from their child in response. I’ve also been a sounding board for concerns regarding their children. So beyond knowledge of development, musical talent, and an inclusive environment through which to explore music for young children and their families, music therapists can also bring a sense of security and reassurance through their work.

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