[Katie Romano]

Five Words: 1. Bonding 2. Soothing 3. Playful 4. Rhythmic/Predictable 5. Warm

Five Sentences: 1. Watch the baby’s reflexes, but the maraca in the palm of their hand and see them grasp it! 2. Sing with us! The tamber or your voice is familiar to the baby. 3. Keep scarves roughly 12-18 inches from your child, so they can best see and track it. 4. Watch your childs eyes, see them look and track different auditory cues and visual stimulation. 5. Did you hear them sing?! They might start vocalizing some on pitch!

Session Plan:
Greeting- Its a beautiful days (A song I learned during my internship)
Bonding- Wiggle, Jiggle Car (EKS)
Song About Me- Just Like Me (EKS)
Instrument Song- In My Little Hand (EKS)
Movement- Pick your Hands Up High (EKS)

[Katie Romano]

Ive mostly worked with this age group while babysitting or at the hospital, so not in the traditional clinical setting. In the hospital setting though we looked at their level of awareness to help track their fragile development. It was interesting to see how hospitalization affected their awareness and perception of music. I look forward to working with typically developing, healthy children in this age group.

[Katie Romano]

As my peers have so beautifully stated what makes music therapists so unique in the services we apply to children and their families. Our education in a variety of fields, helps us provided more well rounded services. It also gives us more tools and angles when provided music therapy to children. Out musical education paired with knowledge of childhood development and psychology helps with intervention planning and musical choices. It also gives us the opportunity and knowledge base to improvise midsession and meet the children where there are at.

[Katie Romano]

The families I worked with biggest needs were socialization and normalization. These children were developmentally delayed so their parents hoped that there involvement in music would help reiterated developmental advances and tasks being studied in other therapies and school. In a different setting, the hospital, the goal is control and opportunities for developmental play. If they see their kids having fun and secretly learning something, it is a success.

[Katie Romano]

Living in Chicago, I have been so lucky to be exposed to so many different types of music. There is always a music festival going on and free music in the park. The type of free concerts vary from symphonic music to jazz and hip-hop. Its wonderful. There are so many opportunities to be exposed to music, especially in the summer. There are free concerts in the park and street performers everywhere. It is very easy to be exposed to many different types of music at a young age..

[Katie Romano]

Most of the young children I have worked with were in the hospital setting. Most of them were struggling between the independence and control stages. Some of the infants were trying to develop awareness. It became a goal to help support and increase their awareness through music. The musical characteristics described in the videos (such as intentional pauses and syncopation) really helped the infant track the sounds and develop security in the situation.

[Katie Romano]

I really enjoyed this weeks information. As I am studying to become a Child Life Specialists, it was great to hear all the developmental milestones condensed and discussed in new ways. It was great to hear was to reassure parents as they watch their children grow and pass though different milestones. Even though I am not yet a parents, I was able to relate the information to clients and patients I have worked with and understanding where they are developmentally to better serve them.

I am really excited to uncover developmentally appropriate ways to use music to help children navigate their development. I think focusing on different interventions and styles of practice for specific age groups will help me, help patients reach appropriate developmental milestones in the hospital setting- where regression is very easy. Im excited to move forward and learn new techniques!

[Katie Romano]

Hello everyone!

My name is Katie Romano and I am from Chicago, IL. In May of 2013, I graduated from Southern Methodists University with a bachelors in Music Therapy and as of March of 2014 I am officially an MT-BC! Before that, I completed my internship at Giant Steps, a therapeutic day school for children with Autism. It was truly was an incredible experience to work with so many talented music therapists and be surrounded by very special children. Since graduation and completion of my internship I have focused my attention and developing skill set on childhood development. I am actually about to start my Child Life Specialist internship to learn more about the support and development of children in the hospital setting. Through this program, I hope to learn more about childhood development within the musical context, so that I can be equipped with as many tools as possible to help children and their caregivers through the different stages of development (especially in the hospital setting). I am very excited to learn from everyones wisdom and expertise!

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