[Kevin Alvarez]

Hi Jeanne-

I agree that the elements, while all individual so important, together create such a great experience for our clients that help them develop through music!

[Kevin Alvarez]

My sessions tend to include some variations of the four music experiences. Given the range of students that receive the service, the structure of the session changes constantly, however, I seem to always have similar experiences across all ages. Our sessions usually start with a reflection (or ‘body preparedness’) in which I begin playing the guitar sans singing, and invite the students to reflect how they feel appropriate to the music (i.e. stretching, swaying to music, moving arms, etc.) This is continued until all students have joined the group in which we transition to our ‘whole body listening’ and they help sing and perform various movements while I play along. I have found that this intro has been most beneficial across all settings as it allows for the students to join at their own pace and can participate when they feel ready. I really enjoy these movement warmups as it allows for the students to both explore how their body instinctively reacts to the music, but also regulates them to follow the rhythm and style of the ‘whole body listening’ song. I have discovered that my younger students (pre-k to 1st grade) enjoy singing activities more than movement activities, and it has definitely improved their communcation abilities while also demonstrating their self-awareness and confidence as they sing familiar songs independent of the music therapist. Our group sessions have also been evolving to more call-and-response activities that incorporates 2-3 of these music experiences. Students have become familiar with the various songs that they have been able to match the pitch of the call while also maintaining the meter and time of the song. Also, within these different songs, they incorporate various movements or dances that pair well with the direction. I have noticed that with older students (2nd-3rd grade) they enjoy musical games in which we follow a musical pattern or stop an action and perform another. During these instrument games, they are able to sustain both simple and complex rhythms created by the therapist, while also asking to create their own experiences. They often ask for musical games in which a ‘stop and go’ aspect is included and they can switch instruments with their peers. I feel as though I try to incorporate various musical experiences for all students as they all enjoy very different aspects of out music therapy sessions. I find myself changing structure all the time and which interventions are best used for the music experiences. Sometimes, we just need to listen to our favorite song and share memories about that song. Each week seems to be a new experience and students respond in ways that I never anticipate, which make for a fun and remarkable learning moment!

[Kevin Alvarez]

These have been great songs to begin a session for my students, and they have loved the movement songs in addition to the You and Me Makes We songs. I have been using “Just Like Me” with my younger clients and they have been enjoying this song, so so SO much. It has been so much fun watching them imitate and perform the movements, but we also extend the activity to include instruments, or include simple movements such as clapping with the hands, blinking eyes, etc. Also, one of my favorites, “All Of This Is Me’ I have been using since internship and it is one of my favorites. In regards to structure, I really enjoy how minor keys are used for feelings other than sad or otherwise. This has been such a fun ‘warmup’ song for the students to choose various movements or parts of themselves they enjoy and point out what they are most proud of.

[Kevin Alvarez]

‘N’ is a very musically-inclined child. He was always singing, dancing around and using classroom objects as drum sticks, tapping on various items as they were drums. He also had a lot of energy whether he was moving around the classroom, or talking so fast that he you could not understand what he was saying. While he demonstrated amazing musical skills, he still seemed to have some difficulty following directions. I engaged him with a drum and encouraged him to follow and sustain my tempo and my beat. While at first he did not seem to recognize the tempo, as the activity went on, he both entrained to the rhythm and sustained eye contact. From this, we were able to play off each other and develop original patterns, while also imitating each other’s playing. Through this playing, he seemed to have better control of his body and actions, and following the music session, he calmly walked backed to the classroom and joined his peers on the rug. His sense of control allowed him to increase his direction following as well as his attention.

[Kevin Alvarez]

The population in which I work have developed and created a very diverse musical taste in regards to preferred music. While I work mostly in urban, low-income settings, the students request anything from ‘Baby Shark’ to “You Are My Sunshine’ and ‘In My Feelings’ (the ‘Kiki’ song). Of course, I always try to incorporate, school-appropriate lyrics and academics within the songs, but the students are always willing to learn new songs. Each week, I try to bring in a new song from a different genre of music that they have expressed the most interest. It was always a surprise that one week they wanted to listen and sing along to a traditional lullaby song, and then the next week was a ‘Top 20.’ It has been very rewarding to uncover their musical tastes and I have been enjoying learning songs that I don’t normally listen to myself. Also, because the students requested to listen to rap songs, I did some research in which I found a “Wocket in my Pocket”, by Dr. Suess rap. After sharing this song once, each week they would request it, and the following weeks, the teachers would try ask if I could write a little rap to their book of the week.

[Kevin Alvarez]

Awareness:
1. turn and locate the sound source
2. attempt vocalizing by matching pitch, or with repeated sounds
3. calm when listening to familiar melodies

Trust:
1. shift attention when change in familiar melody
2. may play simple, short and repeated musical phrases
3. move body rhythmically to a given song

Independence:
1. beginning to string notes together to make an interval
2. begin to use both hands to play/explore instruments, or bang together
3. able to imitate clapping when given a model

Control:
1. can remember and recite songs and lyrics
2. play instruments using a variety of dynamic levels
3. ability to start and stop at various musical moments

Responsibility:
1. ability to maintain a steady beat
2. adjust vocal quality to match dynamic or timbre
3. recall and perform simple learned movement patterns

[Kevin Alvarez]

Becca-I appreciate and agree with your statement. I work with a lot of children or urban or low-income where school is almost a safe space for them. Being able to create a sense of stability and fun, yet understanding of expectations all make for great sessions!

[Kevin Alvarez]

Hi Marly-I connect with your reflection 100%! I have always viewed myself as a child trapped in an adults body and working with the younger children has allowed me to fully embrace the goofiness and silliness that music can offer. I think it’s so important to present the authentic self as I do feel that children sense it and will react and participate accordingly.

[Kevin Alvarez]

In an early childhood music therapy-based program, I hope to bring a safe space in which children can pretend or create anything that helps them develop personally. I want to have a program in which a child can explore various uses of instruments that are not necessarily the ‘right’ way to play, but still able to make music with their peers, developing social skills that can be used outside the music setting. I hope to build and grow their creativity through story songs by allowing them to contribute ideas that are not ‘wrong’, but build upon each other to create a world that can be brought to life with the characters they create. I want to be able to promote an environment that allows children to be themselves while also having copious amounts of fun through diverse music activities!

[Kevin Alvarez]

Hi Jeanne-I agree. This checklist have always been helpful in any context, whether it is creating interventions or establishing developmental levels of a child.

[Kevin Alvarez]

I agree! There are so many ways to connect with an object and becoming that sense of self.

[Kevin Alvarez]

Hi Becca, I think about this on the daily!! More specifically when it comes to song choices-how they may not be appropriate for a chronological age, but it is something that they connect with developmentally.

[Kevin Alvarez]

My biggest takeaway from this week content derives from the importance of make believe and fantasy play and the contributing role they have to both the cognitive and language development for a child. As a child enters into a new preschool or daycare setting, participation in these various fantasy or make believe play allow far numerous opportunities for self-expression, interaction with their peers, and creativity of pre-existing knowledge of both daily interactions and independent use of materials found in their play area. It was interesting to find how the play can develop when interacting with peers and the impact that it creates on the child as a whole; and the self that begins to emerge from the various roles that the child invents.

[Kevin Alvarez]

Hello! My name is Kevin Alvarez, and I live in upstate New York, more specifically, Schenectady. I received my Bachelor’s degree from University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA in 2014 and completed my internship here in Schenectady at the Wildwood School, where I worked primarily with school-aged children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I currently work for Expressive Journeys, LLC, a private practice here in the capital region. I primarily work with students PRE-K to 12 in a school setting, as well as private clients at our company clinic. I have always had a passion for early childhood, and most of my caseload is Pre-K students in an integrated setting. I have been interested in early childhood development and I am looking forward to developing more skills as to address these outside the academic environment.

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