[Kristen McSorley]

This training has already impacted my work in a multitude of ways. I feel more knowledgable working in early childhood and explaining musical development to caregivers and teachers. I also feel like I am more able to break down tasks to achieve a goal (e.g. before writing a goal for a child to sing an approximate melodic contour of a song, it would be helpful for them to be able to sustain sound and match approximate pitch!) This has also helped me to reaffirm the value of community-based music therapy and see how valuable these classes can be to parents, even though it’s not our traditional understanding of ‘therapy.’ Thank you so much!

[Kristen McSorley]

I will echo Kelsy! It is great to work for a company that takes care of all of the outreach part on its own. In the future when/if I am self-employed, I will reach out to libraries and other community centers about providing services. Networking at rotaries/kiwanis clubs is something I have experience with and will also be helpful in getting things started!

[Kristen McSorley]

I am excited to create an environment focusing on nurturing natural development and celebrating the uniqueness of each child’s musical response. While I wouldn’t say my primary philosophy is behavioral, some of the settings I work in mandate a behavioral lens. I am excited to work in a setting where the primary motivator for attending groups will be – ‘fun!’

I also look forward to educating families about music therapy and how music aids development. I am leaving this course with newfound confidence in my own knowledge.

[Kristen McSorley]

I make sure to design experiences that enable every child to be successful and vary my expectations depending on the child. I’ve found it’s helpful to communicate this with staff/parents as well so that they can understand why I’m not expecting the same behavioral response from every child but instead celebrating their strengths. Honoring every child’s unique response to music, even when it may not be the ‘expected’ response, is crucial to a successful and supportive environment.

[Kristen McSorley]

Sprouting Melodies 3:
Action, Emotion, Play, Independence, Friendship

Session Plan: *Gathering: Gather Round, incorporates body percussion and provides structure to bring everyone to a shared musical space; Hello song, spending time to greet each individual. *Bonding song: Row it Faster, a familiar song from earlier classes, but can now engage with more independence/possibly sing the words to the song; *Songs about me: Today I Think I Won’t Be Me, playing with imagination and imitating animals; *Instrument songs: Shake, shake, shake with egg shakers and directional movement (high/low); You play a little, this is one of my favorites to encourage sharing with friends and referencing others in the room. It also begins to cool the session down as part of it is passive (watching others play). *Movement Songs: You are my sunshine, simple movements to provide a soothing cool-down; *Goodbye: goodbye song saying goodbye to each group member; *Show Me You’re Ready: transition song to move to the next activity

Family Sprouts:
Helping, Collaboration, Understanding, Supportive, Growth

Session Plan: *Gathering: hello song greeting each individual; Find a Beat: body percussion song to further engage older ones while providing for some body awareness for little ones. *Bonding song: Hold On Tight, has surprises and changes to interest the older ones while incorporating the little ones with bonding with parents. *Songs about me: Just Like Me, soothing song that fits the comfort of the younger ones, older children can help assist by pointing out their own body and their sibling’s body (when relevant). *Instrument songs: I Can Move Around, safe exploration of instruments, can introduce directional cues within the song to suit the older children; *Singing: I Like This Song, yet another soothing song that encourages being in the music, can practice vocalization with older children. *Goodbye songs: singing goodbye to each individual, practicing “thank you” through sign or singing.

[Kristen McSorley]

Music for development helps support the developmental process. The music complements the natural progression of development and is designed to provide a safe, nurturing environment for children to experience developmental milestones. Music for skill building is more goal-directed and uses the characteristics of music to facilitate specific skills. This use of music is more individualized to meet the child’s specific needs and will be designed to target and support specific skills and their pre-cursors.

[Kristen McSorley]

Challenges include balancing music experiences to be enjoyable and accessible to all developmental levels. As music therapists, I think we’re well-equipped to do this! In many of my experiences with groups, there has been vast variations in functioning level. In the schools, I have children placed into one group to suit the IEP while saving the school money, even though their functioning varies immensely. In the psychiatric hospital, some patients are cognizant and aware of their diagnosis, while others are unaware and stuck in delusional states. I’m sure we all have a lot of experience working with groups of multi-age/multi-functioning levels! It’s one of the challenges of being a music therapist, but also, in my opinion, one reward.

Another challenge, mentioned in the video, is not hyper-focusing on the children in a later developmental stage. As they become more independent, the music needs to be even more adaptable to fit their attention spans. This can sometimes lead to focusing on the older children, to keep them engaged, while not including the younger children as well. At least, this is my experience. Overall, though, I do think multi-age groups have a lot to offer!

[Kristen McSorley]

I love what Kelsy said about authenticity. Little ones seem to have a truth radar and can easily tell whenever you’re not being genuine, which can contribute to over-stimulation. Proximity may also over-stimulate a child, especially as they’re first getting to know you. It’s important to give them enough space so that they feel safe. I would say the most important thing this course has taught me is the value of silence. I used to feel that I needed to always fill space between songs quickly. I started giving more space which not only prevents over-stimulation, but also helps me to slow down and process as well. Recently, a parent recorded me during a session and I watched the play-back with them. They happened to capture one of the moments where I left some space between songs to allow myself to think. To me, that space felt like thirty seconds. It was only five! It’s important to be aware that the real world is sometimes moving slower than your mind, and no one will feel awkward if you take a pause.

[Kristen McSorley]

I have found in this training that most of my instruments are not generally appropriate for this age range. Other than large maracas, I only have egg shakers at this time and will definitely need to invest in some shakers with handles! I also need to take a note from Tracy’s book and buy a xylophone that doesn’t come apart! The rainbow xylophone I have currently is all too tempting to dismantle for little ones. I have drums of a few different sizes and the older kids (nearing 18 mo.) love to take them out and make a drum set and bang!

[Kristen McSorley]

*It’s perfectly okay for your child to engage in music differently than the song suggests! *Exploring the instruments in non-traditional ways, including mouthing, is okay and typical behavior. *Even when your child is watching and listening, they’re absorbing information and learning! *It’s important to alternate between upbeat and soothing experiences to allow for a full range of emotional and sensory experience. *Your child is curious to explore their environment yet also relies on you to provide safety and reassurance.

Session plan: *Gathering: Hello- spending time greeting each person; Hey Hey! Come and Play! a second hello song used to further integrate children into the session and provide elements of surprise. *Bonding: Wiggly jiggly car (this song’s just that incredible). *Just like me: soothing in comparison, provides opportunities for introspection and body percussion; *Instrument: Shake, shake, shake, a shaking song with high energy, using directions for modeling; I Like this Song, a calmer instrument song focused on simple enjoyment *Gross motor movement: Will You Come? engaging in various gross motor activities- jump, tiptoe, crawl, run. *Goodbye song

[Kristen McSorley]

Laughter, observation, trust, adventure, curiosity

[Kristen McSorley]

I love what Sarah said. I was also intrigued by the idea of community music therapy in college, but never gained a concrete understanding of how it could be realized. I always thought it was a beautiful idea, but… where is the money?! When paying as part of a group, caregivers don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for services, and at times, libraries and other community centers are willing to financially support the program. I think community music/music therapy services are extremely important and have the potential to make change on a systemic, societal level. This is my own personal opinion, but I think it also brings music therapists down a notch, from our role within the medical/illness model. It makes it easier for us to directly empower individuals through working in an empowering setting, rather than a setting that may limit/diagnose abilities. That may sound harsh.. one concern (which may be addressed later) is about the ability for communities to pay for services. I know that higher income communities will have more access to community services, which further sustains the gap between socioeconomic communities. Is there anything we can do to ensure that all communities have access to community music therapy groups regardless of income?

[Kristen McSorley]

As others have said, the biggest thing I’ve noticed with this age group is how quickly they develop! I love this age group and caregivers are always SO joyful and supportive of one another! Everyone is so in love with their child and that flows into the playful environment. Small reactions are so important in this age and a smile/eye contact feels like a huge milestone. I notice a huge difference with the babies when the caregiver is/isn’t singing. Babies seem a little more confused whenever I’m the only one singing and absolutely are more engaged when the caregiver begins singing.

[Kristen McSorley]

Calm, intimate, soft, supportive, warm

*Your child will learn best from your voice. *Here, there is no such thing as good or bad singers. There is no wrong way to sing! *Make sure to provide repetition here, and at home, to allow your baby time to process and trust the music. *Support your child’s rhythm by moving rhythmically with them. *Use a warm, soothing sound to sing with your baby. Your child prefers higher pitches now, but it’s also important for you to be comfortable singing!

Gathering: “Good morning” opportunity to greet each child; soft, finger-picking
Body awareness: Just Like Me, continuing a calmer, soft feel in the beginning
Bonding/lap song: Row it faster
Shakers: I Can Move Around; free exploration of shakers, with parent and/or baby holding depending on development
Movement: As Big As Can Be
Cool-down: finger play (Itsy Bitsy Spider)
Goodbye song

[Kristen McSorley]

The other day, I expressed that I was grateful everyone braved the weather for group. One mom replied by saying this is the only time she leaves the house with her child and she would never miss it! I think parents are looking for ways to bond with their children through various mediums. Additionally, I’ve gathered that many parents are excited to meet other parents with same-aged children. Many are first-time parents and looking for some peer support and companionship in the parenting process. Early childhood groups don’t only help parents bond with their children, but also provide a support network in the community!

I also wanted to comment and say I loved the part of the video where Meredith implied that we can help music become a greater part of the community. By helping parents to generalize music making and bring it home with them, that can have a larger community impact. We are helping to build musical communities. 🙂

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