[Kim Schlesinger]

Erin, Sammie, Suzanne, and Christina – it is so exciting to hear the big steps that you are all taking in your own practices to incorporate and build programs that use this information. I hope to keep updated and hear about how all of these programs form and grow.

[Kim Schlesinger]

As I mentioned in the other question response, I am already using the information that I have learned here to engage in parent education topics within the Sprouting Melodies classes that I am leading, and it has been really fulfilling to gain that confidence and share the knowledge that I have acquired. While most of the colleagues that I currently work with have also taken the training, it is definitely something that I will recommend to others in my music therapy network in order to further the conversation and learn from their experiences.

[Kim Schlesinger]

Suzanne, I think it is very interesting that you mentioned the difference between your NMT training and coming back to look at a developmental perspective. I find it fascinating to compare the different perspectives available within our practice, but also very helpful to be able to take a little of each of them and incorporate them into our own practices as we (especially me as a finishing intern/young professional) build our own philosophical framework.

[Kim Schlesinger]

This training has already greatly impacted my work as a music therapist and my ability to effectively lead Sprouting Melodies sessions for the rest of my internship. Just this past Friday I had the opportunity to lead both of my Friday morning classes independently, and I found myself with a new sense of confidence and eagerness to learn and grow with the kiddos and families that I get the opportunity to work with. I also found myself happily providing parent education and really reflecting on and sharing the things that I have learned throughout this course and the reasons that I do the things I do in sessions. I know that these skills will carry into many of my areas of practice during this internship and beyond.

[Kim Schlesinger]

Samantha T – I love hearing that you are excited to incorporate the developmental levels into your practice. I’ve also been excited to do this as I observed for the past few months before beginning the training. It has already been helpful to know what stage the kiddos are at in development and to understand their transitions through them.

[Kim Schlesinger]

Sammie – Great reflections on getting to know each group member individually. As therapists, we know how unique each person’s needs and strengths are and, even though it can be difficult, it can be very helpful as well as rewarding to get to key in on specific information that will allow us to provide the best opportunities for success for our group members.

[Kim Schlesinger]

One of my strategies for encouraging success is making every effort to engage the caregivers and/or staff members (depending on the setting) to model, engage with all group members, and simply building rapport with them. Sometimes as the leader of a group it is difficult to see every little thing that happens within it. However, eliciting the help of other adults in the room can help in noticing, redirecting, and engaging all group members when we aren’t able to give each member our full focus.

[Kim Schlesinger]

I’m most looking forward to being part of this professional community that I’ve learned so much about and worked alongside throughout this training. It’s incredible to see the development in the children that I’ve been working with over the past 4 months, and now that I am completing the training I will start to take on leading the classes fully by myself. Additionally, this past week marked the start of our Fall 2 series, and it is refreshing and exciting to be at the very beginning of a new series and getting the opportunity to guide the development, exploration, and musical interactions of our wonderful sprouting melodies community here at RMTS.

[Kim Schlesinger]

Samantha T – I like the idea of adding an extra element of rhythm of instrument for older children to choose to engage. I love the idea of helping to develop confidence by being able to model more complex instructions, but also giving kids the choice to engage is really important, allowing them to try harder things when they feel comfortable. Hopefully in each of our sessions we are able to create that safe and supportive space for kiddos to want to take risks.

[Kim Schlesinger]

5 Words Family Sprouts: Bonding, Supportive, Social, Active, Together
Plan Family Sprouts: It’s Time to Make Some Music (Gathering) – Today Is A Beautiful Day (Hello Song) – I Like to Shake and Play the Drum – I Can Move Around – Movin’ on Up (Parachute) – Music Time is Done (Goodbye)

5 Words for SM 3: Personality, Exploration, Growth, Communication, Deliberate
Plan SM 3: It’s Time to Make Some Music, Hello Everybody, Can You See See See, We’re Going on a Train Ride, Let’s Make Some Music, I Can Move Around, There’s a Train (parachute), Music Time is Done (Goodbye)

[Kim Schlesinger]

Angela – I think it’s really interesting the way you mentioned exposure as an effective method to equip kids for success. I have seen this in multiple different settings, inside and outside of music. I used to teach swim lessons as a high school job, and it was always so clear which kiddos had been to the pool many times with their families and which were afraid of taking risks due to lack of exposure. Similarly, in my own life, neither of my parents are particularly musically talented (my mother actually can’t carry a tune for the life of her), but my mother always sang to us and around the house as we were growing up and as a result, my siblings and I all have an affinity for music. It is so interesting and so clear how much simply being exposed to different things can really help in the development of those skills later on.

[Kim Schlesinger]

I know Meredith has mentioned multiple times that one of the key differences between our sprouting melodies programs and other early childhood music programs is the flexible repertoire that we use. Specifically the repetition within that repertoire promotes development more accurately than repertoire that is changing constantly within a curriculum. An argument could be made that learning and engaging with new repertoire would promote skill development, allowing children exposure to multiple songs and genres. We as music therapists look more into the early childhood development as opposed to the specific skill development. Sprouting Melodies, like Erica said, provides more general developmental growth as opposed to specific goals and objectives each week, allowing SM providers to be all the more flexible in the moment with whatever families are present on a given day.

[Kim Schlesinger]

I believe that the challenges of multi-age groupings are similar to the challenges present when providing music therapy services to groups with widely varying disabilities. It is important to provide interventions that allow everyone to engage but that also don’t become too monotonous or boring for higher functioning or older group members. I liked the example that Beth provided in one of the videos, singing a song and doing motions a bit faster at the end to provide an added challenge for the older kids without taking away from the experience of the younger kids. Providing a scaffolded intervention with multiple different ways to engage can allow individuals of at all levels to participate. It can be similarly challenging to locate appropriate repertoire for groups that include many different ages, and it is important to adapt the songs to have more appropriate lyrics, melodic lines, and performance aspects that engage group members at all levels.

[Kim Schlesinger]

Sammie – I can very much relate to your struggles in getting the group to continue actions when you have stopped modeling to play your guitar. I see this in multiple groups that I lead, including specifically my older adult groups. My supervisor often tells me to trust my voice to cary the music and allow myself to lead with and without the guitar in these situations. The most important thing, as she tells me, is to keep the music going, even if it doesn’t seem like the peak of what you can present (i.e. even if you have to leave out the accompaniment instrument).

[Kim Schlesinger]

AS many have mentioned before, I struggle to pinpoint the exact difference between helpful and harmful overstimulation. While I know that there are lessons to be learned from coping with overstimulation and learning to become more accustomed to the sounds in an environment, I also know that overstimulation can quickly change a therapeutic space into a rather intimidating one for young children. I do think that, within a group at least, too much stimulation can be identified when the majority or a large number of the participants are overstimulated. I have often seen one group member become overstimulated by something in particular, whether that be the ocean drum, movement, etc., while other group members truly are enjoying and benefitting from the interventions presented. If it is possible to continue the presented interventions that benefit the majority of the group, I believe it is beneficial particularly for the overstimulated members to observe this and learn to cope with the difficulties that they are having with staying in the group.

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