[Laura Micheli]

Hello Sprouting Melodies Providers!

I am sorry I haven’t introduced myself before! I’m Laura Micheli, MA, MT-BC and I work for Roman Music Therapy Services. I have been a Music Therapist and Sprouting Melodies provider for 4 years. I currently lead SM 1, 2, 3, and 4 and have lead Family Sprouts classes in the past. I am currently working on developing SM 5!!! I love Sprouting Melodies!

[Laura Micheli]

I’ve have lead many Sprouting Melodies groups and each group takes on its own personality. Family Sprouts groups have been the most challenging for me in the past because I had to learn how to use musical experiences to engage all the developmental levels at the same time. I also had to share accurate information to the parents and caregivers about their child. I found especially in these groups that children need to be shown how to gentle with their peers. One group I have in mind the older children would run around the room while the younger children would love to watch this they would also try crawling in the same space. I had to intervene verbally and musically. I had to challenge and engage the older children musically to avoid their running around the room and communicate to them that we have to be careful because there are babies in the room. With my consistency and the parents reinforcing what I communicated the older and younger children successfully participated in the music group together.

Another instance I am thinking of is in one of my Sprouting Melodies 2 classes I had an issue with one child hitting the other children. The first time this happened I immediately went over to the child and redirected her verbally and physically helped her touch her peer gently. I also communicated with her mom why I redirected her verbally and physically and she agreed with this approach. The next time this child hit another peer I redirected her in the same way and mom did as well. This child continued this behavior for a few classes, but by the end of the session she had stopped. Mom and I were consistent with our plan and the other parents in the group were very supportive as well. All the parents said they have had issues with hitting and biting and this was good practice for home.

[Laura Micheli]

I am most looking forward to bringing my expanded knowledge to my existing and new groups. This has been a great opportunity for me to continue my knowledge in early childhood work and share this knowledge with the families I work with. I have worked with some families for a while now and it’s a great opportunity to bring them new information and improve the groups I facilitate.

[Laura Micheli]

Music for development is just that- it is using music to encourage growth and change within the whole child. We might take a musical experience that seems to target certain skills but the goal of the musical experience is to meet the child in their developmental level and help move them or give them opportunities to move towards the next stage of development. Music for skill building is a more narrow focus and we can certainly do that in music therapy, but in terms of Sprouting Melodies our focus is on development.

[Laura Micheli]

Five Words: Busy, Support, Connections, Individuality, Helping

Plan:
Let’s Make Some Music
Hello Everybody
Gather Round/ The Wind is Blowing
Yellow School Bus (Lap Ride)
Shake Uh-Huh
Will You Come
I See Colors Way Up in the Rainbow (Scarves)
Bye, Bye Music Time is Done

What I find challenging about Family Sprouts is as was said earlier that communicating with the parents or caregivers is tricky. When you have an infant and a toddler in the same group it’s harder to really relish in those developmental moments that you can in SM 1, 2, and 3. I think it’s still very important to communicate with the parents about their child’s developmental stage, but you have to be aware of what you’re looking for in each child and be clear on communicating why you structure the group the way you do. For example, if I have a 3 year old and a one year old in my FS group then I might give the 3 year old a drum to play during marching while the one year old may choose to hold their maraca or just be in mom/dad/caregivers arms. It’s important for me as the group facilitator to communicate to all the parents in the group why I am giving the 3 yr old a drum, and not the younger children. Also it’s important to remember when you’re running a FS class because you may have a group where all the children are about the same age and it can be very easy to forget that a younger child or an older child could come to class for a make up or as a new sign up and the entire song structure might have to change. It’s important to keep the structure fairly consistent for each class (SM 1, 2, 3, and FS).

[Laura Micheli]

Five Words: Social, Interactive, Independent, Active, Deliberate

Plan:
Let’s Make Some Music
Hello Everybody
Sit Down with Me
Yellow School Bus (Lap Ride)
Shake Uh-Huh (Maracas/Bells/Egg Shakers)
Will You Come?/Brand New Friend (Movement)
Scarf Canopy
Bye, Bye Music Time is Done

[Laura Micheli]

Share your thoughts with the board on how much stimulation is enough? How much stimulation is too much?
Musical stimulation and energy is an important aspect to gage in music groups with small children, and in general. As musical therapists we are trained to meet our clients where they are and then add or decrease intensity as to create a musical experience and therapeutic relationship. In Sprouting Melodies I’ve found that this also applies. We have to meet the children where they are and decrease or increase the stimulation to encourage participation and development through music. If there is not enough stimulation, children will seek out or create their own excitement. If there is too much stimulation a child may feel overwhelmed or startled.

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 2.
Exploration, Playful, Free Movement, Observation, Energy

Write 5 sentences you can use when speaking with parents about musical responses of children in SM 2.
1) It’s ok if your child explores the room, at this stage we encourage independence and also provide a secure base for them to come back to.
2) Children at this stage will continue to mouth some, we can use the music to encourage them to begin to use the instruments for play, but they may also still be learning through mouthing and that’s ok. We clean all the instruments between classes.
3) There are hiding spaces in the room, and it’s ok if your child explores there independence there. The therapist always sits where he/she can see the whole group and engage the group musically where ever they are in the room.
4) Children may not participate in every musical experience, or may not participate for the whole duration of an experience. This is ok because children at this age and stage of development can’t maintain constant attention for 45 minutes straight, but we can engage the group for 45 minutes.
5) It’s very important for you, the parent/caregiver, to participate in the musical experience. Your little one and the other children in the group are observing the group as well.

Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in a Sprouting Melodies 2 session.
Hello Everybody
Come and Sit with Me
Over the Road
Sit with Me and Shake
March with My Baby
I See Colors Up in The Rainbow and Where is My Face(Scarves)
Bye, Bye Music Time is Done

What kind and brand of instruments are you using in your groups with children of this developmental level?
I am lucky to work in an agency that provides the instruments for my Sprouting Melodies groups. We use various drums like frame drums, floor toms, bongos, lollipop drums, and tambourines from Remo. We also use shakers like maracas, chiquitas, and jingle bells. And we use various percussion instruments like claves, cabasas, finger cymbals, guiro, etc…

[Laura Micheli]

I also agree with everyone, music therapy does play an important role in the community/should play an important role in the community. Music therapists can provide various services based on the needs of their community. As music therapist’s we know how to assess the needs of our community and provide the appropriate services to meet those needs. As a music therapist in my community I provide after school groups and individual sessions working on the unique needs of my clients. Being part of a community based music therapy practice, I have done performances for families with young children, attended networking events to connect with the people in my community and share with them information about music therapy, and I have done library programs for families with young children. When I first started at RMTS, it was amazing to me how many families came out to our library concert. They filled the entire lawn of the library! It just showed me that families in my community are looking for experiences to share with their little ones and once they heard about Sprouting Melodies they were so excited to have an opportunity to bond with the child in music and watch them grow. It’s so important as music therapists to share our unique skill set with our communities.

[Laura Micheli]

Music Therapists provide a huge value to families with young children. Music Therapists offer new ways of experiencing your children through music. We can create musical experiences for families to explore and play with one another while learning and growing together. Music Therapists have a specific skill set that allows us to address various needs through music. Teaching these tools to families to utilize at home provides a huge value in learning how to support a young child’s development. The families I work with specifically are various and unique. Just looking at my Sprouting Melodies families, their needs can be classified a bit more similar. They are looking for ways in which to support their children in development. Families are looking for resources to understand their child, and tools to support their development, especially if they are new parents. Parents with multiple children tend to look for ideas of how to have successful interactions between their young children. Some parents are looking for support from a professional/clinician in understanding their child’s developmental disability or warning signs. We as Music Therapists can extend what we know about these warning signs and offer resources and community support for families. All of these needs are true for the families I work with in my community.   

[Laura Micheli]

I definitely use all four musical experiences in my practice. Singing, instrument play, movement, and listening are all key components to most of my sessions. I feel that it is important to know your clients and their needs and how each musical experience can address the needs of your clients. In my sprouting melodies sessions specifically I use all four musical experiences. Sometimes I may only use three depending on the group that day. Singing, movement, and instrument play are usually present through out the session depending on how the child is engaging in the music. Listening is one of my favorite musical components to throw in the mix when the group needs to go in a different direction. For example before I start to clean up the maracas or anything I sing “Uh-Oh” in a descending two note melody. All the children and parents look towards me (the source of sound) and they know just by those 2 notes that it’s time to clean up. I sing it a second time and sometimes the parents will sing with me and sometimes the children will sing it with me. But I won’t start cleaning up until everyone’s had the chance to listen to the transition song “It’s time to clean up the ____”. I also like to play the goodbye song with just the guitar for one verse before singing goodbye to get the group ready for transitioning out of the musical space. I think there is always more to learn and add and I’m always eager for new ideas.

[Laura Micheli]

I’m sorry for the 2 posts. I tried to fix the formatting from the first one.

[Laura Micheli]

Singing: Awareness- vocalizes pitch independently, may match pitches from outside source (i.e. Therapist), it’s important to point out to parents that their little one is vocalizing a pitch, also look for audible breath and oral motor movements. Trust- vocalizes pitches in phrases called melodic babble, will match outside pitch and respond to their pitch being matched. Independence- vocalizes and recognizes familiar melodies, melodic babble is explored independently, it’s important to encourage parents to allow their little ones the freedom to explore their voices independently and play together by matching pitches and introducing varied pitch from very low to very high. Control- begin to sing familiar song lyrics and/or phrases which may or may not be exactly melodically/rhythmically accurate, it is important to point out what the child is singing to parents and encourage them to sing with their child. Responsibility- begins to sing entire familiar songs with melodic and rhythmic accuracy.
 
Playing: Awareness- look towards source of sound, reach out to touch and explore instruments, may hold a small instrument such as a maraca for a short period of time, may explore instruments with their mouths. Trust- begins to play instruments within the structure of the song for very brief periods, continues to explore the instruments with their mouths, it’s important to assure parents that this is ok and make sure instruments are always clean for children. Independence- plays instruments independently and looks for new instruments to play, it’s important to encourage exploring new instruments and assure parents that’s why the instruments are out! For everyone to explore and play! Control- will engage in starting and stopping the music. Responsibility- maintains a steady beat, creative with how they play their instrument, again it’s important to assure parents that we are creating a safe environment in which their child can create and explore freely.
 
Moving: Awareness- instinctual/natural movements in response to the music. Trust- independent repetitive movement such as kicking legs or bouncing in response to music. Independence- begins to move selected body parts independently (i.e. pat knees, stamp feet). Control- can move each body part independently and in rhythm with the song. Responsibility- can request a body movement such as jumping or running, engages in sequential body movements such as “head, shoulders, knees, and toes”.  
 

Listening: Awareness- looks toward sound, may be easily startled by loud or abrupt sounds. Trust- likes familiarity in song structure, important to share with families the importance of using the songs learned in class at home. Independence- facial and physical responses to the music, children may turn away from sounds or move towards sounds and this is an opportunity to let the parents know that their child is making a choice not to listen or to listen. Control- requests preferred songs. Responsibility- children begin to understand and appreciate others music, they can listen to another child play/sing and they can engage in musical play together with the understanding that “it’s not all about me”.     

[Laura Micheli]

Singing: Awareness- vocalizes pitch independently, may match pitches from outside source (i.e. Therapist), it’s important to point out to parents that their little one is vocalizing a pitch, also look for audible breath and oral motor movements. Trust- vocalizes pitches in phrases called melodic babble, will match outside pitch and respond to their pitch being matched. Independence- vocalizes and recognizes familiar melodies, melodic babble is explored independently, it’s important to encourage parents to allow their little ones the freedom to explore their voices independently and play together by matching pitches and introducing varied pitch from very low to very high. Control- begin to sing familiar song lyrics and/or phrases which may or may not be exactly melodically/rhythmically accurate, it is important to point out what the child is singing to parents and encourage them to sing with their child. Responsibility- begins to sing entire familiar songs with melodic and rhythmic accuracy.
Playing: Awareness- look towards source of sound, reach out to touch and explore instruments, may hold a small instrument such as a maraca for a short period of time, may explore instruments with their mouths. Trust- begins to play instruments within the structure of the song for very brief periods, continues to explore the instruments with their mouths, it’s important to assure parents that this is ok and make sure instruments are always clean for children. Independence- plays instruments independently and looks for new instruments to play, it’s important to encourage exploring new instruments and assure parents that’s why the instruments are out! For everyone to explore and play! Control- will engage in starting and stopping the music. Responsibility- maintains a steady beat, creative with how they play their instrument, again it’s important to assure parents that we are creating a safe environment in which their child can create and explore freely.
Moving: Awareness- instinctual/natural movements in response to the music. Trust- independent repetitive movement such as kicking legs or bouncing in response to music. Independence- begins to move selected body parts independently (i.e. pat knees, stamp feet). Control- can move each body part independently and in rhythm with the song. Responsibility- can request a body movement such as jumping or running, engages in sequential body movements such as “head, shoulders, knees, and toes”.  
Listening: Awareness- looks toward sound, may be easily startled by loud or abrupt sounds. Trust- likes familiarity in song structure, important to share with families the importance of using the songs learned in class at home. Independence- facial and physical responses to the music, children may turn away from sounds or move towards sounds and this is an opportunity to let the parents know that their child is making a choice not to listen or to listen. Control- requests preferred songs. Responsibility- children begin to understand and appreciate others music, they can listen to another child play/sing and they can engage in musical play together with the understanding that “it’s not all about me”.     

[Laura Micheli]

My home community is also very diverse. I am from the Boston area and we are a diverse community. I grew up with the traditional American children’s songs everyone has mentioned. But in my sessions not only with children but with adolescents, adults, and seniors I have encountered various cultures and musical preferences. In our work as music therapists it’s so important to keep culture in mind- especially in very diverse areas.

This being said I do not typically use traditional American children’s songs in my sessions. When I do it’s because a child or family asks to sing it or begins singing it independently. I usually use songs that I have written or that have been written by other music therapists in my work with young children. Beth also mentioned in this weeks module about functional language in songs. And having interned with Meredith, this is something I also practice.

[Laura Micheli]

All the songs are great! It’s really nice to learn new songs and see how I can use them. It’s always good to add to the tool bag!

I’ve actually had the pleasure of learning a few of these songs from Meredith prior to this course. I use “Will You Come” in my sprouting melodies 3 group and they have great responses to it! I’ve actually never added the counting at the end of the verses. I think it would be interesting to add this in now that the children know the song pretty well. I also have the older children play small hand drums while marching/running/jumping/etc… to the music. This is just another way to show how we can learn these songs and make them our own and use them for the unique needs of our clients as well.

I absolutly love the Be My Friend song! I think this song could also be really great for a social skills group.

[Author]

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