[Lauren Roberts]

Honestly, I am not sure where I am going to go from here! I would love to offer a Sprouting Melodies program through my private practice, but am not confident yet that the timing is right. I am currently working on proposals to two other facilities that would likely generate greater revenue; however, those projects may take longer to complete an implement than would a Sprouting Melodies program. These two programs are NICU and the special education department of a local private school. When looking at age level, Sprouting Melodies would be a great “bridge” between these two populations! So I am wondering if it is wise to build the “bridge” first, or to establish a program on either side of it first?

If all of these plans manage to work out, Sprouting Melodies will have a gigantic impact on my work as a music therapist! As I just mentioned, I imagine it being the “bridge” between two other populations that I am passionate about. This would allow me to potentially make connections with families for YEARS, from birth throughout the child’s schooling. There would be no way to possibly put a true value on that; it would be an invaluable and indispensable part of my private practice if it truly helps build those types relationships.

[Lauren Roberts]

Colleagues: I would definitely recommend this course to other music therapists, especially those interested in the early childhood population. Whether or not they plan on becoming a Sprouting Melodies provider, I feel the information regarding development alone is well worth it.

Administrators: (I am interpreting this as the administrators of facilities where I may want to introduce Sprouting Melodies, such as daycares and preschools.) I would be very interested in giving a presentation at these locations on music and child development! At the moment I imagine myself emphasizing that Sprouting Melodies would enhance the overall quality of their programming. It would be approached from the standpoint of the developmental benefits, and not just a “Yay, music is fun!” (although, it is!). Having quality programming may be a determining factor in parents choosing their daycare as well, and so it could be a boost to their budget as well.

Families: In a way, I feel as this goes hand-in-hand with the administrators. Continuing with the daycare scenario, while administrators may be looking more at budget and cost of a program, parents are looking at the value of services they are getting for their money. Therefore, I would also emphasize developmental benefits of Sprouting Melodies in any information presented to parents, but even more importantly the “why is Sprouting Melodies unique.” I know for me personally, if two daycares were going to cost me the same amount of money, what services I would be getting for that money would be the deciding factor. And then, even if both offered music time, it would go down to the quality of the music service being offered. Parents need to know that the Sprouting Melodies name means their child is receiving a unique and high quality service. While this may primarily translate into printed materials such as brochures, I feel it would also be beneficial for parents to experience what their child would be receiving firsthand, and could perhaps provide a demonstration group/class when a connection is made with a daycare facility for parents to attend with their child. Parent response and interest may then convince administrators to add Sprouting Melodies to their programming.

[Lauren Roberts]

In becoming a Sprouting Melodies provider I am most looking forward to being able to expand my practice, in terms of both number of clients I am able to serve and potential income. Since I am really just beginning, I feel that being able to offer groups is one of the fastest ways that I can accomplish this. I am also looking to fill those morning hours, and so early childhood was a natural fit.

[Lauren Roberts]

Although I have not yet conducted early childhood groups, there is one strategy that I carry with me to my elementary/adolescent groups and private piano lessons: positivity. After a student performs a piece during his piano lesson, I always begin my comments with something positive, no matter how many things need fixing or improving. Probably the closest that I am to early childhood at the moment is lead teaching 4-6 year olds at my church on Sunday mornings. With these children and my music therapy groups with older children I rely heavily on positive reinforcement; instead of constantly trying to correct undesirable behaviors, I am pointing out and praising desirable behavior. Particularly with the 4-6 year olds, they are aiming to please. Nothing gets them on task quicker than simply saying something like, “I LOVE how Maggie is sitting with her hands in her lap.”

[Lauren Roberts]

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies® 3
1. Creative – children are able to contribute their own ideas to the group (let’s stomp, let’s clap, etc)
2. Active – highest energy group!
3. Intentional/Deliberate – children are working toward having self-control
4. Push and Pull – will challenge parents and not unlikely to have an occasional tantrum/meltdown during group
5. Emotions – children are beginning to experience and express a variety of emotions.

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Family Sprouts
1. Magical – families get to share in something together
2. Busy – lots of families = lots of stuff happening!
3. Connections – between siblings, between parent and child, between peers, between parents.
4. Sharing – learning how to share, sharing children with different families (interaction doesn’t always have to be within the family, but can occur between families as well).
5. Support – additional level of supporting parents in facilitating sibling interaction

Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in a Sprouting Melodies® 3 session and Family Sprouts sessions

Sprouting Melodies 3:
– Instrument exploration
– Hello – “Hello Everybody”
– Body Percussion -“Sit Down with Me”/ “Gather Round”
– Instrument Play -“You Play a Little”/ “Music is the Way”
– Gross Motor – “My Brand New Friend”
– Cool Down – I LOVE Eric Carle “From Head to Toe.” My boyfriend’s son does all the movements along with it. I will try to get a video and post!
– Goodbye – “Bye, Bye, Music Time is Done”

Family Sprouts:
– Instrument exploration
– Hello – “Hello Everybody”
– Lap Rides/Tickles- “Hold on Tight” / “Wiggly Jiggly Car”
– Instruments -“Dancing in the Middle” / “I Like this Song”
– Gross Motor Movement -“I Can Move Around”
– Cool Down- “It’s Time to Say Goodbye” (with scarves)
– Goodbye – “Bye, Bye, Music Time is Done”

[Lauren Roberts]

This difference (between music for development and music for skill building) is usually how I explain to people what music therapy even is: “rather than teach children music, I use music to teach other skills.” In the case of Sprouting Melodies, these “other skills” are developmental milestones. Moving to music and playing instruments aids in developing motor skills. Listening to music, singing music, and signing to music aids in developing communication skills. And so on. The difference to me is that we aren’t actually TEACHING these skills. Yes, we design and plan sessions with this end goal in mind; however, the skills naturally develop and occur purely through participation in the music activities. Some children will develop more quickly than others, and in Sprouting Melodies that is okay, because it isn’t all about learning the skills, but the overall development process.

[Lauren Roberts]

I imagine facing two primary challenges when conducting multi-age Family Sprouts groups. The first would be to maintain the appropriate level of energy and stimulation. Older children need a higher energy level, which may be too stimulating and startle younger children. Younger children need a lower energy level, which may lead to older children losing interest and wandering from the group. Second, I could see it being difficult planning sessions if there is a significantly greater number of one age level in the group. For example, if there were 4-5 older children and only 1-2 younger. I assume planning would lean more toward the majority, yet still not to the exclusion of the others. This leads me to another question though: is there a minimum number of children/families to register for a Sprouting Melodies class for it to take place?

[Lauren Roberts]

Loved the question/comments about the environment itself being stimulating! I would assume if they’re already stimulated by the environment, to a degree it could affect how stimulating you are able to be with the music before it all becomes too much. Less stimulating environment could open doors for more stimulating music activities that otherwise may have been overstimulating. Likewise, having a less stimulating environment will make it so that children can better relax/calm during less stimulating activities as well.

[Lauren Roberts]

At the risk of feeling like I’m taking the “cop out” answer on this one, I really think that the children will let you know how much is enough and what is too much. As the videos mentioned, you want to keep the energy level higher than in Sprouting Melodies 1, and I found the suggestion of making an energy level map or diagram for the session very helpful. I can definitely see myself implementing that in my session planning across the board, not just for Sprouting Melodies.

If the children spend more time outside of the circle more than inside actively participating, the level of stimulation is off somehow. However, I would hesitate to make the determination as to whether it means stimulation is too much or not enough. On one hand, I could see myself arguing that if a child is exploring outside the circle more often than he is in the circle that it would mean he is not stimulated enough and is seeking stimulation elsewhere. On the other hand, I could also see myself arguing that if a child is exploring outside the circle more often than he is in the circle that it could mean he is TOO stimulated in the circle and needs/is seeking a break.

Children in Sprouting Melodies 2 are much more active compared to Sprouting Melodies 1, and need a higher energy level. What may have been overstimulating and startling to a child in Sprouting Melodies 1 is now the “surprise” they enjoy repeatedly in Sprouting Melodies 2. Because there are so many changes that can be made between these two groups, I can see myself really highlighting these differences in my session planning in order to give the children more new experiences. As a result, I feel like I would be more likely to err on the side of making things too stimulating than not stimulating enough.

[Lauren Roberts]

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 2:
1. Energetic – energy should be high, but within a calmer overall structure.
2. Authentic/Genuine – being authentic and genuine keeps the higher energy from being frightening.
3. Active – these children are doing more moving and exploring, so the music should reflect that and provide more opportunities to do just that
4. Passive – in the sense that a child may not always be actively engaged in singing, moving, playing, but instead observing and absorbing everything happening around them.
5. Fun – although children are learning, they won’t/don’t realize this because everything has a sense of play to it

Write 5 sentences you can use when speaking with parents about musical responses of children in SM 2:
1. Your baby’s feet are one way he can take in and process information, so it is important for the bottom of his feet to hit the floor when stomping.
2. Your baby may wander and explore, but she will always come back because you are a safe place.
3. Your baby will continue to enjoy the “surprise” at the end of the song, even though she already knows it is coming.
4. Your baby may enjoy the extra stimulation he could get from facing out, toward his peers and their parents.
5. Your baby is certainly welcome to explore any of the instruments available, including my guitar.

Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in a Sprouting Melodies 2 session:
Instrument Exploration Time
Hello/Gathering – “Hello Everybody” and “Sit Down with Me”
Lap Ride/Tickles – “Wiggly Jiggly Car” and “Hold on Tight”
Instrument Play – “Sit with Me and Shake”
Movement – “March With My Baby”
Cool Down – “Pick Your Hands Up High”
Goodbye – “Bye, Bye, Music Time is Done”
“Thank You Very Much” – I loved this! I could see it being a helpful way to watch for some of those red flags too, particularly where social skills are concerned (if they were to shy away from shaking hands or learning the cues for when to do so).

[Lauren Roberts]

Unfortunately, I currently am not, nor have I ever, worked with children this age and developmental level. In fact, I’ve skipped right over it; I have NICU experience and preschool experience! Therefore, I absolutely love having the information about appropriate instruments as part of the course. It also makes me question the choices of at least one other early childhood education curriculum that I’ve come to find out more information about, because it is the one my boyfriend’s son attends with his babysitter.

First, the class he most recently finished was for 0-18 months. I know having such a wide age range has already been addressed for a number of reasons, but I don’t think I thought about this in terms of the instruments that would be needed for a class such as this, with children at multiple developmental levels (and look forward to this when Family Sprouts is discussed!) Well, a few weeks ago my boyfriend’s son got to bring his instruments home with him after the final course of the semester – rhythm sticks and a wooden shaker with no handle! He wanted to play them, so I sat with him but within 5 seconds he had smashed his own finger with the sticks. And he’s finished the course, meaning he’s now older than he was when taking the class and using these instruments! Now, at 19 months he can get his hand around the wooden shaker to use it, but I wonder at what age he was able to do that? What instruments are the children playing who CAN’T yet grasp their hand around the entire shaker? Anything? I’m just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with any other early childhood music programs you may be familiar with? I am just completely flabbergasted!

All that having been said, though I feel those instrument choices are inappropriate, I can appreciate that they aren’t baby-ish. That is why I also love the fact that the videos are showing use of Remo hand drums, nesting drums, and jumbo chiquitas. They’re “real” (i.e. not baby-ish) instruments, yet still developmentally appropriate.

[Lauren Roberts]

Lauren, my sister-in-law is due with their first baby in September! And, now that I think about it, neither she or my brother are musically inclined, so any sort of musical play I’m sure will fall on me. Not that it’ll be a chore to do so though…. 🙂

[Lauren Roberts]

(Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies® 1.)
When initially reading this question/assignment, my first question was “describe the music experiences for who?” This almost led to my creating two lists of words: one to describe the music experiences for the babies/from the babies’ perspective, and another for the parents/from the parent perspective. As I began to do that, however, I found myself being able to justify putting an adjective on either list! Then I realized that this was the case because Sprouting Melodies 1 is so much about the shared relationship between baby and parent that their musical experiences simply cannot be exclusive of one another. When describing the musical experience of the parent, you are also describing the musical experience of the child, and vice versa. All that being said…my five words are:
1. Engaging – The parent and baby are engaged with both the music and each other for all activities. The parents also get to engage with one another and create new friendships and relationships.
2. Calming – For the parent, Sprouting Melodies 1 can be an escape from everything else happening in life, such as chores that need to be completed at home. For the baby, some songs may be so calming that he/she falls asleep during the class!
3. Repetitive – This is how both parents and babies learn the songs.
4. Welcoming – The Sprouting Melodies 1 class is an open and forgiving environment. I love the idea of each family being able to build a little “nest” with the stroller, diaper bag, blankets, etc.
5. Reassuring – The baby is reassured by the parent and is beginning to develop toward trust. The parent is reassured by the music therapist and his/her encouragement (see sentences below).

(Write 5 sentences you can use when speaking with parents about musical responses of children in SM1.)
1. Your baby will have more fun and be more likely to respond to your voice than mine.
2. Your baby is still participating in music even if he/she is choosing to only listen (and not sing, clap, etc).
3. Your baby is certainly capable of playing an instrument!
4. Your baby may or may not be ready for different/increased movement. It is okay to do only what your baby prefers or is comfortable with.
5. Your baby may respond to the same song in different ways. As long as he/she continues to respond differently, he/she is not bored and you should continue singing the same song.

Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in a Sprouting Melodies® 1 session
Hello/Gathering – I like “Hello Everybody” from the mp3 audio sample page on the Sprouting Melodies website. It would be easy to substitute each child’s name for “everybody.”

Lap Ride/Tickles – There’s an old rhyme that may or may not have a melody (if there is I don’t know/don’t remember it). Either way, an original melody could be created.
“Round and round the cornfield
Looking for a hare.
Where can we find one?
Right up there.”
The tickles begin with parent tracing circles on the baby’s stomach or palm of an open hand. On “right up there” parent finger-walks up the baby’s arm and then gives a gentle tickle to the neck. I imagine you could change it anyway you’d like. For example, “right down there” and walk down the leg to tickle the foot.
Same idea exists for another rhyme,
“Round and round the garden,
went the teddy bear.
One step, two steps
Tickle under there.”

Bonding – “Row it Faster.” I loved this!

Instrument Play – “Sit With Me and Shake” Was also able to find the mp3 of this on the website!

Singing – “Where is My Face” I imagine this could incorporate other body parts? Putting the scarf on shoulder, arm, hand, etc to substitute for “face,” though it wouldn’t have the peek-a-boo quality that the scarf over the face provides.

Cool Down – Scarf movement shown in the video during the Songs About Me section that followed “Where is My Face.” The lyrics began “I see colors way up in the rainbow…” I enjoyed this transition very much and like how it provides parents with multiple ways the scarf could be used.

Goodbye – “Bye, Bye, Music Time is Done” As I developed this plan I also began to wonder what others’ thoughts would be regarding using the same song for goodbye as hello (but obviously substituting “goodbye” for every “hello” in the lyrics)?

[Lauren Roberts]

I think music therapy plays a very unique role in the community! Just thinking about the community in which I plan to begin a Sprouting Melodies program, there really is nothing like it! Yes, there are other early childhood music programs, but none with the particular focus on development or the education/training of teachers that Sprouting Melodies would offer. In fact, I recently looked at the website of one of the other local programs and saw a section in which the instructor explained why she chose the particular curriculum/program that she did when opening her studio. For each and every point listed, I was able to come up with a statement as to why Sprouting Melodies would be better and, I believe, more attractive to parents in the area as the early childhood music program of choice.

[Lauren Roberts]

Most of my experiences with children at this age and developmental level has been in the NICU setting more so than an early childhood setting. Although the NICU babies are obviously much more medically fragile than clients would be in a Sprouting Melodies 1 class, a lot of what the music therapist is looking for in the NICU setting is still the awareness stage. For example:

Does the baby turn his/her head toward you as you’re singing? Does the baby make eye contact while you’re singing? In Sprouting Melodies 1 this would be representative of the bonding between baby and parent.

Does the baby tolerate massage on different body parts? In Sprouting Melodies 1, one could equate this with tolerating the parent tapping a steady beat on various body parts.

Does the baby tolerate vestibular stimulation (i.e. movement) during the Multimodal Stimulation intervention? In Sprouting Melodies 1, this would be similar to the baby tolerating movement songs.

It was actually very exciting and encouraging to make this connection this week! Becoming a Sprouting Melodies provider is just one way in which I am looking to expand my business. Another is (hopefully) beginning a NICU-MT program. I am seeing now how one can help support the other; if I am able to get into a NICU and make connections with families there, I imagine many of them continuing into Sprouting Melodies following discharge from the NICU, and then even after Sprouting Melodies to continue with private lessons or MT services since I already provide those for older children!

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