[Leeann Mcmorrow]

I did the car on my knee song with some plastic animals and the kids loved it! It’s such a great song and so adaptable!

[Leeann Mcmorrow]

As somebody who spent most of the last decade working in hospice with adults, this class was so eye opening for me! It truly made me realize how much I already know about early childhood music from my music therapy training and offered some real examples of this kind of work. I am particularly grateful for all of the musical compositions that were presented in this course, as it gave me so many ideas (including writing some music of my own).
I’m part of a very extensive mom’s group network on social media. I really want to take some of the information I’ve learned and see if there’s interest through that in having me run a class. I’m also really excited to have found a new opportunity to work with kids the same age as my daughter.

[Leeann Mcmorrow]

I have been hearing a sense of isolation from other parents in my community. Just because things are more open since the pandemic shut-down, does not mean that every parent of a young child feels settled in. I’d love to offer some music classes in my community as a way for families to connect with one another and find a decreased sense of parenting “on an island” by themselves.

[Leeann Mcmorrow]

-I try to make sure I’m consistent in my language when giving instructions. I try to use the same words each time I’m explaining something, to keep things more clear and concise.
-Singing instructions whenever possible instead of speaking.
-Planning smooth transitions from experience to experience.

[Leeann Mcmorrow]

Sprouting Melodies 3 Framework:

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 3
Exploration, Creative, Silly, Teamwork, Engagement

Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in Sprouting Melodies 3
1. Hello Everybody
2. Instrument Playing: All Night and all Day with egg shakers
3. Bonding: Swimming Together
4. Movement: “Jump Like a Frog” song (Jump like a frog, stretch like a cat, etc)
5. Goodbye song (with a little bit of songs about me mixed in): Use the drum instead of the guitar and when I say each child’s name, allow them to tap the drum to say goodbye to the group.

[Leeann Mcmorrow]

Sprouting Melodies Family Sprouts Framework

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Family Sprouts

Playtime, Collaboration, Community, Expressive, Imaginative

Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in Family Sprouts

1. Come and Join the Circle
2. Movement: Elevator song (for children who need help, parents can lift them up and down. Other children can move up and down like an elevator)
3. Instrument Playing: I Like this Song (allow lots of time for family collaborative music making)
4. Family interaction: I’d use the song “Run Baby Run,” but allow each family member to choose a movement and use their name instead of “Baby.”
5. Goodbye: I’d use my own goodbye song and provide a lot of space for children to wave goodbye to other families in the group.

[Leeann Mcmorrow]

I explain to families that music therapists provide a very holistic approach. We have the knowledge of early childhood development and the skills as therapists to adapt our experiences within the context of an entire family, including meeting where the child is at themselves.

[Leeann Mcmorrow]

I’ve been struggling with this issue particularly at the monthly library concerts that I have been doing over the last year. The size of group tends to be very large with multiple ages represented. There are a few things I have learned are helpful in this setting.
1. Songs with a lot of movement: keeping the kids moving often helps with engagement with the large group.
2. Songs with directions: Clear directions (like If You’re Happy and You Know it Clap Your Hands) allows everyone to participate together.
3. Songs with choice (but don’t take too long with decisions): The last time I was there, I did Old McDonald had a Farm, and I asked the kids for animals to sing about. I didn’t always wait until I heard the name of an animal- sometimes the kids just made an animal sound, and I picked that up quickly and moved forward with the song, which helped keep everybody engaged.

[Leeann Mcmorrow]

I think this question is where assessing and reassessing during all sessions is just so extremely important. Even as it depends on the child, it can also depend on the day that the child is also having. This is also why live music by a trained therapist is so key because we have the assessment skills to identify when something is too much and the music skills to adapt on quick notice.

[Leeann Mcmorrow]

I bought a very inexpensive glockenspiel a long time ago and I have found it very useful for working with kids!
Similar to this:

[Leeann Mcmorrow]

Sprouting Melodies 2 Framework:

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 2.

Exciting, Bonding, Fun, Exploration, Relational

Write 5 sentences you can use when speaking with parents about musical responses of children in SM 2.

1. Observe all the ways your little one is responding to the experience- vocalization, movement, instrument-playing, watching/taking it all in.
2. Model for your child how to start and stop playing the drum.
3. It’s okay if your child is watching- they’re still taking everything in and we can go back and repeat the song again!
4. We encourage being silly and making funny sounds here!
5. It is okay if your child wants to move around the room, check out the guitar, and say hi to other kids.

Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in a Sprouting Melodies 2 session

Gathering: Hello Everybody song
Movement: If You’re Happy and You Know it
Sense of Self: Where is the Music chant
Instrument Playing: Drumming song where the music cues the children to play the drum in different ways (with a mallet, with their hand, with their feet, etc)
Bonding: The Elevator Song (a lap song where parents lift the baby up and down like an elevator)
Closing/Goodbye: Goodbye song that I wrote to say goodbye using each child’s name.

[Leeann Mcmorrow]

Having facilitated a number of children’s concerts at the local library over the last few months, I’m realizing now how much more enriching music therapy-based early childhood groups really can be and I feel very challenged to incorporate more thought and intentionality into my sessions there. I’ve learned so much through this course on how to incorporate parents into the group. I recently read a research study that suggested the #1 thing that parents want in their communities are meaningful experiences they can do together with their kids. Music therapists are so well-equipped to meet this desire in our communities!

[Leeann Mcmorrow]

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 1.

Nurturing, peaceful, communal, relational, relaxing

Write 5 sentences you can use when speaking with parents about musical responses of children in SM1.

1. Our goal is to see our babies looking calm, soothed, and relax throughout the music through facial expressions and the sounds that they make.
2. If your baby falls asleep, it’s okay it just means that they like the music and are doing well in music class today!
3. You don’t need the same voice as a rockstar- your baby already thinks you are the rockstar and they love to hear your voice whether it is singing or speaking!
4. Take in each little moment of music class today- just like your baby!
5. Watch and see- your baby might turn their head towards the music or away from the music depending on what they want to hear.

Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in a Sprouting Melodies 1 session
1. Gathering song: I wrote a song a long time ago where the tempo can easily be adapted, so I would use my own song, slow it down, and use lullaby-like accompaniment on the guitar.
2. Bonding Song: I Love Your Toes (link to YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBbTBrik-p4) I found this video online and thought it was a great song written by another early childhood specialist. The lyrics are, “I love your ___ (toes, knees, etc) so I’ll give them a little squeeze.”
3. Instrument exploration: Shaking Song- this is another song I wrote a while ago. Encourage parents to use some hand over hand assistance.
4. Movement: Row Row Row Your Boat
5. Closing: Time to Say Goodbye/You are my Sunshine- I wrote things closing song and it chains well with You are My Sunshine. It also has space to say goodbye using each child’s name depending on the size of the group.

[Leeann Mcmorrow]

I think music therapists provide so much knowledge and empathy. It is so hard being a new parent, especially now during the pandemic. You feel stretched in so many new ways as a person. It’s wonderful to have a professional who brings a tool (music) that is so motivating for children and families alike, the knowledge to educate families about child development and apply it with music, and the empathy to be a listening ear to parents.

[Leeann Mcmorrow]

When I was working in pediatric palliative care, some of the goals that I had as a music therapist were to create an environment where siblings could interact together, especially considering that the patient/child had a terminal illness and often they were very medically fragile. Sometimes I would help the siblings (and patient if the patient was verbal) write a song together to sing to the patient. </p>
<p>I have a thought from a community perspective that I’d like to run past all of you. Recently, I signed my 18 month old up for a gymnastics class. The class ages span from 18 months-3 years. I’m finding that the difference in what a 3 year old in the class can often do is so different than what my 18 month old feels confident and successful doing. For example, sometimes the teacher sets up obstacle courses with a small toddler-sized rock climbing wall, but my 18 month old is not ready to rock climb yet.<br />
Perhaps this doesn’t happen as often in the music settings, but I’m curious if any of you find this age group to have some big differences between youngest and oldest and if you have ever felt a need in your community to narrow that age group?<br />
Personally, I’d love to make two community music groups that splits these ages up a little bit more- maybe 18-24 months and 2-3 years. I’d certainly like it if gymnastics was able to do that for us!

[Author]

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