[Maggie Murphy]

As a Music Therapist who has recently returned to working with children (after having spent the past 8 years working with adults), I’ve realized how important is it to follow the lead of the child/children with whom you are working. Unlike many of the adults I work/have worked with in recent years, young children or children with developmental delays may not be able to communicate their wants/needs. Working with children over the past 5 months has reminded me that we can put all of our time and energy into session planning, but sometimes the best way to “session plan” is to observe the child and adjust your session/session plan accordingly. I can imagine that this type of flexibility is key to working in early childhood music therapy-based programs

[Maggie Murphy]

Learning about all of the milestones and developmental markers this past week was a great refresher of the human development class that I took over 10 years ago… so, yes, much needed!

My biggest takeaway this past week was that it is important to have a clear knowledge and ability to explain the developmental markers of children within various early childhood age groups… not just for planning session/observing for behaviors in session… but also for being able to educate/advocate to employers. About 8 weeks ago, I and was able to use this information to explain to my boss (at a local music studio) the developmental differences of an 8 month old and a 3 year old and why it is important to offer multiple music sessions for children within these very different stages of development.

As you can imagine, I’m so grateful for signing up for this course, as I am already putting the knowledge to good use!

[Maggie Murphy]

Hi Yee!

Wow! You have a lot on your plate. I’m sorry to hear that COVID has negatively impacted your work!

This course in early childhood sounds like it will be very different than your previous work, but maybe not too unfamiliar with 2 little ones at home.

I was going to say that you may be able to get some practice in at home, even without working in the field with children, but I see that Greta made a great point above about very intentionally separating music used in her work and at home. Without having kids of my own or working with children at end of life, I had never considered this!

[Maggie Murphy]

Welcome, Lynn!

Congrats on completing your coursework! I’m sorry to hear that the pandemic has made completing your program more complicated. It sounds like your career and experiences in music education will be a great compliment to your future work in Music Therapy!

In regard to your hope for this course… I think this course will do just that! I am returning to the course for a second time (to finish up) and, even with 11 years of experience in the field, this course challenged and refined my perspectives of music therapy and my role as a music therapist in early childhood!

[Maggie Murphy]

Hi Greta!

I would imagine this training will compliment the work that you are currently doing in a Children’s Hospital, especially with children 5 and younger (but possibly even beyond 5) and best part… you will learn all new music (with a variety of activities/interventions to go along with the songs)!

[Maggie Murphy]

Hi Everyone! My name is Maggie and I live and work in the Chicagoland area. I have been a board certified music therapist for 11 years now. I graduated from Arizona State University in 2010 before returning home to Illinois. Over the past 11 years, I have worked in a variety of settings: a therapeutic day school (child/adolescents/young adults 3-21), an inpatient psych hospital with adults, and currently at a VA hospital (with a variety of clinical populations) and, more recently, a very part time position at a local music studio in town (teaching adaptive lessons and early childhood groups).

Because I didn’t have the opportunity to work professionally with children younger than 3 y/o until very recently, I was looking for a training in early childhood music. There were several options out there and this seemed to be the best fit.

This is actually my second “go around” at this course. Between working 2 jobs and life, I had a difficult time keeping with the course during the last session; therefore, I will be reviewing a good portion of the sessions with you and also finishing strong over the final weeks with you. So far this training has been incredibly useful in my part time job and Erika, Meredith, and Elizabeth have been a pleasure to work with! I’m looking forwarding to learning from and aside you over the next 10 weeks!

[Maggie Murphy]

Testing, Tesing…

[Maggie Murphy]

5 WORDS:
Calm, Gentle, Stimulating, Meaningful, Connection

5 SENTENCES:
-(Name of child)’s stillness is response to the music is reflective of his/her stage of development. This is a sign that he/she is listening.
-(Name of child)’s vocalizations during the pauses of the song are his/her way of initiating and communicating “more.”
-Did you notice how calm and relaxed (name of child) became was our cool down song? You will definitely be able to use this song/activity at home.
-While I understand your concern, know that mouthing is (name of child)’s way of exploring the instruments and this behavior is to be expected of children (name of child)’s age.
-It looks like you noticed (name of child) bopping in response to the music, I want to point out the rhythmic nature of his/her movements.

PLAN:
Begin the session by allowing caregivers to settle into the room without feeling rushed. Have calm/relaxing children’s music playing in the background. While looking for options of music, I came across artist Elizabeth Mitchell. If you haven’t heard her music or recordings, I highly recommend.

Hello/Gathering/Transition Songs
-One of the hello songs that I use for children within these developmental levels greets each child by name. This can be paired with a little squeeze from the caregiver, to help the child understand/make the connection that they are being sung to/about.

Body Percussion/Gathering Songs
-“Hey! Hey! Come and Play!” (from E.K. Schwartz’s book “You and Me Makes… We”)- Not only is this a gathering song, but the lyrics of the song invite the children (and caregivers) to engage in body percussion (i.e. clapping hands- with the option of adding verses with additional body percussion). What I particularly like about this song is the “B section,” which encourages simple singing on “La.” This “B section” also give the young children ample time to practice/observe the body percussion being sung about (rather than moving on/jumping into another verse/action).

Lap Ride/Tickles/Bonding Songs
-“Jingle Up. Jingle Down” (from E.K. Schwartz’s book “You and Me Makes… We”)- I haven’t used this song in any of my sessions yet, but I definitely love the idea of pairing a lap ride with jingle bells because the movement will naturally allow the bells to jingle with the beat. Jingle bells are a great option for children in SM1. They are one the easiest instruments to play, because they immediately create sound in response to movement. Velcro jingle bells that can be worn make this even easier.

Instrument Play/Instrument Songs
-“In My Little Hand” (E.K. Schwartz)- Just like jingle bells (and the reasons identified above), maracas are another great instrument choice for these developmental levels. Beyond giving the children the opportunity to explore the maraca (and a context for doing so), this song allows children to practice retrieving/relinquishing items such as the maraca and explore ways to play the maraca (e.g. high/low, round and round, on various body parts).

Gross Motor Movement/Movement Songs
-“Put Your Hands Up High” (from E.K. Schwartz’s book “You and Me Makes… We”)- I feel that this is a great fit for children in SM1/the awareness and trust developmental levels. As discussed in the book, this song can be paired with scarves. Because of transitory nature of movements among children in these developmental levels, the scarves can give the children something to right “up high” for. I was able to use this in a session yesterday and it worked out great!

Cool Down/Songs About Me
-“Wind, Oh Wind” Scarf Song- We will keep the scarves out for our final cool down music experience. Similar to the “Colors Way Up in the Rainbow” sung by Meredith in this week’s videos, the scarf will be slowly waved (in a figure 8 motion) approx. 12-18in away from the child’s face, allowing the child to visually track this object.
If you haven’t heard this song before, here is a link from youtube:

Goodbye/Transition Songs
-Wrap up the session with a calm, relaxing goodbye song. Caregivers can sway the child to the beat of the music. Just like Anne mentioned, it may not be a bad idea to continue the song as the caregivers bundle up the children (during winter season) and/or put into carriers, as this transition is not always easy for young children.

[Maggie Murphy]

I think that the existence of music therapy in community-based settings is particularly important because one does not necessarily need to have a diagnosis or medical condition to participate in Music Therapy or receive services from a Music Therapist. Music Therapy can be used to support wellness and development as well as support families with special needs. Because of this, all families can feel welcome and know that their needs will be met.

[Maggie Murphy]

I have been running an early childhood music group with young children ages (8, 9, and 12 months) over the past 6 weeks. Based on the responses I have seen from these children, I would say that they fall somewhere between the trust stage and independence stage.

Like many groups run by Music Therapists, I began incorporating a Hello/Gathering Song and Goodbye Song right off the bat. Prior to getting into the “meat and potatoes” of this course, I had been using music experiences from John Feierabend’s “First Steps in Music for Infants and Toddlers” In this series, music experiences are categorized into the following: Bounces, Wiggles, Tickles, Tapping/Clapping, Simple Songs, Beat Motions with Recordings, and Lullabies. I had been using songs from each of these different categories.

After a week or two of running the class, I noticed that the children did not seem too interested in the songs from the Wiggles, Tickles, Tapping/Clapping categories. The children wanted to pull themselves up into a stand, using their caregiver’s support. They also wanted to explore the room.

I have made gradual shifts to how I run my group since starting this course. I kept my Gathering/Hello and Goodbye songs, as well as, incorporated new bonding songs (including “Row Your Boat”). I have also started incorporating instrument songs (“All Night, All Day” and “In My Little Hand”) which the young children seem to love.

Over the course of the class, I have noticed that the children have gotten more comfortable leaving their caregiver’s laps. They have an increased awareness and interest in each other and myself (esp. the guitar on my lap).

I’m interested in incorporating music experiences from the “Songs About Me” and “Movement Songs” with them, as well as, learning about Sprouting Melodies 2, because that might be a better fit for these three!

[Maggie Murphy]

Based on one of the early childhood classes I facilitate (this group is recurring- as opposed to the library group I run, where I haven’t gotten to know many of the families as closely yet), the group consists of several young mothers who attend with their first-born child. I would imagine that these mothers signed up to introduce their child to music and support their child’s development; however, I have also seen the mothers connect with one another and even share their phone numbers with one another over the course of their 8-week class. In addition, I have heard these mothers emphasize the importance of being able to get their “pandemic babies” out of the house and interact with others.

I know that there are more families in my community that have different needs than the mothers that I previously described (e.g. mothers looking to introduce their child to music/support their child’s development, connect with other new moms, and provide social opportunities for their children) and I am looking forward to meeting and working with them as well… perhaps from demographic groups that I have not yet reached. Based on the posts from the other members in this group, I can:
-make sure that the services I provide are marketed to families with a variety of
demographic characteristics, including families with special needs
-be careful with the word “therapy,” as this might deter some families from receiving
services
-work to offer a financial assistance program
-make sure to cater programs to children with special needs, providing opportunities for
emotional regulation and development of healthy coping skills
-connect families with adequate resources

[Maggie Murphy]

Music Therapists have advanced training (and opportunities for continuing ed.) that many early music teachers may not have. This training includes education in human development, as well as extensive musical training that can be used to support the child’s development. Because of this, Music Therapists can educate caregivers about the overall development and musical development of the child (and how to support that development outside of classes).

For families with children who have special needs, Music Therapists offer a space where their family can feel included and welcome. Our training as Music Therapists prepares us to work with child and families who have unique needs. This programming can help decrease isolation among special needs parents, since parents come together to attend and participate in classes/programming with their child/children.

[Maggie Murphy]

I have used all four of these music experiences in my music therapy practice over the past 10+ years, but I am just getting started using these music experiences with young children (younger than 3 years old) for the first time.

I recently started an offering early childhood music groups at a local music studio in town. I currently have an 8 month old, a 9 month old, and a 12 month old enrolled in one of my classes. Based on the musical characteristics I have observed, I believe these children fall within the developmental level of trust; therefore, I have incorporated music experiences that cater to this developmental level.

Playing:
I used the song “All Night! All Day!” from Elizabeth’s book “You and Me Makes… We” last week. During this song, I allowed the children to explore/play the various instruments within minimal expectations (other than to explore/begin to play the instruments).

Movement:
In my early childhood classes, a lot of the movement interventions/activities that we do are facilitated by the caregivers who attend with each child. This may include rocking, bouncing, standing up and moving (while holding the child) in response to the music/with the beat. In addition to this, the children may spontaneously move in response to the music at any given time during time throughout the class. I observed one child “bop” to the music last week. I can’t remember which song this was in response to or if we were even specifically “working on” a designated “movement intervention/activity” at the time of his “baby bop” movements. Regardless, his purposeful and rhythmic movement in response to the beat reflects the developmental level of trust.

Singing:
Planned (as opposed to spontaneous such as “infant directed singing”) singing activities/interventions are somewhat limited during the developmental level of trust. I have not noticed the children matching selected pitches or using descending intervals, but I will continue to listen for these responses. I have, however, incorporated an intervention/activity which invites language approximations. I used the song “I Have a Little Pony” from Dr. Feierabend’s “Book of Bounces” over the past 2 weeks. The song includes a dramatic pause (in the singing and bouncing), which essentially invites the children to initiate vocalization (to indicate “more”) in response to silence in music (and pause in movement, which of course coincide).

Listening:
During the first week of my early childhood classes, I asked the caregivers if their child had a favorite song(s). I have incorporated these songs into our classes knowing that children in the developmental level of trust recognize familiar melodies. I have noticed the children smile and move in response to these familiar/favorite songs.

[Maggie Murphy]

SING
-Awareness: The child may alter vocalizations in response to the singing voice (e.g. child may become still/silent while listening to the singing voice and coo/cry when the singing stops because they want more).
-Trust: Vocalizations in response to music are now purposeful and pitched (generally using descending intervals and matching pitch approximately half of the time).
-Independence: The child now babbles with melodic inflection, using varied vowels and consonants.
-Control: The child imitates words of songs before pitch or rhythm (i.e. the words may be correct/match, but the pitch/rhythm may not match.
-Responsibility: The child is able to increase the length of melodic phrases, use melodic contour (discrete pitches within may not always accurate), and melodic rhythm in familiar songs.

PLAY
-Awareness: The child will turn attention toward and/or reach for the music (i.e. with arms, rolling toward, turning head toward, or watching with eyes or facial presence.
-Trust: The child will use their senses to reach out/touch/feel/hold/shake instruments (for brief periods of time) and explore using their hands/mouth/feet.
-Independence: The child will begin to use instruments according to their function (i.e. shake a maraca or jingle bells; strike a drumhead or tambourine; bang two objects such as small cymbols together; etc.).
-Control: The child is now able to incorporate basic elements of music in their playing (e.g. playing at a variety of dynamic levels and shake instruments in a variety of tempos).
-Responsibility: While playing, the child can now maintain a steady beat and imitate simple rhythm patterns.

MOVE
-Awareness: The child’s movements are rhythmic and repetitive (often in a 2 of 4). This occurs instinctually. Movement often occurs in response to a pause in the music (because the child wants more).
-Trust: The child will purposefully respond to the music, displaying repetitive, rhythmic movement aka the “baby bop.”
-Independence: The child is now able to isolate body parts to move rhythmically, such as imitate clapping in response to music.
-Control: The child is able to imitate a greater variety of learned movements (e.g. pat knees, stamp alternating feet, etc.), maintain/sustain a movement pattern throughout a familiar song and even combine two of these movements in a repeated pattern.
-Responsibility: The child is able to use sequences in movement patterns. I think “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” was mentioned in one of the videos to demonstrate the complexity of this song, as well as, a reminder of how often the complexity of the movement/sequences tasks involved in this song is overlooked by caregivers/teachers/therapists.

LISTEN
-Awareness: During this developmental level, the child prefers and will turn their head/demonstrate facial proximity instinctually toward the mother’s familiar timbre. The child will begin to identify different people in their environment by the timbre of their voice.
-Trust: The child is now able to recognize and detect changes in familiar melodies. I think Elizabeth gave the example of a change in the melody “You Are my Sunshine” during one of the videos.
-Independence: The child enjoys crescendos and musical surprises such as fermatas, glissandos, and silence. The child will begin to wait for and anticipate these musical elements through reciprocal interactions.
-Control: In this level, the child will stop action to listen to music.
-Responsibility: The child will listen to the music of others and maintain an attentive posture while listening.

[Maggie Murphy]

Awareness:
In the developmental level, a young child prefers familiar vocal timbres. The child is familiar with the timbre of their mother’s voice (from hearing her voice while in the womb). The child will turn their head instinctually toward the mother’s voice and will begin to identify different people in their environment by the timbre of their voice. The child will use pitch in their own vocalizations (cry/coo/sounds that they make instinctually).

Trust:
In this developmental level, the child’s vocalizations and movement are now purposeful (as opposed to instinctual). Children within this developmental level make pitched vocalizations and match pitch half of the time. They respond to music with repetitive and rhythmic movement (often referred to as the “baby bop”), but not necessarily synchronized to the music. They recognize and prefer familiar melodies, which helps with a sense of trust (anticipating/knowing what comes next and being able to engage).

Independence:
In this developmental level, the child is able to use their voice in so many new ways (i.e. varied vowels and consonants, glissando, babbling/singing with melodic inflection). The child is able to isolate parts of body (e.g. hands, feet, shoulders) or move their whole body rhythmically. Beyond exploring the instruments, children in this developmental level can now use instruments purposefully (e.g. shake maraca jingle bells and strike drum/tambourine).

Control:
In this developmental level, the child is now able to imitate words of the song and engages in learned songs and spontaneous singing. Children in this developmental level enjoy dancing spontaneously and imitating learned movements to music. The internal rhythm of children within this developmental level is fast and can be determined by watching the child walk or move feet/bodies.

Responsibility:
In this developmental level, the child possesses the ability and control (inhibiting their own internal motivation) to maintain a steady beat, match the dynamics of the music, and listen to the play of others. This developmental level marks the beginning of adult “musicking.”

[Author]

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