[Marcie Hernandez, MT-BC]

I live in an area where music therapy is still very much an emerging field, and my colleagues and I have done A LOT of advocacy for ourselves and our profession. That said, I see a need in my community for an early childhood music program, such as this one, to help validate, educate and encourage parents to engage musically with their children. We also have a large refugee community in our area, primarily people from Somalia, Bhutan and Burma. I see a great need within these communities for early childhood programs that would help both the children and parents feel like they are a welcomed part of the greater community.

[Marcie Hernandez, MT-BC]

Great points made by everyone. I agree that the value of this program and of it being delivered by music therapists lies not only in the musical and psychological training that we have, but also in our ability to be flexible in the moment so that we are really meeting each child’s and parent’s needs. We all have a “toolbox” of songs, activities and interventions, and are able to use these in a way that is developmentally appropriate for each child that we work with, and fosters not only their own development, but also their relationships with their peers and parents/caregivers.

[Marcie Hernandez, MT-BC]

I have used these four music experiences in a variety of ways with a variety of clients. Some examples I can think of include using movement to music to reinforce sequencing skills. I have several clients who follow a visual schedule throughout the day, and so with them I’ve used different movements to create a 3 or 4 step choreography to a preferred song, so they can practice those sequencing skills. Within the responsibility stage, I’ve also used listening as a tool to build social connections, having children take turns playing a solo during a turn-taking song.

[Marcie Hernandez, MT-BC]

Sing:
Awareness- child coos and imitates pitch in response to music
Trust- child continues to vocalize and match more pitches within a familiar song
Independence-child independently begins to babble melodically
Control- child begins to sing the end phrases of familiar songs
Responsibility-child is able to sing the melody of a song while also following pulse and meter

Instruments:
Awareness- child explores a maraca with their hand or mouth
Trust- child grabs and plays the maraca within a given pulse, but very briefly
Independence-child holds and plays the maraca purposefully
Control- child begins to start and stop their playing with the music
Responsibility- child can maintain a steady beat with the maraca

Listening:
Awareness: child turns towards the sound of his mother’s voice
Trust: child calms down when mom sings “You are my sunshine”, a familiar melody
Independence- child leans in in anticipation during a suspenseful melody
Control- child stops playing with their toy in order to turn their attention to a preferred song
Responsibility-child stops their playing in order to listen to a peer play a solo on the drum

Moving:
Awareness- baby slows their movement during lullabies
Trust- baby begins to bounce repetitively during a play song
Independence- child begins to pat their lap along to a song
Control- child begins to reach up and reach down with musical cues
Responsibility-child follows multi-step directions for movement, i.e., claps 3 times, then stomps their feet

[Marcie Hernandez, MT-BC]

I have also seen different levels of musical development in a music class for little ones I lead once a week. Within the class, I have one young boy, about 18 months, who is in the Trust level. He will grasp mallets and use them purposefully to hit a drum. He will play rhythmically, but not always in-tempo to the music. I can see him also moving into the Independence level, when he moves away from his parents at different times in the class, pulls himself up to a standing position and will begin to bounce and move to the music on his own. It’s wonderful to see the joy and instinctive response he has to the music.

[Marcie Hernandez, MT-BC]

Similar to Kate’s observations, I have found that most of the children I work with like pop, rock, rap and hip hop music (what their parents are listening to). My town, however, has a large refugee community, mostly individuals from Somalia and Burma. Although I haven’t worked with anyone from this community yet, one of my hopes is that we could reach out to these families with Sprouting Melodies classes to not only assist with healthy child development, but also provide meaningful ways for these families to feel connected to the greater community.

[Marcie Hernandez, MT-BC]

I don’t have children of my own, nor have I worked very much with this population until recently. As I may have mentioned before, I have provided more “performance-based” groups for children and their families at local libraries and community centers, during which I encourage interaction and participation, but did not feel comfortable identifying what was developmentally-appropriate for individual children in my groups. With this new base of knowledge, I plan on bringing not just information about the expected developmental milestones to parents, but also an emphasis on the uniqueness of each child’s development. Like some of you here have mentioned, I think it’s important to provide gentle reminders for parents and caregivers that all children don’t develop at the same pace. I also plan on bringing more openness to being child-like and encouraging the adults in our groups to do the same.

[Marcie Hernandez, MT-BC]

Hi everyone! My name is Marcie Hernandez. I actually work with Flora in the same practice, Music Blooms Music Therapy, based in Burlington, VT. I received my degree from Queens University in Charlotte, NC, and I completed my internship at MJHS Hospice in NYC. I’ve been living in VT now for 3 years, and working as a music therapist here for the past 2 years. I have a diverse caseload which includes seniors, children and adults with special needs, and working within a pediatric palliative care program. I also provide fun music groups (not therapy) for children in one of the local libraries. I’m doing this training so that I can also expand my knowledge base and skills working with this young age group.

[Author]

Posts