[Mary Withington]

MT-BC’s bring a knowledge of and experience in group process, developmental levels of children, how to be flexible and spontaneous to meet the need and goals of the group or individual, how to incorporate special needs children with neurotypical children so that all experience success. MT-BC ‘ scan observe and evaluate while leading and make changes on the spot to insure success or to change behaviors, energy levels. They are very adaptive and creative, and have a broad knowledge of music and music interventions.

[Mary Withington]

I use all these elements in my groups, no matter what the age-babies to very older adults. I always noticed Head Shoulders was hard for the 2 and 3 year olds, and now I know why! I think the discussion of the awareness stage of musical responses will be so helpful. I’ve had many moms say their 4 month old or younger baby was too young to get anything out of a music group. But this is just not so. I was thinking about a mostly non verbal teen with autism who is in my MT group. I never thought of this until now, but based on his behavior and musical responses, I think he is in the trust stage of musical development. I plan to use these ideas to help him be successful in this stage as I try to help him move towards independence. I can’t expect that he can imitate a beat pattern or isolate body parts on command. I plan to try to match his vocalizing instead of trying to get him to match mine. I plan to talk this over with the COTA who works 1:1 with him with in the group. Maybe it’s unrealistic to expect he can use an IPAD communication device yet and push yes or no buttons. He just likes to see his Thomas the Train light up and make sounds, and briefly uses pulse and meter on a drum or when strumming a guitar. I can help him pat his knees instead of trying to get him to clap his hands. He’s not there yet. He greatly brightens with familiar melodies and his facial expressions change and body movements increase when he hears a song he likes. This has given me a new take on what to do to help him succeed.

[Mary Withington]

Just lost the rest of my finished post, so here I go to do it again, maybe shorter this time.
Playing instruments- AWARENESS-responds differently to sedative vs play music, and is beginning to reach out, grasp, and play an instrument. TRUST- Briefly uses pulse and meter, picks up, grasps, and plays instrument. Looks toward the instrument he is grasping or shaking. IDEPENDENCE-explores a variety of instruments and play with purpose and intention for a longer duration. Can transfer instruments hand to hand.CONTROL- enjoys stopping and starting sounds with a long rest in between.can play a variety of tempos. RESPOSIBILITY- can maintain a steady beat, play independently in a group setting,

Movement-AWARENESS-rhythm is movements are instinctual and reflexive to music played. TRUST- Responds to music with repetitive movements such as the baby bop, hands up and down, but not clapping yet. Will calm by rocking to music. INDEPENDENCE- able to isolate body parts and move intentionally to music. CONTROL- able to imitate learned movements,can start and stop body movement in response to musical cues, starting to jump. RESPONSIBILITY-can now move body sequentially, such as in song head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.

Listening-AWARENESS-child can recognize changes in vocal timbre and can recognize voice of mom and important caregivers. Will like toward object or sound in close proximity. TRUST-child recognizes familiar melodies, and will be calmed by music and respond by looking to changes in music. INDEPENDENCE- facial expressions and body movements will match the intensity and mood of song, CONTROL-child is able to stop action to listen to music, and imitate simple musical patterns. RESPONSIBILITY- child is able to listen to the music of others and respect it. Able to adjust tempo, intensity, etc to match that of a group.

[Mary Withington]

Singing-AWARENESS-child uses pitch when vocalizing, and can change pitch. He cries with discomfort and coos with contentment. TRUST- the child matches pitch 1/2 of the time and can vary pitches from low to high and high to low and imitate pitches. He is starting to vocalize using hard consonants. This is the beginning of communication and singing. INDEPENDENCE- child uses pitch to combine sounds with inflection, uses pitched intervals. and babbles with melodic inflection. Like to sing to themselves. CONTROL- child follows melodic contours of familiar songs, and is proud of their singing and wants to perform. enjoys sing voice to whisper or shout, and puts several words together in musical phrases. RESPONSIBILITy- child plays with pulse and meter within a melodic contour, and creates own melodies and lyrics.

[Mary Withington]

I love these songs, and they are so functional, easy to learn, and adaptable to all ages. In my notes I marked specific children with whom I work that I plan to incorporate with them. In particular, the transition music and embedded music were very helpful. And putting songs in a minor key, or a key and tempo that reflects what is coming is something I focused on in my groups this week. I also felt encouraged to make up my own melodies to fit the situation. That is something I hardly ever have done before. For a transition from an active activity to the cool down at the end of my music and movement group with autistic kids ages 5-15 ( yes, in one group together), I slowly strummed the guitar in Em-Am pattern and spontaneously made up a minor song about it’s time to cool down, take a deep breath and stretch. Saw instant attention and focus out of a chaotic feel from the kids. And the energy level dropped and they were calm, and doing the deep breaths and stretches, before singing goodbye. Previously I had not used music to transition to the cool down. What a difference! Next week I plan to use specific songs in my groups. ParticularlyAre You Ready for Music? And Where is the Music? In my preschool general music classes I do. I want to use with my individual 4 year old MT client the songs I Like this Song, and in My Little Hand. He does a lot of drumming and instrument playing, and I think this will encourage vocalizing as well. I noticed last week in my MT group with the older kids and also in my general preschool group, that when I used the song Zum Gali Gali, which is in a minor key and repetitive, that the kids focused and sang extremely well. I had them playing bells, choir chimes, resonator bells, and Orff xylophones at the same time, in D minor. I used an embedded call and response song with my 4 yr old client this week in a minor key, and we made it up together. He sang louder than ever. In my nursing home former life I always adapted the piano music I played to match movements in exercise groups, and have used NMT training that matches music played to support movements.

[Mary Withington]

I just want to add that when I did my internship in Minnesota in a nursing home, I had to learn all new music to reflect their culture and traditions. There, Jewish songs, German and Scandinavian songs, and Lutheran hymns were very important. Along with accordion and polka music! I had to learn how to polka, and was taught by an elderly man with Parkinson’s who couldn’t walk. But when polka music started, he could dance like a champ!

[Mary Withington]

I live on the coast of eastern NC, so the music tradition here is Christian gospel, country, and southern rock. I know there is a Down East group that sings and teaches others about traditional sea chanteys and fishing songs. The children like traditional children’s songs like Eency Weency Spider, Twinkle little star, but they also like children’s church songs, like He’s Got the Whole World, and if I were a Butterfly, and Jesus loves me. Most of the children ages 2 through teens that I work with LOVE the Frozen soundtrack and the song Happy. The older adults like classic and old time country, gospel and fundamentalist hymns. I, too, am Episcopalian, and had to learn all of those traditional gospel hymns to do my job. ( no one, not even many Episcopalians know and can sing our hymns by heart! ) Beach music is still huge here, and shagging is still very popular. Most adults know and can sing the Beach music tunes ( My Girl, Under the Boardwalk, Carolina Girls). All the kids and teens I work with love Disney and dream works movie music. Thank goodness Hannah Montana is now passé. But they can all sing Wagon Wheel! I’ve worked with all ages from newborn to 100 year olds, in the south and in Minnesota, in schools, psych hospitals, and nursing homes and hospice, drug and alcohol rehab, so I’ve had to learn about so many different typss and genres of music. Personally, I greatly enjoyed the concert I went to 2 days ago with my teen nephews– Dirty heads, Offspring, Incubus and Panic at the disco, but that’s another story!

[Mary Withington]

I’m thinking about a 4 month old baby in one of my classes. He was born 7 weeks premature, and is considered delayed in his developmental milestones. I believe he is in the awareness stage. He responds to music by turning his head towards me when I sing or play an instrument. He increases babbling vocalizations in response to singing or moving. He smiles when I talk to him and make clicking or lip sounds. He smiles in response to being moved in different positions while held, during dancing and movement. Sometimes he laughs when moved. Sometimes his legs kick while being bounced to music. He cuddles during lullabies, and is more active in body movements to lively music. He grasps a Chiquita or egg shaker when it’s placed in his hand. He sometimes reaches for it. He usually puts it in his mouth and sucks on it. Sometimes he falls asleep during the music. He has low muscle tone, and can’t hold his head up independently .

[Mary Withington]

Reviewing the developmental milestones was extremely helpful. Also all the mentions of red flags to be aware of. I thought of specific children and clients as each age was discussed. Being able to point out to parents that their 18 month old is not developmentally ready to share, and to use the word “trade” instead will be valuable information. In reviewing the stages of development it is apparent to me that children could have more success in a narrower age range of a class, and that parents’ expectations can be directed toward that age’s stage of development. Sometimes they compare in a negative way their younger child’s behavior and understanding to an old child’s in a group. I need to remind them that they are not yet at a certain stage. The info about biting and how to redirect was helpful. I was not aware before about when moral concepts understanding occurs, and I see that it is much later than I’d thought.

[Mary Withington]

I think I bring enthusiasm, spontaneity, a willingness to enter the child’s world and get down on the floor and play with them. Although I don’t have children, I have always enjoyed being with and working with all ages from new borns to very older adults. I Babysat from age 12 to after I was married at age 38, and was always the most fun and requested baby sitter, and have been “the fun aunt” to my nieces and nephews. As a music therapist for over 30 years, I’ve developed an ability to be in the moment with people, to enter their worlds, and be aware, empathetic, and responsive to their needs. I am flexible and can change a plan or activity instantly in response to a need or mood or behavior. Although I went into music therapy specifically to work with geriatrics( now termed older adults), I’ve found that I love working with the younger children and babies equally as much. They and their parents usually like me and the fact that I can slither, waddle like a duck, and be silly and comfortable
with them very spontaneously. A parent brought a friend’s 3 month old to her daughters’ piano lesson at my house this morning. Instantly I had that baby smiling, sticking her young out at me and cooing, just by making tongue and mouth sounds, smiling and vocalizing, and tracking a little maraca. The waiting sibling then played with the baby as I had done, during her sister’s lesson. Just a little example from today.

[Mary Withington]

Hey everyone. My name is Mary Withington, and I have practiced music therapy since I graduated from UGA in 1982. I live Morehead City, NC, over the bridge and 2 miles to the ocean from my front door. I did my internship and later worked in a nursing home in Minneapolis, MN. After 4 years it moved back South and worked in SC at the state psychiatric hospital in Anderson-Patrick Harris Hospital for 4 years, and then in Greenville, at a private psych hospital-Charter Behavioral health Center for 8 years. After the other MT-BC and I were “downsized” during a rash of staff cuts ( they later went bankrupt-yay), I went into private practice in 1997. I mostly contracted with nursing homes, assisted livings, and adult day care, senior vocational rehab settings and hospice. I concentrated on older adult, mostly, although I had a lovely contract with a special needs high school class room, and an individual MT contract with a teen to work on speech goals. I moved from this wonderful and busy private practice to a small town in NC, in 2000,when my husband got a new job. The first job I could get there was in a preschool. I just ran those music classes like my Alzheimer’s groups and it worked fine. But I knew I needed early childhood training, so I took the Kindermusik training, which was very helpful. I have led Kindermusik classes since then to augment my income. I moved to Morehead City in 2004, and have since contracted with a preschool for general music, do Kindermusik, teach 40 piano students, some with autism and Down syndrome, and have some music therapy groups with an OT pediatric clinic and through the Autism society, and a high school music therapy class. I would like to develop some music therapy groups for early childhood through the OT clinic where I contract. There have been numerous requests for this from parents of young autistic kids. Kindermusik is expensive and of course, is not music therapy, although I’ve borrowed activities for interventions from time to time with the older autistic kids. I have been wanting music therapy specific ideas and interventions for this age group and potential music therapy groups in my area. I have read Elizabeth Schwartz’s book and have done a CMTE on it, and really learned a lot, so I am excited to learn more and add to my business. Thank you.

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