[Megan Calabro]

Hi, again! I tried a couple of the songs with the little one I mentioned in the first post for this week. The song itself was great, and a lot of fun, but I think what this child keyed into most was just doing a rhythmic rendition of the song as opposed to a tonal rendition. But, this particular child also really needed the input. As a visual, this little one was reclining in the crib, on an incline (probably at a 45 degree angle), and I had one hand taping the macro-beat on the child’s chest, and my other arm tapping the macro-beat across their legs (over the blanket). Just having that “pressure” and input present was very calming and grounding for this little one. But the rhythmic vocal play also greatly helped to transition this little one from an irritable state into a calm, content state.

[Megan Calabro]

Hi, all. This is a rather than interesting question… I’ve always done a good deal of singing with my children, and some of the music in our home included Raffi, Disney, School House Rock (because Conjunction Junction is too much fun not to share lol), Wee Sing, and lots of lullabies. They were also introduced to Christian music, sacred choral music, and chant, as I was (and still am) very involved in our church. My children have also developed a liking for country, which was really sparked by my husband’s involvement with our local fire departments (yes, plural), and local first aid squad.

With regards to my community, that’s really a tough one… I would say that country is pretty popular, but that’s because the people in our community who I know are also involved with the firehouse. Several of the families in my children’s school are more into the “pop” scene, but I’ve tried to steer clear of things simply because of lyrical content. I don’t know if anyone else has had that experience at all…? Moving to yet another community circle of mine, I also have a group of people at church that I sing with on a regular basis, so I would say the community I’m part of also has a great appreciation for a Capella choral music. I guess, at the end of the day, I can say that there is a pretty wide variety of musical preferences, which is definitely pretty interesting to consider when doing music with families with young children.

[Megan Calabro]

Hi, all. I have a couple of moments that I wanted to share… First, just because I think it’s such an awesome example, I wanted to share a quick personal moment with regards to Awareness. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I frequently used the Winnie the Pooh theme song as a lullaby with the kids at the hospital. When my daughter was jus t over a week old, my in-laws came over and gave us a mobile that played part of the theme song. My daughter, after a brief pause, turned her head towards the mobile, and smiled this brilliant smile!! It was beautiful to behold.

I also wanted to share an experience that I just had yesterday with one of my hospital kiddos. This little one is not quite 2, and just has multiple, multiple things going on – physical delays, speech/language delay, visual deficits, and then not feeling too well to boot. Well, when I went to see this little one, they were initially pretty gosh darn irritable. However, once I started softly singing and providing some rhythmic input, this munchkin immediately calmed down and the pm vocalized this sound that resembled “huh?”, basically sliding up a perfect 4th. I imitated, the child vocalized again (same thing), I responded with a descending interval, and then this munchkin began to belly laugh! It was just the coolest thing. I initially was working with this child more at the awareness stage, but I think that was a clear indication of moving into the Trust stage. =)

[Megan Calabro]

Hi, Erika

I have been contemplating getting a second master’s degree for that very reason.. I’m also hoping that state licensure goes through, and that some progress can be made with regards to the recognition of MT. Let me know if either you’re able to magically find a loophole, or know any MT’s who have! =)

[Megan Calabro]

Hi, Beth. Thank you for your response! I had tried reaching out to a few EI agencies, but was either not getting a response, or hearing that MT isn’t recognized in the state for EI. It’s frustrating, but I guess that’s just the politics behind it all. I have given several families the info sheets from AMTA that state how MT is recognized as a related service under IDEA, and am hopeful that some steps can be taken that will eventually include MT as part of EI, but we shall see. I will absolutely go back to check out the imagine article – thank you!

[Megan Calabro]

Just out of curiosity (I guess this is more directed towards Beth/Meredith/Erika..??) – is anyone familiar with the association for infant mental health? If so, may I ask if MT’s are able to become endorsed, or if that is something that is decided upon state by state? I reached out to someone in the NJ infant mental health association, but am not getting any responses from them. I’m just curious as I know there have been debates on whether MT’s can work within early intervention, based upon what the state dictates… Thanks!!

[Megan Calabro]

Hi, again

I think one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in my hospital setting, and will probably continue to face, is the justification of the what/why/how of MT. While some staff members get it, others really do not. One of the things I think (hope!) I can bring to early childhood MT based programs is an absolute love for this age group, and for what’s happening developmentally. I’ve spoken with many families who are questioning development, early intervention, treatment options for a child with ASD, etc, and I’ve felt that this has always been something of a more natural fit for me. As part of my personal life, I am a mom of 2 children, and my younger one has ADHD, an auto dory processing disorder, and some senosory challenges. I feel like I can relate to parents who may be questioning what’s going on, and also offer either a different perspective, or some thoughts on ways they can encourage their child to reach their highest potential. I hope to use my experiences from this training to really help further my ability to effectively work with hindering and their families, and eventually transition from my current position into something more closely in line with something early childhood based (ie the child development center, private practice, etc). Have a great week, all!

[Megan Calabro]

Hi, all

When I asked myself this question, two responses immediately came to mind. First, I am extremely grateful for the review of the various developmental stages. I was recently given the green light to actually initiate some conversations with the manager of our child development center regarding offering MT (either in groups or as individual sessions) as part of our NICU follow-up clinic. Having this knowledge, and being able to reference current literature, is unbelievably valuable. The second point may not be considered a traditional “takeaway”, but is something I am equally grateful for: the overall confidence with which the information was presented. I think I remember reading someone’s introductory post, in which they shared having come freom a hospital facility. Maybe it’s just the culture of my facility, but I’ve noticed how every discipline has their “thing”, and unfortunately (especially since I am the only MT in peds) I’ve been viewed as being “the baby whisperer” or as “the one who covers for child life, the art therapist, etc”. This was just a very good reminder that our discipline does have a very unique perspective to offer, and one that truly does have value. Thank you!

[Megan Calabro]

Hi, All! My name is Megan, and I’m an MT in NJ. I currently work at a children’s hospital, where I’ve been since 2004. I completed both my undergrad and graduate degrees in music therapy through Immaculata University, and completed additional trainings in DIRFloortime through the Interdisciplnary Council on Development and Learning (ICDL) as well as Jayne Standley’s NICU-MT training. I’ve always been interested in early childhood MT, and actually focused my masters thesis in early childhood 0-24 months. While I love practicing in pediatrics, I feel a great desire to do more with this age group, particularly when working with NICU grads (including drug withdrawal babies) and babies with adolescent parents. Ultimately, I would also love the opportunity to be home more with my own two kiddos (now 9 and 7). Being a working mom has been one of the most difficult things I’ve ever undertaken, and having more flexibility in this regard would be a true gift. Looking forward to a great class together!

[Megan Calabro]

Woohoo!

[Megan Calabro]

Hoping that this works?? I tend to have the best luck possible with technology lol

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