[Megan Neil]

I am fortunate that at my facility there are 3 other music therapists one of which has been here for 12+ years. I know that this individual has done a lot of educating and in-services for staff. However, when I become/feel more confident I would like to do this as well! My company is split into a team model & I am the only MT on my team. I think it would be helpful for me to share this information with my team of PTs, OTs, SLPs, etc. to help conceptualize the use of music in early childhood development. I have seen Beth present at conferences many times and she always focuses on the MUSIC. As MTs we spend so much time TALKING about what we do but something is usually left out by doing this- the music! I think that when presenting these concepts & ideas simple demonstrations with few words truly go a long way!

[Megan Neil]

I signed up to take this course so it would coincide with starting my new job in early intervention as a music therapist. In hindsight I wish that I had waited till I was a bit more settled but the joy is that with the song book & the textbook & my notes I can revisit this material anytime I want and need. I know that personally this information has helped me feel more confident in my work that is very new to me. In music therapy we learn a lot about a lot of populations and it’s hard to absorb it all. My focus prior to now was with teenagers so early childhood has been a HUGE shift for me and one I didn’t feel prepared for. This course has helped me feel more confident and given me the tools I need. This training already has impacted my work & will continue to impact my work.

Who knows what’s to come down the pike but for now in early intervention I will be taking all of these tools and applying them.

[Megan Neil]

I love the meat of this course and the focus on the music. I am really excited to implement the songs & focus more on the musical qualities to make purposeful decisions- that’s what music therapy’s all about right! Even though these are community groups I agree with the premises of the program and feel that we are uniquely placed as music therapists to provide groups that parents will appreciate, understand, and come back to.

[Megan Neil]

In both of my groups I am currently running I have one kiddo that I have a tough time knowing how to make group successful for them. Some of the strategies I have used are listed above- especially what Janet said about how important and helpful it is to know the child’s interests. I found out quickly that my one kid really likes the maracas, it’s an instrument he engages with. So when I pull out instruments I pull out a variety but always include maracas in the mix. I also know that he has a tough time sitting for a long time so I try to break up the sitting with movement. When we do a stretch band experience with Row Row Your Boat he really likes to be in the middle of the circle. At first I think some parents were uncomfortable with this but I mentioned that this is okay and he is participating in his own way! Some other kids even began exploring the middle of the stretch band. I think in future weeks I will try to explore this more!

After going through the training I remember Beth & Meredith mentioning that they would talk about how to set up the room or the session space? I’m not sure if this happened or not, I may have missed it. I was wondering some other tricks & tips for room set up? And how to make that successful as many people above mentioned how important this is!

[Megan Neil]

I must say I’m a bit confused about this question. I think that Victoria’s answer sums up my thoughts and is how I took the question as well. It also makes me think about music therapy groups vs. music education groups. The most common difference in my opinion as well is the process vs. product. When we do an instrument song with “shake it high” and “shake it low” it’s not necessarily are focus for the kids to “follow the directions” however in an education setting this would probably be moreso the focus. Skill building vs. development. Music educators are looking to teach certain musical skills while we are trying to enhance overall development.

[Megan Neil]

Providing for multiple ages within groups is difficult. I just had a home visit last week with my one little girl who is about 1 year old and her sister who is 4. Throughout the session big sister kept demanding that we do a certain song or play a certain instrument. Mom expressed to me after group that the little one is not showing affection toward big sister and feels that little sister is getting frustrated with big sister always trying to grab control. I think it’s great material to work on in sessions together! How to find the balance for everyone getting attention but especially for big sister to understand that little sister needs more attention in many ways right now. I think that keeping everyone engaged is important but can be hard. I think providing moments for Mom/Dad/Grandma/Caregiver to engage with each child individually is important and for the children to engage with each other individually is important. As the music therapist it is our job to assess and find ways to set this up and create this space for it all to happen.

[Megan Neil]

Sprouting Melodies 3- Contribution, Interaction, Excitement, Awareness, Movement

Sprouting Melodies 3 Session- Greeting Song-Gather Round; Bonding Songs- Swimming Together, My Brand New Friend; Songs About Me- That All Makes Up Me; Instrument Songs- You Play a Little, Music is the Way; Movement Songs- The Leaves Go Down, Marching to the Music; Book- From Head to Toe; Closing Song- Goodbye my Friends

Family Sprouts- Adaptable, Siblings, Variety, Interaction, Modeling

Family Sprouts Session- Greeting Song- Hey Everybody; Bonding Songs- Jingle Up, Jingle Down, Row it Faster; Songs About Me- All of this is Me; Instrument Songs- I Like this song, Music is the way; Movement- I can Move Around; Closing Song- Goodbye my Friends

[Megan Neil]

I’m not sure the brand of all of the instruments we have our center but it is a big variety! We have Remo hand drum sets, 2 remo gathering drums a shorter one and a taller one. We have numerous ocean drums but I think it’s more of an unknown brand and I’ve thought of them slightly flimsy. We have some classic paddle drums & a Remo lollipop drum. We have a wide variety of maracas, egg shakers, bells- ones to strap on wrist and animal ones. We also have more instruments that I haven’t explored as much or utilized but I want to!

[Megan Neil]

I think this is a really good question & I enjoyed reading everyone’s insights. I’m not sure that I feel confident in this area though and it is something I would like to work on. The think finding the balance between enough & too much is hard. Especially in a group setting where I have a few kids that need A LOT of stimulation and a few kids that are easily over stimulated. I also feel like there are many different areas of stimulation- visual, aural, tactile, etc. I think the concept of providing numerous instrument choices such as bells, maracas, egg shakers during a shaking activity is much better than just providing egg shakers. I find this to be true in one of my groups. I have one child that really needs the maraca stimulation while another prefers the eggs or the softer timbre bells. I try my best to gage moments in the group & adjust as needed. I noticed just last week (from one of Meredith & Beth’s tips) that I am very loud in group. I do this because I am the facilitator and feel a need to keep everything together. However in group this week I backed off, decreased my volume and everything was fine! If not better! I think my overbearing singing/playing was too much in general and the group felt more grounded when I wasn’t as overbearing.

[Megan Neil]

Independence, Energy, Playful, Engaging, Anticipation

Your child may begin to move away from you during the music group and this is great. They feel safe in the environment and will come back to you when they need to “recharge”.
It is important to use rhythm to organize babies not disorganize them! Keeping a steady tempo and helping them to feel this is important.
Your child may still be putting maracas in their mouth- this is okay & developmentally appropriate! Start to watch for when they put the maraca in their mouth vs. when they remove it- you may see that when the music stops they take the maraca out of their mouth.
When we do songs with commands such as “shake them high” we are less concerned with them following the command and more concerned with them participating in whatever way is comfortable for them. It’s not really about shaking them high.
Your responses to the music are JUST as important as theirs if not more. When you follow instructions & participate they see and hear that and their mirror neurons are activated. Watching you do something is JUST as powerful as them doing it themselves!

Session Plan: Greeting Song; Bonding Songs- Wiggly Jiggly Car, Jingle Up & Jingle Down, Hold on Tight; Songs About Me- All of this is Me, Just Like Me; Instrument Play- I Like this Song, Shaky Egg; Gross Motor Movement- Wiggle, While We’re Dancing in the Middle; Cool Down- 5 Green & Speckled Frogs; Closing Song

[Megan Neil]

Quiet. Loving. Simple. Adaptable. Touch.

Your child will recognize and value your voice and timbre when speaking and singing first and foremost.
One of the musical choices your child has is to turn toward or away from the music. It is absolutely okay for them to turn away!
Rhythmic movements are instinctual and reflexive at this stage, they may be able to hold a shaker when their reflexes are touched but generally wouldn’t know how to do so yet.
Your child will generally prefer consonance (notes that fit together) over dissonance (notes that clash) however using dissonance in small doses will grab their attention.
Repetition is really important for all levels of learning and development and will really benefit your child, especially at this stage of development!

Session Plan: Greeting Song; Bonding Songs/Lap Ride-Wheels on the Bus, Row It Faster, Wiggly Jiggly Car; Songs about Me- Just Like Me, From My Head Head Head; Instrument Play-Let’s Keep a Beat, Sit With Me & Shake; Gross Motor Movement- As Big As Can Be; Cool Down-Twinkle, Closing Song

[Megan Neil]

When I read this I wonder what is defined as a “community based setting”. I think of community settings like libraries, daycares, concert venues, grocery stores, places of worship, etc. Places where people go collectively within the community. I also think about community music therapy and the big push this has had in the last number of years. One of my best friends focused her graduate clinical work/project on community music therapy at the college level. She focused her project on creating and implementing a group where both mentors of college students with disabilities and those college students themselves participated and engaged together to create a rock band and lead an end of semester performance within the college. I think music therapists are being stretched outward and there is a GREAT calling for more of a community based approach within our field. I think the principle of Sprouting Melodies exemplifies that. The program is for all children and parents to come together in a community setting and engage in music. I think the role of music therapy in these settings is to bring these people together, work toward erasing labels, and engaging with all people of the community to help create and keep the community going. To show everyone that we are all more alike than we are different. It is my personal opinion that as music therapists we are to be advocates for all and to help improve the lives of all of our clients. I think that we also need to go out as individuals into the community to work toward making things better for everyone.

[Megan Neil]

I haven’t had much experience with kids in the 0-9 month range clinically or personally. However I do have a few parents in my groups at the early intervention center where the child receiving early intervention comes with Mom/Dad and their tiny sibling. It’s interesting in my group setting because I am tailoring the experiences to the older children and not necessarily the older siblings however I am aware of the younger siblings and trying to engage them appropriately as well. I have one Mom that comes with her son and young daughter. Initially in group she was leaving the baby girl in the car seat throughout the session. Now I have been encouraging her to hold her daughter and engage with her as well as her son or to let another provider in the group hold her daughter next to her so that she can engage more within the group then when she was in the car seat. I notice that this girl fluctuates between being attentive and watching people and things in the room and sleeping. Both are okay as mentioned in the training and very developmentally appropriate.

[Megan Neil]

Although I am still learning about my families and being added to cases I can speak about the families I have begun working with and what I know at this point. Being in early intervention the kids qualify if they have a diagnosis, have a delay of functioning in at least one area of functioning, or qualify for a certain number of risk factors. A big area of need for these families is understanding what early intervention is and what they would like from it. Our families decide whether or not they want to participate in early intervention. They also give input in what kinds of services they would like for their child (OT, PT, SLP, MT, DS, groups, etc.). For many of these families early intervention is a new entity and so they need education on what is offered and what they can utilize through our program. All of the parents want what’s best for their children. Most times they need education and help understanding childhood development and what to look for or what to work on to help the children progress. However the parents and family are always experts of their children. The big push behind early intervention is the team concept. Both parents and practitioners work together as a team to achieve established outcomes for the child. These are the family’s needs and the community as a whole. However case by case may be different. The wide spectrum of families in the Boston area is HUGE. Some families I have been to live in upper class communities in very expensive parts of Boston with door men and sign in procedures. Others live in homeless shelters without any toys or belongings. The spectrum is VERY diverse and so some of each families needs differ depending on their situation. Another area of difference is cultural differences, religions, family make-ups (same sex couples, child living with grandparents, foster care, adoption, blended families, etc.), race, ability levels, mental health needs of parents, etc. Working with families in a city means that you can’t walk into a home expecting anything. You need to have a blank slate and learn what their individual needs are as a family unit because every single family is different. I believe this is what makes my current community so unique.

[Megan Neil]

Music therapists are trained in a variety of ways focusing on numerous things including but not limited to- music, music history, music theory, domains of functioning, development, psychology, and counseling.

I feel that our training and education in a variety of areas makes us unique and our profession unique! We are not trained only in music but also in a range of clientele including kids and human development. This means that we are able to create experiences and foster an environment for learning and growth in a way that may not always be the case for other childhood programs or other music programs. The thing that I come back to time and time again is that what we do has a purpose. Whether we are planning a singing, instrument playing, listening, or movement experience with our kids we are doing so looking at where they are on the developmental spectrum and planning to address that level and help them move forward in their own time. We are also able to adapt and tailor experiences to meet and address a variety of levels. We take into consideration not only the needs of our clients but also the strengths to plan effective and important experiences. I also feel that the whole family is getting things out of our environment. I am really interested in family centered therapy and looking at each individual in the family and each dyad in the family and addressing a multitude of needs. It was really evident in the parent interview that all of the family members in their family unit were getting things out of the music group. Sometimes parents of little kids have a hard time knowing how to play, interact, or what to do with their children. Especially when they are very young and don’t give much of a response yet! In music we can respond and interact with our children and the whole family can get involved! The parents also get to learn new skills, knowledge, and songs they can apply to everyday life. We are giving them a tool set.

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