[Meredith Pizzi]

I a glad that you enjoyed this exercise. I think it is really important that we can support the sequential, and progressive nature of developmental music responses in the same way the other disciplines can identify important developmental sequences in their area.

[Meredith Pizzi]

Great story, Carla. I might have already mentioned this but do you know the intergenerational music therapy work of Joan Shaw?

 

[Meredith Pizzi]

Yes, you are all on track with thinking sequentially about music responses. Just to remind everyone, save your forum comments in Word or as PDF if you can.  Course participants in the past have found their saved forum notes invaluable in practice.

[Meredith Pizzi]

Yes, it is often difficult to understand the value of listening. This is where I look to our new knowledge of brain science and find the small physiological changes that indicate internal changes. You are already seeing this when you notice your client beginning to breathe with the music, to calm her physical movements and to relax her affect.

 

[Meredith Pizzi]

It sounds as if many of you are still active musicians and performers. That is great. Do you find it helps you as a music therapist? I find that the ‘letting go’ in performing music I love, helps me to ‘let go’ with the children.

[Meredith Pizzi]

I might have mentioned this is the video, but some of the gathering songs were inspired by the Irish drinking songs I would hear some of my relatives join into on those late party nights 😉 It was amazing how these big burly men who wouldn’t be caught singing anywhere else, would swing and sway and sing at the top of their lungs.

[Meredith Pizzi]

Thanks, Lisa.

[Meredith Pizzi]

It is so fun to hear about your own children and how you notice their young musicing more!

[Meredith Pizzi]

Much cultural and traditional music is steeped in use of modes. I like to analyze traditional songs, almost like in theory class, to find out how they were constructed and then I compose my own songs with similar elements. Thanks for sharing the You Tube video, Kristen. This helps to really hear how the harmony and meter of old was not just I IV V and 4/4.

[Meredith Pizzi]

So glad that you are already putting the songs to good use. We would love the hear some of the songs that you have written. Would any of you be willing to share some with the group?

[Meredith Pizzi]

Thank you all for such wonderful details of your work in relationship to the levels. It really is just a framework in which to think about children in terms of what they do musically. I purposefully did not link the musical levels to chronological age, but some of that work can be found in the earlier chapters in “Music, Therapy and Early Childhood” and the work of Briggs/Bruscia.  Dr. Briggs did tie her earlier stages to chronological age.

Sometimes the ‘Control’ level can be a bit confusing. Sometimes children look as if they in control (such as not letting the therapists sing her own song) but it really is the disability that is controlling the child (rigidity, difficulty with sensory tolerance, etc.)

If you are interested in some case studies using the levels, you might want to read the chapter I wrote in the Developments in Musi Therapy Practice:  Case Study Perspectives edited by Dr. Tony Meadows that came out in 2011.

 

[Meredith Pizzi]

I am so excited to hear how you use this information as you work with your clients this week!

[Meredith Pizzi]

Thank you for sharing your concerns about being able to move with the young children, Carla. I find that music can create the feeling of movement as well as the sense of containment in a way that can compensate for actual physical movement.

[Meredith Pizzi]

It is amazing how much goes on in such a short time during early childhood! I remember being so overwhelmed when my children were small and I am sure that I missed so much.

[Meredith Pizzi]

The parent education piece of our work is so very important. I have found that many parents (both the young and old) look for guidance, ideas and reassurances about their child and their parenting. Through the music, we build trust.  As we share joyful play with the child we let the parent know that we really care about their child.

I know that there is a lot of material in these first few weeks.  You will have access to the video throughout the course in case you want to go back and review or hear it again.

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