[Mikhala Majeau]

Like what Jessica has said, we know how to use music as a Tool!! Music therapists are trained to work with so many different age groups, that we have the unique ability to support not only the child’s growth but also the parent’s growth, and the growth of the relationship between child and parent. Music therapists are especially unique because we are able to tailor interventions to fit the child and the situation at hand. We are not taught to use a curriculum or pre-set plan, we are taught to be flexible and work with the child and circumstance. Unlike a music teacher, we use music as a tool, not to learn how to make music. A music therapist can provide the support and environment through music to foster a child’s development as well as build a relationship with the child, the caregiver, and the overall community. I think music therapists can also bring the joy of music to families of young children. We can show our families how a child can BE in the music, can grow in the music, and can truly live in the music. Even better yet, we can show the caregivers how to foster the love of music and bring that music home creating a more positive environment for both the child and the parent.

[Mikhala Majeau]

I have used singing quite often in my day to day life. Since I am not currently practicing, I use singing as a personal care attendant. I sing to E to prompt her to vocalize. I sing about her, I sing about her world. I sing many songs with her, and recently I started using the Come Sit With Me song to calm her down, then play with her! I also sing to calm the children I nanny for down. A loves the song Twinkle Twinkle, and we use it often to easy transitions.

Recently I began bringing ocean drums to E’s house, and using them during sensory time. She and I will hold the drum together and experience the sounds. During my internship we used instruments for many different goals, and would have a wide variety for the clients to choose from.

Moving is a huge part of my day to day life with the children I nanny and E. We will mimic each other’s movements, use movement songs, and dance to popular music.

I think the area that I may be lacking in the most is listening. I won’t often build in moments of musical silence or opportunities to build attending skills. I am ready and excited to learn more about how to use this experience more in my practice.

I have made some changes since beginning the course. I now use more spontaneous melodies when singing/creating a song instead of piggy-backing on a familiar song. I also have been more aware about the different stages and appropriateness of the interventions and activities that I do with the children I work with.

[Mikhala Majeau]

T’m not sure if this is quite what you’re looking for, but here it goes!

Singing-
cooing, hard consonant sounds when vocalizing, glissando, 2-3 word musical phrases, whole song

Playing instruments-
swipe at music maker, open hand and grasp instrument, open palm to play drum, imitate patterns, use fingers on keyboard

Moving-
swipe. roll, crawl/walk, jump, learned movements.

listening-
orient towards music, stop when music stops, look/smile at familiar song, take turns for a short while, play a single beat on cue.

[Mikhala Majeau]

One of the children I am taking care of is in the trust stage. She enjoys reaching out to grasp the maraca, she will hold it, move it, put it in her mouth, etc. She loves to explore the instrument. She also LOVES play songs. Any song where she is bouncing or moving or “dancing” makes her giggle and play. She and I will imitate each other’s sounds, and its a great deal of fun. She will also vocalize to self-soothe, and does so melodically before falling asleep.

[Mikhala Majeau]

Like Melissa, I also get stuck using major keys. I loved the songs with an open fifth and natural minor. I don’t currently have a practice, but I will be using the songs with the children I take care of. Keeping in mind the best practices taught here, I’m going to try to create a song based on their day when I am with them this week.
I can’t wait to learn more music, and become more comfortable using different modes in my practice.

[Mikhala Majeau]

In my community, it is a true melting pot of many cultures. As one of the largest Navy bases in the world, we have people from all over the country and the world living in a small area. One can find any culture in the Hampton Roads area. That being said, the Navy is a generally Christian organization. More often than not, the sailors and their families are inherently religious. One can find this during prayer before any event, evening prayer on the boat, etc. Being military, there is also a lot of pride for the country. The classic “americana” folk songs such as My Country Tis of Thee, This Land is Your Land, etc are very prominent. The national anthem is the utmost importance, and if you are on base, you can observe children as young as two stopping and standing at attention when the anthem is played. In this community, pride in your country is very important. Because there are so many diverse cultures, I would need to be aware of the diversity in every group that I were to run, keeping in mind that the people may (and probably do) come from a wide variety of states and even perhaps another country. It would be interesting to talk to the caregivers to find out their preferred music and the music that they like to sing at home, and take that into consideration while planning for the music.

[Mikhala Majeau]

I will personally bring my love of children and passion about their development to early childhood music therapy based programs. I am a strong believer in bringing caregivers and their children together and helping them interact and grow. I have worked with children since I was a teenager, and I truly am passionate about helping guide children on their best path. I also have music education training, and this has helped me in classroom management, especially with the 3-5 year old range. I hope that my joy and love for the children and families will encourage them to interact more and forge healthy relationships.
As I also would like to cater specifically to military families, I believe that my knowledge and passion will be able to provide a strong support system for military spouses and their families who may be far from their own extended families. I hope that my knowledge and training combined with my love of music and children will be able to be a comfort for those who may be missing their extended families or spouses.

[Mikhala Majeau]

The most valuable takeaway for me from this weeks’ content was the “red flags” of development. The way that the information is presented about the red flags, such as it would be a POSSIBLE red flag for a child if he or she didn’t have a one to two word phrase by twenty four months. I think keeping in mind that children develop differently, but also being aware of when a child should have achieved certain milestones is extremely important for an early childhood professional. Being able to reassure a parent that a certain behavior, such as an aversion to change could be developmentally appropriate is very helpful. It is also imperative that as a professional, I can alert parents to a possible red flag for their child.

[Mikhala Majeau]

Hello! My name is Mikhala Majeau. I graduated from Anna Maria College. I did my internship at a private practice and I got to experience EI, special education, and some young adult clients. I became a board certified music therapist in 2014, but I have not formally practiced yet. I currently live in Norfolk, VA and I am a personal care assistant to an eight year old with a variety of special needs. I constantly use my music therapy training in my day to day life with this individual. I am a military spouse, and because of this I have struggled with my career goals. I discovered SM at the last AMTA national conference, and I knew that this structure was what I had been longing for. I intend to use this training to develop my understanding and confidence in early childhood. Once completed, I would like to bring SM to military families. I see the need for the support and growth this program offers in my community! I am also looking forward to use this information when I start my own family.

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