[MacKenzie Lyons]

The biggest thing that I took away from this course is learning how to adapt and create musical experiences in order to target children in various developmental stages. I feel like I have deepened my knowledge of children’s development and what to look for and how to promote growth. I have also loved the opportunity to expand my repertoire and continue to gain resources for my toolbox!

This course has taught me the importance of pointing out and celebrating even the smallest victories. Being able to point out developmental milestones and progress to parents and caregivers is something that makes us different from music educators. By doing this it also helps put parents and caregivers at ease about how their child is developing and growing.

I will continue to share what I have learned from this course with colleagues and families. I have already begun to share some of the knowledge that I have learned with fellow interns from my cohort!

[MacKenzie Lyons]

Similarly to what many have already shared, music therapists are able to provide young families a safe space to explore and learn in a judgment free environment. These days many new parents are bombarded with “advice” and criticism from other people, but in music therapy we are able to provide helpful tips for new parents and give them the opportunity to implement it in their own way in their own time.

[MacKenzie Lyons]

Now that I have taken this training I am excited to be able to help caregivers bond with their children and create a sense of community! Prior to this training I was intimidated by the thought of having to also “instruct” parents/caregivers. I feel like so many people say that “no one knows your child better than you do,” which made me feel intimidated to share my knowledge with parents/caregivers (I was worried that they would disregard what I had to say). However, taking this training as well as being able to participate and lead Sprouting Melodies classes during my internship, has helped me feel more confident in the material that I am presenting. I have learned that parents are much more willing to learn than what I initially expected, and if anything, the information that they can get from us about their child can help make them feel at ease about their child’s development. So overall, I am very excited to take this new found confidence in the area of music therapy and use it to help strengthen the bond between parent and child while simultaneously promoting development.

[MacKenzie Lyons]

Share some strategies you have used to assure each child in your group is successful.
I have used signs such as “all done,” “clean up,” “fast,” “slow,” “ready,” and “one more time.” I have found that when I pair signs with verbal/musical cues the children that I am working with start to comprehend what I am saying sooner, and they start to sign back to me and their caregivers before they can verbally communicate. In a recent Sprouting Melodies 3 class, another music therapist and myself started to notice that one child was consistently running around and screaming during every class. It started to get to the point where it was distracting for other children in the group and would take away from the musical experience. So we called her mother outside of the class time to learn more about her behaviors outside of Sprouting Melodies. We were able to come up with a game plan when consulting with her mom to try and incorporate movement sooner in the session as well as more frequently. Ultimately this was beneficial to this child but it also benefited all the other children in the room.

[MacKenzie Lyons]

Similarly to what some other people have shared, the hardest part about multi-age groupings is being able to meet the developmental needs of everyone in the group while also keeping the experience enjoyable and entertaining for everyone. In order to maintain this balance, it requires constant re-evaluation from the facilitator to ensure that as many kids as possible (but hopefully everyone).

[MacKenzie Lyons]

5 words to describe Family Sprouts: Joyful, Busy, Sharing. Connection, and Individuality

Family Sprouts Session Plan:

Gathering Song: Gather Round

Hello Song: Hello Everybody

Song About Me: Do You Want to Be My Friend

Instrument Song: I Can Play With You

Movement Song: I Feel the Beat

Cooldown: I See Colors

Goodbye: Music Time is Done

[MacKenzie Lyons]

5 words to describe Sprouting Melodies 3: Creative, Active, Push and Pull, Deliberate, and Energizing

Sprouting Melodies 3 Session Plan:

Gathering Song: Gather Round

Hello Song: Hello Everybody

Song About Me: That All Makes up Me

Bonding Song: Train Ride/Tickle Song

Movement Song: Will You Come?

Cool Down: The Leaves Go Down

Goodbye: Music Time is Done

[MacKenzie Lyons]

When talking to parents, I would explain that throughout the class I am assessing their child and what they are doing. By doing this I am able to adapt what I am presenting to meet the developmental needs of each child in the class. Other music learning based programs often follow a curriculum, but they don’t often stray from their plan. Also while we do use music as our main form of teaching, we are not expecting each child to master a musical skill. Instead we are looking at the development of functional skills such as interacting with peers, grasping objects, discovering their voice, developing their senses, and many more.

[MacKenzie Lyons]

Mostly all of our instruments are from West Music and we use Remo drums. We use plastic maracas as well as some maracas that have a loop handle for little kids. We use frame drums that are a variety of sizes (usually bigger ones for younger kids) as well as scarves. For some classes we leave a bucket of miscellaneous percussion instruments in the middle of the circle for them to explore at the beginning of class including a plastic rainstick, plastic castanets, hand bells, lollipop drums, hard plastic mallets and smaller drums.

[MacKenzie Lyons]

The appropriate level of stimulation varies between individuals as well as each group. I find that I am constantly evaluating and reevaluating the energy in a room to ensure I am matching what I am receiving from each child. For example, I just started a new session on Sprouting melodies 3, and the energy of the group has changed drastically from the previous session. We are often incorporating more opportunities for movement because the overall group needs that level of stimulation. Finding the right level of stimulation means being willing to change and adapt to fit the group’s needs. Most times this also means being willing to throw out your plan for the sake of the group.

[MacKenzie Lyons]

5 words to describe Sprouting Melodies 2: Playful, Exploration, Energy, Surprise, Spontaneous

5 things to say to parents:
It’s okay for your little ones to explore the space around them, I invite you to follow them as they explore! 2) It’s completely normal for your child to keep shaking after we stop, it takes their brain a bit longer to process what is happening! 3) If you see that your child is not 100% attentive the whole time, that is completely normal. 45 minutes if a long time for them to be fully engaged. 4) If your child appears to just be listening and standing there watching, they are still taking in the musical experience. 5) Feel free to join us in singing when you feel comfortable. It’s great for your child to hear me sing, but it’s more impactful if they hear you singing along too.

Session Plan:

Gathering/Greeting song: It’s Time to Make Some Music (gathering) into Hello Everybody (greeting)

Bonding Song: Wiggly, Jiggly Car

Songs about Me: All of This is Me

Instrument Song: Playing in a Band

Movement Song: March With My Baby

Goodbye: Music Time is Done

[MacKenzie Lyons]

Most of my experiences with children ages 0 – 9 months have been in a Sprouting Melodies setting. I have been able to observe a wide range of developmental stages in a singular group. Over the summer in a Sprouting Melodies 1 & 2 class, there was a 4 month old and a 6 month old. I was able to see how developmentally different these two babies were, and really had to consider the variety of ways that a musical experience could be adapted. It has been really amazing for me to see how much a baby grows and develops in the first few months of their lives. I am at the point now where some of the 6 month old babies that I saw in July are now 9 months old in my current Sprouting Melodies classes. It brings a smile to my face being able to witness with my own eyes the progress that each child makes from week to week.

[MacKenzie Lyons]

The role of music therapy in community-based settings is to initiate connections amongst group members. For example in Sprouting Melodies, every caregiver and child experience the same music and the same information. Although each parent/child pair will bond with the music differently, they all walk out of the class humming the same tune. This shared experience provides parents with another means for support if needed while also being able to meet other families with children around the same age. The act of participating in a music therapy group is contributing towards building a community in itself.

[MacKenzie Lyons]

5 words to describe Sprouting Melodies 1: Nurturing, Bonding, Gentle, Joyful, Swaying

5 things to say to parents/caregivers: 1) This time is about you and your baby 2) Music is a very gentle way to help expand your babies world 3) This is a great place to connect with other adults/parents, this place is much for you as it is your little one 4) Feel free to make yourself and your baby comfortable, bring a blanket and use as much space as you need 5) Please feel free to sing along, this is a great bonding opportunity for you and your baby

Session Plan:

Hello Song: Hello Everybody

Songs About Me: Just Like Me

Bonding/Lap ride: Row Row Row Your Boat/Row a Bit Faster into the Tickle Song

Instrument Songs: In My Little Hand

Movement Song: I Can Move Around (I have been adapting this song to target gross motor movement such as clapping, stomping and patting knees, with little ones I have been telling caregivers that they can either model the movements or they can touch their babies hands, feet, knees, etc. to bring awareness)

Goodbye: Music Time is Done

[MacKenzie Lyons]

In terms of the families that I am currently working with, many of them are in search of anything that will promote the development of their child. I often hear conversations between caregivers talking about where their child is developmentally and asking for/giving advice. I have found that many parents find it reassuring to hear that what their child is experiencing is not uncommon. I also think that many of the families that I work with find the sense of community to be comforting. The way that music can help meet these needs is by making the concept of development more accessible. I have found that parents can easily see their child’s progression from session to session, which contributes to their feeling of reassurance when it comes to their child’s development. Being in a group with other caregivers and children also promotes the feeling of community that many parents need.

In terms of the needs of my community, many of the people that I work with benefit greatly from more individualized attention. Many of my clients are constantly a part of a group and or are in a situation where all of their needs cannot be met. This is where music really comes in. Music is extremely adaptable, therefore, you can reach people who are at different levels of need. Within music, each person can have a sense of individuality while also maintaining their community.

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