[Maura Pastran]

I use frame drums set up in a circle with a box of child-safe instruments in the middle. The box includes small instruments such as bells, small tambourines, box shakers, finger cymbals, rain sticks, mallets, small drums. All of these instruments are safe for the children to explore and use on the frame drums themselves. I am not sure what all of the brands are but I believe the frame drums are remo’s.

[Maura Pastran]

Active, new, energetic, exploration, physical

1. If your child is off exploring the room, that is okay! It allows them to observe from a different angle. 2. If a child is becoming overstimulated, sometimes they choose to remove themselves from the stimuli and explore something else! 3. If your child is crying or upset, stay in the room and allow them to work through their emotions. 4. Sometimes we see the children doing the movements a little bit delayed, this is just them processing the information and then acting it out for themselves! 5. Your child might fill in the spaces with instrument play when we stop, this is just them processing that information and trying it out for themselves.

1. Gathering song (it’s time to make some music), Hello, gathering song (I found my hands), bonding song (ride the firetruck), instrument song ( all night all day), movement song (dancing kids), parachute song (row you boat), cool down (scarfs-there are many colors of the rainbow/jellyfish), thank you, GBS

[Maura Pastran]

I think of stimulation as a spectrum. There is no recipe for how much stimulation is good for children as a whole, let alone as individuals. While this recipe is non-existent, we can always look for signs of over stimulation and under stimulation based on the involvement and responses the children are giving us in SM classes. We want to give enough stimulation so the children remain interested but not so much that it inhibits their ability to explore and process the information that is coming into their sensory inputs. I have found some weeks I will play a song I have played many times before to be way too stimulating for the children to handle, so in the moment I have to use my judgment and change the style of the song to meet the needs of the children. It’s a really cool in the moment experience and I love when I have the opportunity to do that.

[Maura Pastran]

The role of music therapy can be significant in educating a community. When I think of what sprouting melodies does for parents of new children, it amazes me that we are able to offer not only these wonderful experiences for parents and their children but also be able to explain why these experiences are beneficial to their development and what happens in their brains when music is a factor into their lives. Other types of community based music therapy can bring members of the community who maybe wouldn’t mingle or mix otherwise, together. Such as intergenerational, atypical functioning, typical functioning, etc.

[Maura Pastran]

*for the movement song for SM1 I would actually use I’ll Be Marching to the Music and for the cool down I would also use where is my face, I see colors, etc.

[Maura Pastran]

Valuable, educating, exciting, joyful, enjoyable

1. We may get bored of a song easily, but with every repetition your baby is picking up on new information, processing that information, and figuring out ways he/she wants to respond! 2. Your child may respond to the music by looking and taking in the input that way, and that is okay! 3. At this stage, your little one’s brain is firing off the same neurons from watching us make music that would fire off if they were making the music themselves! 4. That’s why it’s so important for parent’s/guardians to model the music. 5. Even if you little one isn’t looking at you, someone else is!

1. Instrument gathering song (All night all day), Hello, Gathering song (Come and sit with me), Bonding song (Train Ride), Instrument song (In My Little Hands), Movement song (Dancing kids), Cool down (Colors of the Rainbow), Thank you, GBS

[Maura Pastran]

I have worked with babies before but the moment that is popping into my mind is with my cousin’s baby, who is about 6 months old now. I watched him overnight when he was about 3 months and I remember playing guitar to him in the key of G, fourth capo. I played G, C, G, D, strumming and finger picking the progression for a while before adding “Oooo’s” into it. With just the guitar he was wide eyed and amazed but as soon as I started singing the Ooo’s he started making little noises and forming the shape of an O with his mouth, trying to replicate the Ooo’s. It was a really sweet and amazing moment to share with him!

[Maura Pastran]

Musical Developmental Sequence: Singing

Awareness: Increased facial reaction to when a person sings, uses base melodic pitches in their vocalizations.
Trust: Is able to begin reciprocate single or double note pitches approximately half of the time.
Independence: Is able to engage in reciprocal pitch interactions with multiple pitches.
Control: Is able to engage in singing parts of a song using the melody. Is able to reflect the structure of the song.
Responsibility: Has the ability to sing entire songs following the melodic and structural contour.

Musical Developmental Sequence: Playing Instruments

Awareness: Recognizes the differences in songs with instrument play. Responds different based on the instrument, beings exploration of the instrument.
Trust: Begins to use instruments, experiment with rhythm both during and in-between melodic songs.
Independence: Initiates exploration of instruments either by going and getting them or grabbing them from parent/guardian. Begin to play instrument with music, recognizing the sound it creates.
Control: Begins to play instrument while following musically embedded direction within the song.
Responsibility: Recognizes their ability to maintain a steady beat and how that can contribute to the group. Is able to start and stop with group, add purposeful rhythm to the music.

Musical Developmental Sequence: Moving

Awareness: When a child moves his/her body to the music with little control.
Trust: When a child demonstrates more control over his/her body movements and moves them in response to the music playing. Is not necessarily carrying out directions embedded within the song.
Independence: Is able to move independently and rhythmically while controlling what body parts they move.
Control: Is able to control their movements and reciprocate movements others are doing.
Responsibility: Is able to fully control movements, reciprocate movements others are doing and listen to directions embedded within music. Is able to put together a sequence of movements.

Musical Developmental Sequence: Listening

Awareness: Recognizes when the MT is singing/other parents. Able to differentiate the timbre of voices.
Trust: Is able to recognize familiar melodies, and possibly pair with vocal reciprocations. React differently when the melody is changed.
Independence: Is able to react to the musical changes in the songs: when a song has a change (i.e., stop, quietly, loud, fast, slow) they react.
Control: Is able to react to the musical changes in the songs: when a song has a change (i.e., stop, quietly, loud, fast, slow) they react appropriately or can follow the directions.
Responsibility: Is able to participate in solos both playing and listening without interrupting.

[Maura Pastran]

I have witnessed a familiar pattern of the families who come in to the Sprouting Melodies classes looking for an opportunity to spend quality bonding and playing time with their children in a stress free environment. These parents look for a place where their children are able to play and interact with them, other parents, and other children, without the stress of feeling they have to referee the entire time. In Sprouting Melodies, the parents are told right away that no matter the child’s reaction, they are welcome in the room and encouraged to stay in the room, even if they are crying, and from that initial conversation, stress is relieved from the parents as the sessions continue. They know that the environment is safe and welcoming, so they can focus on bonding with their children and watching their children experience bonding with other children, parents, and the MT.

[Maura Pastran]

Music therapists bring the value of education and information and give it to parents in an understandable and relatable way. From my time observing Sprouting Melodies sessions, parents witness amazing things children do in the sessions and those amazing things can then be explained by the music therapist. The music therapist can help the parents understand why the children are reacting the way they are and what is going on in their brains to allow those reactions to happen. Having the training of a music therapist and a sprouting melodies provider allows us to facilitate session and relay the information as to why we do what we do to the parents, so they know exactly what their children are getting out of it. Music therapists can also encourage the parents to participate and again cite the reason why that participation is crucial. MT’s are so valuable to families because we bring the education along with the interventions, and can talk about the science that backs up our work.

[Maura Pastran]

I have found the four music experiences work really well when mixed together in all different combinations! I have found just listening can sometimes be difficult for young children to accomplish, but listening to directions embedded within songs that they can then carry out makes the experience much more successful! For example, say a lyric is “Can you _______?”. You could sub different movements such as “wiggle” or sounds such as “roar” into it, making the children listen carefully to the song and then carrying out the direction. This could work for playing instruments (can you play quietly?), moving (can you jump?), singing (can you sing la?), and of course listening!

[Maura Pastran]

Shannon, I really like how you have the questionnaire for your client’s to fill out! The best way to ensure one is being culturally competent is to simply ask!! I will have to incorporate that method into my practice!

[Maura Pastran]

The community that I grew up in was a small town in the middle of Kansas. The culture of the music in my hometown was interesting because it was composed of many subcultures- people listened to country music, rap, pop, and more. If I am speaking about the town as a whole, it is hard to define the community having one culture of music because of the subcultures within the town. I feel this translates to most places in the USA because of the diversity within the country. In my experience from moving to Massachusetts, I have found it to be similar in the way that there are many cultures of music surrounding this diverse area. I recognize the importance to be culturally competent and diverse in my repertoire in order to meet client needs and expectations.

[Maura Pastran]

Madeleine, I love In My Little Hands! That has been such a fun song to utilize within sessions. The kids respond really well to the melody and it’s something different for their ears to hear!

[Maura Pastran]

I have really enjoyed using Just Like Me as a gathering song. I notice the little ones love the soft and inviting melody, and really start to get involved and do the movements when their parent/guardian sings and moves along. I like how this song establishes that connection between the little ones and those around them as well, especially with the people who are more unfamiliar to them, because it established that familiarity and similarity, and therefore that trust can build.

[Author]

Posts