[Nicole Drozd]

1.Bonding, Gentle, Calm, Joy, Awareness

2. “You’re baby is not bored, he is totally confused! If the baby does something new, sing it three more times!”, “you’re child is staring at me because they don’t know who I am, but they learn better hearing it from your voice because they recognize it!”, “Don’t worry about the movements of your baby being synchronized with the music-As long as their moving and grooving that’s all we care about! They’re still getting used to their new body and all of the sensory input they are getting!”, “Don’t worry about your kiddo sucking on the shaker- they just are exploring the instrument! Plus-we have cleaner for the instruments!”

3. Plan for a group: At the beginning of the session, Allow for parents to get settled in and “build a nest” and get comfortable with their kids and environment. Instruments will be placed in the middle of a circle and both children and parents will have an opportunity to explore the instruments an environment. Once everyone settles in have parents place child on lap and begin with “Hello (NR)” (1). Invite to sway with child to the music and encourage caregiver to place a steady beat somewhere on the chid like their chest or back. As the song continues, have parents greet each other and children within the musical structure. (2) “Row it Faster” will be next with kids and parent rocking back and forth. Slow and fast building up energy and fun of the group. (3)Where is my face follows. Building off the energy of the last song, the allows kids to find their parent but visually and editorially (because depending on how young the babe is, he/she may still not be able to see). 4. Teach and sing through “in my little hand” this allows parent and child to explore the instrument and engage together. This is also a great opportunity to teach parent how to get child to grasp onto objects (by tickling the palm of their hand). 5. “Pick your hands up high” have parents sway side to side with child and then help with motor movements of child to to reach up 6. “Goodbye” have parents hold child and sway either in their arms or on their chest and sing to child.

I apologize if there were not any new songs introduced in this session plan! I have never worked in baby groups so what I learned in the videos were more of first for me!

[Nicole Drozd]

Music therapy in community based settings provides opportunities to use music listening and music engagement to help increase, facilitate, and encourage connection with all of those involved. It is also a great way to advocate for music therapy and help others understand better what we do. In regards to sprouting melodies, this program provides opportunities for parents to meet other parents, children to meet other children, and receive other resources that may support them in their development as one family.

[Nicole Drozd]

Marcie Hernandez and Shelly Peterson- Are you considering reaching out to the refugee groups in your area? I know one or two music therapists on Music Therapists Unite! FB group have mentioned that they plan on reaching out and I am really curious how one goes about it. I would really love to hear more about your efforts to provide services to this population if you plan on doing so!

[Nicole Drozd]

Just to add to this conversation, I just got a referral for a kiddo who had participated in a “Zumbini” class in my area. “Zumbini” is a zumba class for kids ages 0 to 3 years old. It appears that they use some kid-friendly pop music, simplified dance moves, and instruments. Obviously they are not calling it therapy (I realize as I am writing this it sounds like I am concerned about this program-I am not) but they are marketing it as both a zumba class and a child-development class. Aside from dancing and moving instruments-I didn’t see too much about how the kids “develop through participating in the class”. I never payed any attention to these classes until I started Sprouting Melodies Training and now I wonder how doing that class really benefits the child and their caregivers more than perhaps one our groups-which is a great thought as I begin to considering ways of marketing my music therapy services again. What I love about getting this most recent referral is that it brought my attention to other programs in my community and made me see the worth in what I hope to do in the future.

[Nicole Drozd]

I think the biggest need the families I work with is support and validation for the work that they have already been doing with their children. I have had the opportunity to work with 1-2 families that really want to see their child succeed and be happy through music. Sometimes family members are hard on themselves if the child acts out or does not participate much throughout the session while I am there-So I provide as much positive and educational feedback as I can during and after each session. Many of the families I work with also need economic support to be able to afford music therapy services-I hope I get to a point where I can get paid for my services but also help with some of the burden on the families I work with.

While I see a need for the civilian community I work with, I see a much bigger need in the military community I work with. The military families I work with generally stay in this area for about 2 years or less and move again. I have noticed that some of the younger mothers (who are also new “MilSpouses”) do not always know about services that are around in the area for their kiddos-whether they have special needs or not. My hope is that this summer I can begin programming in this area and offer opportunities for military families to not only better connect with their child but also to connect with each other and with other civilians.

[Nicole Drozd]

Not only do we bring direct music therapy services to their children (which means a lot to the family) but we also provide education, validation, and fun to the family members/loved one’s that come with the child. In regards to Sprouting Melodies, one big thing I noticed was that the group was a social group for the parents as well-which is pretty great. It’s like group “inception”-you have a group within a group within a group. You have the Children being in a group, the parents being in group with the children, and then the parents in group with the parents. Not only does the music therapist help in the development of the child-but also in the development in the relationship with the child and with the surrounding families. Not to mention, MT-BC’s provide tools to the parents to use at hope with their kids!

[Nicole Drozd]

You all are giving me things to think about and consider when I can actually work with a group of kids- which I don’t do currently. I only get to work 1:1. But stuff like not feeling stressed up the kiddos not staying seated-Even though I hear Meredith and Elizabeth mention that it was developmentally appropriate for kids to go and explore, it is just hitting me now that that would be the type of thing to stress me out haha. Also, for all of you with little ones-you are so lucky to get to observe their development 24/7! Such a resource! I think I am going to ask a few of my church friends if I can borrow their toddlers to get comfortable working with them 🙂

[Nicole Drozd]

Yours is super thorough Julia!

[Nicole Drozd]

Good, thanks Erika!

[Nicole Drozd]

Because I am relatively new to private practice ownership, I work with a lot of different populations and age groups with in my community. The children I work with primarily resonate toward pop music or religious music (one of my clients’ mothers is very involved within their religious community and bring her child with her all the time), My teens love underground rap and hip-hop artists with a little bit of pop, metal, and alternative music thrown in there, and my adults with ID/DD can vary in their preferences depending on what they have been exposed to. When I used to live in South-West VA a lot of the music was country, bluegrass. and classic rock. Now that I live in Norfolk-it varies greatly. I have lived her for a little less than a year and it is always exciting learning more about the traditional and cultural music in my community.

[Nicole Drozd]

Right now I work with a boy with autism who is in between the developmental stage of control and responsibility. In regards to instrument playing he can play simple and complex rhythms that fit within the musical structure of the song. Lately however, I have noticed that he has been leading the musical improvisation or the tempo/dynamic of the song on the drum and this has been a great opportunity to trade leadership. Not only does he follow the tempo and dynamic of what I do, but when he is ready he will take the reigns and change the song to fit what he wishes to do. This has prompted more eye contact, giggling, and screams of joy from him. It has been pretty neat to see the changes he has been going through the last few weeks.

[Nicole Drozd]

I have used each of these four music experiences in my session but lately I have been focused on movement and listening with one of my clients. He is a 6 y.o. boy with autism and I have noticed that as we have been building rapport over the weeks he has been asking for more movement oriented songs as well as modeling the movements that he receives sensory input from. Lately he has been standing on the tips of his toes, so in the music I directed him to dance on his tip toes and he actually did not need a verbal cue for this (where as clapping and stomping he did). In regards to listening, I have been placing even more silence into the session, in particular in songs he is familiar with so he can sing the word in the musical phrase. Doing this, he has gone from 1 word responses to almost 5 words phrases.

[Nicole Drozd]

Ok here we go!

SINGING:
Awareness: Imitate a melodic pitch
Trust: Sing descending intervals
Independence: Use vocal glissando
Control: Use selected sung words at the end of phrases
Responsibility: Use different vocal qualities: shout, sing, talk whisper

PLAYING INSTRUMENTS
Awareness:Explores instrument with mouth and/or tongue
Trust:Shakes simple instrument when grasped
Independence: Transfer instrument from hand to hand
Control:Play instrument with repeated rhythmic motion (basic beat)
Responsibility:Participate in call and response with peer or adult

MOVING:
Awareness:Calms to rhythmic rocking
Trust:Moves entire body rhythmically in response to music
Independence:Pull to stand to bounce with music
Control: Play one-handed instruments (maracas) while moving
Responsibility: Recall and reproduce simple learned movement patterns

LISTENING:
Awareness:Shows increased attention toward consonant pitches and decreased attention with dissonant pitches
Trust:Looks toward source of sound source in response to silence in music
Independence: Follows simple directions to simple music
Control: Demonstrates understanding of instrument paired with label
Responsibility: Recalls Session Structure

[Nicole Drozd]

Thank you Erika! Your statement helps 🙂

[Nicole Drozd]

Susan,

It’s really cool that you want to do more work with ABA therapists! So far the response from ABA therapists that have been present in my sessions have been positive and one of curiosity. I think it would be great for all parties (BCBA’s, ABA’s, Parents, and kids) where you are located to have an MT-BC there to help engage with the child in a unique way as well as observe the child behaving differently in a music setting. Cool stuff Susan!

[Author]

Posts