[Noelle Larson]

It’s so great to read about how all of you have already started sharing information and knowledge from this training as well as how you look forward to doing so in the near future. What good ideas! For me, since I’m taking a professional hiatus for a few months, my major exposure to children right now is at my church and through my social circles rather than in a professional context. Since having my own baby, I will be shifting my volunteering from the music ministry to the children’s ministry, which will be a great way to put into practice many of the developmental concepts we have learned about in this course as well as share them with the children’s parent’s and siblings. In a more professional sense, I have maintained a good relationship at Berklee and plan to visit them in the spring. I will definitely be “talking up” this training with the professors while I’m there! I have a few ideas for ways that Raising Harmony might be able to reach out to university music therapy programs and I’ll put them in an e-mail sometime soon. As Meredith and Beth said, this information and music base is way to valuable (and wonderful!) not to share.

[Noelle Larson]

In a broad sense, I think that the first ‘direction’/application for me now that the course is finished is to take a few steps further in my development as a human being, specifically in the ways that I interact with the young children and families and I encounter in my daily life. I always strive to speak with children with dignity and respect for who they are and how very much their ideas and needs matter, something that I have seen myself being able to do more authentically/fully as we have gone deeper in the course. Taking this course has helped me gain a greater appreciation for the many joys and challenges that these children experience in music and life in general, and increased my desire to try to see the world from their eyes. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m currently in a transitional time in my career as I learn to be a mother to my new little girl, and so I have few connections to the professional/outside world than usual for a time. I do hope to start doing work in the community part-time in the next few months, and I’ve maintained positive connections at two private schools in my community whose parent communities I think would be very interested in early childhood music programing. I’m not sure right now if my journey will include becoming a Sprouting Melodies provider in the immediate future, especially since I don’t currently have a private practice to base it from, but I do appreciate and have deep respect for the professional support community and all of the resources available in the Raising Harmony community. In the immediate moment, I am very excited to have such a great collection of songs, techniques, and developmental knowledge to taking into my parenting. My daughter is two weeks old today and it has been a pure joy to sing with her and already see her begin to experience developmental milestones and awareness of her surroundings. Thank you Meredith, Beth, and everyone for this learning experience and for sharing your knowledge! It has been great to learn from and with you these past 10 weeks.

[Noelle Larson]

I love reading all of your strategies, it’s so great to hear what mindsets and techniques have been helpful for all of you! I really appreciate Laetitia’s two montras about embracing flexibility and acting without expectation. As a general concept, I think that learning to be more flexible as a person and as a music therapist has been the biggest marker of maturity on my personal journey from being a music therapy student, to an intern, to a professional music therapist, and it is what enables me to help all my children to succeed and have joy in music. Earlier on, I would think and plan through how I hoped a session would go; as you all know from experience, things usually don’t go much like the plans we make in advance, especially before we have much experience with that group! As I have developed personally and professionally, I have learned to have much more equilibrium between planning and preparing for how I think a session might progress, but being free and flexible to embrace changes in the moment and meet my clients in the unique situations. In practical terms, this means that I still push myself musically and clinically to expand my repertoire, think of ways to keep things fresh, learn new activities, and think in advance about how I might address recurring behavior challenges or joys, while still remembering the great beauty in familiarity and predictability for the children and families in my groups. Participating in this class has been part of that process for me, and I look forward to pursuing more continuing education in the future to build and expand my clinical knowledge and skill base. Flexibility as a music therapist to me also looks maintaining a healthy balance between keeping track of data and figures while still remaining deeply child-centered. I never want to use an intervention that makes numerical sense but doesn’t meet the emotional needs of my clients or “fit” in current climate of the session. As others have said and in previous forums, we have a great gift as music therapists to be able to adapt ourselves, our music, and our treatments to meet the changing needs of our clients in the moment. This is only truly possible if we remain elastic in our expectations and are willing to let go of plans, hopes, and goals in exchange for better ones as needs arise.

Thinking of specific strategies, I really enjoy using greeting songs and activities that allow us as a group to individually welcome and briefly check in with each child, of course being developmentally mindful of the right ages and stages to do so. In my experience, older toddlers and preschool-aged children are often very interested in sharing their contribution, whether musical or verbal; others may feel shy, and we can adapt the experience to be non-threatening while still inviting them to participate. I find that taking this small moment to go around and acknowledge each child helps me to affirm him or her; otherwise, I may not have a positive context in which to even say each child’s name in the course of a session (perhaps only addressing a child with re-direction, or only calling out the positive behaviors in certain children as they occur). It is important to each of us as human beings to feel that we matter to the others in our lives, whether we choose to participate or not, and this is an area that we can really speak (and sing!) into as music therapists that helps with each child’s emotional and social development. We crave being noticed and valued, and I find that doing so for each child at the start of the session not only helps me get a reading on the climate of my group that day, but also helps me gauge the developmental progress each child makes throughout the course of our time together.

[Noelle Larson]

I would like to echo what Katy said and agree that I really look forward to the idea of being my own boss someday and using my skills to meet a need in my community. I am very confident that parents and families that I know through my substitute teaching work would be very interested in developmentally-minded, music therapy based programming like Sprouting Melodies. It’s hard to say right at this moment if I will go the route of becoming a Sprouting Melodies provider or if, like others, I will glean the developmental concepts and theories and incorporate them organically into my work. My husband and I welcomed home our little baby girl last Tuesday, so details about my working in the near future are still a little undecided! However, 0-5 years is my favorite age window to work with, and I delight to see how music making helps these children to come alive and be their best self; I am sure that work in this population will be in my future, whether near or far.

[Noelle Larson]

Providing music groups for children of a wide variety of ages can be both very challenging and very rewarding. As a music therapist, I need to be aware of the developmental abilities, needs, skills, and levels of the individual children in the group, as well as the needs of the group as a cohesive, whole unit. It is very important for the music as well as the activities to have an energy flow in which every activity is accessible to every participant in some way, but there are also specific songs, activities, and roles within them that particular cater to the needs and abilities of higher and lower functioning children. Older children can enjoy and benefit from “being the leader” during certain activities, but it is healthy to follow those activities with others that are more focused on their own needs and abilities (and vis versa). One thing I really like to do in a mixed age group setting is to invite the older children “into my confidence”–into the secret, if you will. They can be my special helpers, the experts, the ones we can depend on. I’m counting on their help–see what leader they are being! As Beth said in the video, it can also be really fun to do a song in a way that is accessible to the younger children, and then sing it much faster for the older ones to showcase their advanced skills. Lot’s of laughter usually follows!

[Noelle Larson]

I love reading everyone’s thoughts on this subject and I agree with Kristina that it is a complex question! As many others have said, there is a different emphasis and focus for music activities targeting the holistic development of the child versus the those targeting the specific development of certain skills, whether musical, social, physical, etc.
As Sarah said, music for skill acquisition tends to conjure images perhaps more inline with several goals of music education, in which developing musical proficiency is one of the primary goals. As music therapists, we are certainly qualified to teach musical skills and help clients develop musical proficiency, but our goal is usually to aid the client in social, emotional, physical, cognitive, or spiritual domains. We may teach the same skills but for a different end purpose: we teach and encourage body rhythm like clapping and stamping, not for the sake of the stamping or to make the young child more ready to read music, but to help him experience the joy of his body in music and learn to integrate his senses and express his emotions. Both music for skill building and music for development are very important, but we as music therapists will even use the acquisition of new musical skills to support the child’s overall development.

[Noelle Larson]

Sprouting Melodies 3: Flexible, exploratory, momentum, emotions, engaging

Session Plan: *Gather Round: Gathering song. Welcome families and children, give invitation to begin music and engage children wherever they are in the room and emotions. Invites full body engagement. *My Brand New Friend: Group bonding, social growth opportunity, encourages safe and friendly interactions with other children and parents. *Where is the Music: Song about me. Chant with body rhythm promotes group identity and reinforces that the children have music “in them.” *Will You Come: Movement song. Opportunity for expressive movement of all varieties. *You Play a Little: instrument song. Reciprocal play opportunity, parents can re-create at home, helps children learn the difference between the self and the music partner. *Music is the Way: instrument song. Provides a cool-down, centering for the group before completion. *Thank You Very Much: Goodbye song. Acknowledge each group member, physical interaction, transition out of music and into rest of child’s day.

Family Sprouts: Adaptable, leadership opportunities, variety, joyful, cooperation

Session Plan: *Come and Join the Circle: Gathering song. Engaging contour and body rhythm calls families into the music. *Row it Faster: Bonding song. Gives older sibling opportunity to be a leader with younger sibling. *Just Like Me: Songs about me. Older siblings can help younger sibling find their various body parts and “be the teacher.” *I Can Move Around: Instrument and Movement song. Accessible to many developmental levels; older children and play more complex instruments, younger children can participate and engage to their abilities, as well. *Music Time is Over: A transition song from music to the rest of the child’s day. Opportunity to make connections with what other group members are doing.

[Noelle Larson]

Anticipation, joyful, familiar, opportunity, nurturing

*Notice how your child is sitting: he feels safe with your arms keeping him steady, but he is so interested in seeing the activity in the room!
*I love the way you let your daughter choose as many instruments as she would like! This time is all about exploration.
*Great job engaging your baby’s full body and flat feet when helping her jump!
*It’s ok to want your toddler to stay close, but it’s good for him to feel free to move around the room, as well.
*When we pay close attention to how our babies respond to surprises, we can give them the sensory stimulation they crave without it being too much.

Session Plan:
*Good morning to You: Greet children and parents
*Hey! Hey! Come and Play!: Invite group members into the fun of making music together, opportunity to bounce child and rhythmically engage body.
*A Car On My Knee: this embedded song has a steady rhythm that group members can move to as we warm up for music.
*Wiggly Jiggly Car: Lap ride/bonding. Offers opportunity for anticipation and surprise.
*March With My Baby: Higher energy movement song, offers variety of energy levels as group members engage by jumping, marching, etc.
*In My Little Hand: Brings the energy of the group back down while keeping the excitement and engagement with the music
*All of This is Me: Opportunity for calming and introspection as group gets ready to wind down.
*Music Time is Over: Signals that the time has come to transition out of music.
*Thank You Very Much: Group bonding, help each child feel valuable and important.

[Noelle Larson]

I think a great phrase from the video to summarize children in this developmental level is that they tend to love “predictable surprises”–experiences that invite their engagement, allow them to influence the next move, or use a different timbre or articulation, but that also happen in a predictable, familiar time and way. When I think of sensory stimulation being done well, I hear peels of baby laughter and see broad grins at the anticipation and fulfillment of the surprise. As Ann Marie described, children often let us know that they are overstimulated by their movements away from the group or source of energy. As music therapists, we can gauge where our clients and families are on the stimulation spectrum and offer a change in pace, dynamic, intensity, and energy before clients reach the point of overstimulation (from which is can be so difficult to return). When working with clients of any age level, I think it is very helpful to gain a general sense of the sensory stimulation needs of my different clients, and think in advance about ways that I can help meet those needs and provide opportunities for everyone to be successful. In life, I know that my husband is a social introvert and that in large group settings, he may need to take a break or a walk for a few minutes to “recharge;” it isn’t personal, in fact it’s really positive when he self-regulates like that. Similarly, it isn’t a personal statement against us as music therapists if a particular client is overstimulated by an activity that we thought he/she would enjoy; we take note and adapt our interventions to meet the needs we’re seeing in the moment. Other clients will crave much more sensory stimulation, especially in a group with a possibly developmental span like SM3; finding the balance is what makes our job so rewarding!

I love what Kelsy said about how authentic energy helps our clients feel that we are truly sharing and enjoying in the experience with them. Kids and their caregivers can “smell a phony” a mile away, but the rewards of being honestly and authentically present are rich for both therapist and client.

[Noelle Larson]

I love hearing about everyone’s instrument collections! Like others have said, I don’t currently have any groups with children in the developmental level, but appreciate many of the suggestions others have shared here and that Meredith and Elizabeth shared in the video. Like Ann Marie, I really enjoying using scarves and bean bags because of the broad range of sensory experiences they invite: we feel the breeze and soft touch the of the scarves as they float and glide, and the beans in the bean bag move in a pleasing, heavy way in our fingers or on our limbs. I like the idea of using various drums as the group is ready, being aware of keeping the experience “safe” from too many loud, sudden, or scary experiences; I think this can be achieved through a wise selection of drums available in the group (many frame drums aren’t as loud, deep, or low as floor drums), or by using primarily one drum in the center, where the music therapist can help make the experience fun and successful for everyone.

I stumbled upon a small, wooden maraca that I really like made by Basic Beat. I was ordering instruments for use in geriatrics and found that although these were too small for that application, I really love how pleasing they are in the hand as well as the gentle timbre when played. They’re like a “glorified,” wooden chiquita. Here’s a link: http://www.westmusic.com/p/basic-beat-bb013-natural-wood-maracas-200990

[Noelle Larson]

Community-based music therapy work is an area that really interests me. Almost all of my experiences so far as a professional and during my music therapy training have been institution-based, providing me with some great experiences of contiguity and structure but also lacking much of the vibrancy and unpredictability of community-based work. I believe that one of the beauties of being a music therapist is that we can be so highly flexible, adapting ourselves and our therapy to the needs of both types of environments. In community-based work, clients typically enter the session having come from some kind of commute, having done other things previously and going to do other things next; the music therapist can recognize the energy and needs of her clients, whatever they may be that day, to meet that energy, and to help transition her clients into a healthy state for music therapy to take place. Working in the community also means a broad variety of client backgrounds, experiences, needs, goals, and diagnoses; it is the music therapist’s responsibility to formally asses these needs, when called for, to advocate for the needs of the clients, and to make referrals and recommendations if additional treatment or services are required. Music therapists dwell in the realm of possibility and empowerment; we focus on what our clients can do, and the value their personal and musical voice brings to our community. This unique perspective and orientation makes our work highly valuable to our clients and our communities as a whole.

[Noelle Larson]

I think I have had fewer experiences with infants 0 to 9 months old than with any of the other age groups and I am looking forward to that changing in a few weeks with the birth of my daughter. Most of my experiences so far have been one-to-one. With very young infants I enjoy looking in their eyes, speaking in a sing-song manner, and perhaps making different faces to try to elicit a smile or laugh. Touch is really important, as well, whether holding the child or positioned near by. I really enjoy watching older infants start to gain an understanding of what they want/where they want to be, and to start pursuing those things. Like Meredith mentioned in the video, it’s a lot of fun to place a desirable object, like the bells, a little bit out-of-reach to help encourage the child to reach, crawl, and explore.

[Noelle Larson]

Nurturing, child-focused, safe, embracing, inviting

Where ever you and your child are at when you come to class, it’s ok!

Notice how she grasped her instrument, that’s a great step!

Your child might feel more or less secure with this activity than other children in the room. You may adapt it to meet your baby’s needs and comfort.

When you relax and move with the music, it helps your baby feel connected to you and to the music as well.

I love the way you speak and sing to your baby, right at her level! That’s just what she needs at this stage.

Session Plan:
*Hello: Welcome parents and babies to music, begin to take a seat on the floor, slow down from the bustle of the day

*Today’s a Beautiful Day: establishing the flow for the session

*Wiggly Jiggly Car: a lap ride/bonding song to pick up the energy and increase engagement

*Just like Me: touching child’s and parents’ body parts, establishing a connection

*I Like This Song: simple singing, allow children to explore instruments

*All of This is Me: cool down, introspective

*Goodbye: closure for the group, transition out of music

[Noelle Larson]

Thank you, Sarah! I’m due March 11th and feeling very excited. I’ll change my picture if the little lady decides to come while we’re still in session. 🙂

Tiffany, what an awesome opportunity you have to make a difference and meet social and emotional needs in your community! I just had an image flash in my mind of a sign reading “Pioneers Wanted,” like for the Old West. It sounds like beginning programs in your area could be extremely meaningful as well as have some learning opportunities built in.

I really love what everyone is saying about how interested and involved their parents are, from asking about the music used during the day to really seeking new ways to bond with their children. I have worked in settings in which places like nursing stations or lunch tables become avenues for complaining about client families, and it breaks my heart to see it. There are surely many challenges that come with working alongside families and some people are certainly very challenging to work with, so it’s really refreshing to hear you all “bragging” on the positive ways your families want to be involved in their child’s development! Yay team Music Therapy!

[Noelle Larson]

I just had my last pre-baby day of work last week so I’m currently in a season without specific clients or families; however, I think it’s very likely that I will return to that setting to offer early childhood music programming in the future and so I’ll share my thoughts about this general grouping of children and families now. The center that I worked for was a preschool for children ages 2-5 years, many of whom go on to complete elementary school at the connected K-6th grade private school. Many parents both worked outside the home at least a few days a week, so at least a third of the children were regularly picked up by a nanny, grandparent, or other caregiver, and several stayed for extended days. This tells me that this particular community would probably really value Saturday music programming, so that one or both parents would be able to attend. I also noticed that many mothers who brought one child in to preschool also had an infant that they continued to provide care for during the day; this tells me that they find great social and academic value in the education they were seeking for their older child, beyond just finding childcare for part of the day. I believe that these families would be quick to see the value in a music therapy-based early childhood music program and would probably share the resource with friends in their other circles. I’m excited for the possibility of pioneering a program in this community, perhaps over the summer when families are seeking new opportunities to foster their child’s growth and development.

[Author]

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