[Olivia Todd]

This course has expanded my knowledge of early childhood development significantly. I have learned a lot more repertoire, and new formats for session plans. Similar to Lydia, it has also enhanced my skills in assessment in this age group. It is important to be constantly assessing during a session and pivoting as needed and I have been able to do so with more confidence. One of my key take aways is our ability as music therapists to provide a bonding experience for the child and their parent or caregiver, and the education we can provide to parents.

I will continue to share this information with teachers and parents and look forward to sharing it with other music therapists.

[Olivia Todd]

Similar to Camryn, I feel like my choices in songs and interventions have become much more intentional. There are reasons why we choose which song to use in which intervention, and I have learned new repertoire and ideas that I have already begun to implement! Something else that excites me about bringing these ideas and songs to my sessions are the connections that have been and will be made. There are so many connections in the communities we serve, child and parent, child and teacher, music therapist and child, music therapist and parent, and so many more! The music and ideas provide a way for those connections to be made.

[Olivia Todd]

One strategy I use often is pairing ASL and/or visual materials with verbal cues. Children communicate in so many different ways or they may not have the means to express themselves yet. Using multiple communication styles provides an environment for students to explore communication and express themselves in different ways. During my college education, my professors put a lot of emphasis on transitions and “on-boarding and off-boarding” songs. I use a clean up song when it is time to put away instruments, and now that we are a few months into the school year, as soon as the children hear me sing the first words they begin putting the instruments away. On the same note, at the end of the song I often end with very clear directions. For example, the last verse of a movement song would be adapted to go find their seats, or an in an instrument song to put their instruments in their lap. This has helped tremendously in keeping children engaged and successful in the session.

[Olivia Todd]

5 words: active, emotions, intentional, creative, personality

Session Plan:
Gathering: Are You Ready?
Hello: Everybody’s Here
Bonding: Wiggly, Jiggly, Car/Comin’ to Get You
Movement: I Can Clap My Hands
Cool Down/Scarves: Blowing in the Wind
Goodbye: Music Time is Done

[Olivia Todd]

Like others have said above, I believe a big challenge of providing music therapy services to multi-age groupings is the differences in developmental abilities and needs. This was one of the topics that we talked about in the conference call and one solution we talked about was creating little moments for individual opportunities, but always bringing it back to a group opportunity after a few rounds of individual. Like Maura, I also have many things in my back pocket that I can pivot to or change up!

[Olivia Todd]

I would explain that in music therapy we use music as a way to address non-musical goals. While singing a song or shaking eggs is really fun, there are so many things going on in their child’s brain to make that egg start and stop, to grasp the egg, to move it all around. Like many people said, I like to point out little developments or educational points throughout the session to help explain/educate about music therapy and their child’s development.

[Olivia Todd]

5 words: support, busy, cooperation, joyful, sharing

Session Plan:
Gathering- Gather Round
Hello- Hello Everybody
Bonding Song- Row Row Row/Comin’ To Get You
Movement/Scarf song: I see a Rainbow
Song About Me: All of This is Me
Goodbye Song: Music Time is Done

[Olivia Todd]

I currently work in a few schools that have primarily Spanish speaking students. I try to incorporate their preferred music into sessions such as Bachata, Bad Bunny, Luis Enrique, and other Hispanic music. Students appear to be excited to share their preferred music and often stand up and dance along to it. Although I do not know Spanish, I am learning more and more common and musical phrases and like Daniel, I use them in the music to help build rapport with the students.

[Olivia Todd]

I agree with those that have posted before this, that the appropriate level of stimulation truly varies between each individual and group. I have sessions in many pre-k classes, each with their own needs. Observing in the NICU has helped me to closely follow stress or calming cues from the babies. What may look like a simple hand movement could be a stress cue that shows they are overstimulated. This course has challenged me to think about providing enough stimulation and following cues from the students or babies. Not only does the appropriate level of stimulation vary between groups, it can vary from session to session in one group. Two weeks ago one of my classes was extremely high energy as it was the day of their costume party. I had to change my session plans on the spot to meet their energy. The next week they did not have as much energy and if I did the same session plan they would have been overstimulated.

[Olivia Todd]

Our music therapy center has an assortment of instruments from West Music and Remo. We use scarves, maracas with various adaptive handles, frame drums of all sizes, and lollipop drums. In the NICU I use just my voice and occasionally guitar. In preschool classrooms I often use egg shakers, scarves, an ocean drum, guitar, and voice.

[Olivia Todd]

5 Words: playful, exploration, spontaneous, observation, energy
5 Sentences: “It is totally okay to let your baby explore on their own or you can follow them if you’d like!” “Repetition is so important, when it becomes boring to you sing it three more times!” “Even if your child is not actively playing an instrument or participating in the music, they are still engaged and it is normal for them to watch and take it in!” “It is okay if your baby isn’t following the entire session, it is a long time to be engaged!” “Feel free to face your baby outward to face peers or inwards to face you!”

Gathering/Greeting song: Hello Everybody
Bonding Song: Hold on Tight
Songs about Me: Just Like Me
Instrument Song: In My Little Hand
Movement Song: Can You Follow?
Goodbye: Music Time is Done

[Olivia Todd]

Outside of music therapy, I have a lot of experience with babies and toddlers. I have a large extended family with a lot of little cousins! I have watched each one of them grow into incredible little humans and it has been so fascinating to watch them develop. I also worked in a school during college breaks and between college and internship and gained a lot of experience through working in pre-k and a special ed pre-k classroom. In music therapy, I have not worked with children younger than three years old yet, but I am excited to begin in the NICU and to observe a sprouting melodies class! I have observed a few sessions in the NICU and was able to see the infants’ reactions to the music first hand. It was interesting to see the babies react when the MT I observed began the session. One baby was just about to begin feeding and was fussy and crying, the MT began humming and providing gentle containment and the baby began to calm.

[Olivia Todd]

5 words: Gentle, touch, calm, joy, bonding

5 sentences: “We aren’t here to perform, we are here to connect!” “Your voice is safe and familiar to your child, you don’t have to be a great singer!” “The quiet and soft drum in the background can be used as something for your baby to focus on if the music becomes too stimulating.” “As your baby gets older, they may want to be positioned facing outward to see and hear all of the different things to take in.” “Hear how I emphasize the first beat of the measure? This creates momentum and helps your child organize.”

Session Plan:
Good Morning (gathering song)
O Where Is My Face (song about me)
Wiggly, Jiggly Car (bonding/lap song)
In My Little Hand (Instrument song)
Pick Your Hands up High (movement song)
Music Time is Done (goodbye)

[Olivia Todd]

Like many people in this thread, I think one of the roles of community-based music therapy is to create connections. Often times new parents or caregivers can feel isolated or may not know many other parents. Community-based music therapy for infants or toddlers creates a safe space for young children to engage with other children, in all different types of play. It is also a safe space for parents or caregivers to be able to acknowledge each other and build connections. As I was walking out of the music therapy center after a Sprouting Melodies session, I heard one mother say that it was so helpful and relieving to talk to so many parents about their experiences and to see other children a few months older than her child and what to expect.

[Olivia Todd]

Similar to Courtney, I do not come in contact with many families of the students I work with. The teachers and paraprofessionals that are with the students daily are often looking for ways for the students to expand socialization and communication. Many of the students that I see are in their first year of school and do not know what to expect, or how to interact within a group setting. In general, they are also looking for new experiences for their students to learn but also play and be children.
In the NICU, many of the families are in need of a time and space for bonding. Having an infant in the NICU can be incredibly stressful, anxiety provoking, and scary. Like Lydia said, there are so many other things going on in the family’s lives that they cannot put on hold, and sometimes they feel caregiver’s guilt. Just last week I spoke to a mother that had been with her infant for 5 hours and felt guilty leaving to take a shower and eat something for the first time that day. As we talked a little bit more about music therapy, she stated she felt a little better leaving her infant knowing that she was going to be receiving music therapy as she left.

Music therapy in the school setting can provide new and exciting ways to engage with students and for the students to engage with their peers. For the new students, an entire day of spoken instructions can be overwhelming, and the many elements of music can provide a different way of communication. Music therapy also provides a safe space for the students to move around, or be a little loud, and to play with their peers. I like the way that Lydia put it that music can help humanize the experience of being in a hospital. There are so many things to keep track of, so many sounds that can be alarming, but music therapy provides a safe and comfortable space for the parent to just be with their baby and hopefully let go of the worry for a little while.

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