[Patricia Karr]

I am excited about learning some new songs! I could not wait to use “Are You Ready for Music?” in my 1:1 sessions. The first time I used it was with an adult non-verbal client who is developmentally disabled. I used it as an initial greeting and continued to sing it to her as we walked to the living room of her group home for her session. I adapted the lyrics and tempo to fit our actions. She reacted to it with smiling, giggling, and vocalizing. Once seated in the session, I added verses about clapping and playing drum. She clapped her hands in repetition of my model and played the drum during the rests. This song was great for getting her “primed” for musical participation and social interaction. She seemed to enjoy the playfulness of this song. It also gave her the opportunity to nonverbally communicate, “Yes!” I also used the song in 1:1 sessions with children who have Down’s Syndrome and ASD. These children have speech goals, so we worked in a verbal “Yes…” and used the song for making session plan choices. I am looking forward to trying more songs in upcoming sessions.

[Patricia Karr]

Germaine,
Thank you so much for sharing what you know about the various cultures in Singapore. I am very intrigued by what you said about the racial harmony there. So interesting!

[Patricia Karr]

I grew up in a very homogeneous rural community in Ohio–almost entirely Caucasian and Christian. There I heard plenty of Country/Western, Top-40, Classic Rock, and church music. I moved to Michigan for college and have lived here pretty much ever since. The city I live in is very diverse due to the presence of the University of Michigan, which draws people from all over the globe. I love the diversity of music and food that I have been exposed to here in Ann Arbor. To the east lies Detroit, where I worked in the public school system for over 20 years. Nearly all of my students were African American and over 90% were living below the poverty line. While working there, I delved more into Rap, Jazz, R & B, Hip Hop, Gospel, and Motown music. I also tried to bring the children African American play songs, music from Africa, Blues, and Spirituals. I loved learning new music, but sometimes felt lacking in being able to play the music myself. I continued to try, but I did not always feel I was able to do it with authenticity. It was always amazing to collaborate with musicians and music teachers who were “at home” with these genres—still is! These folks have always been so welcoming and full of encouragement, which has helped me to keep developing in my understanding of genres outside of the ones I grew up with. Now, I work at a private therapy clinic with clients from families who can afford to private pay for MT services. My current clients are Caucasian, African American, Indian (Asian), Arab American, Christian, and Muslim. Because of this diversity, I have a harder time with knowing exactly what music to bring in to be culturally competent. I have also learned not to make assumptions. Family culture and musical preferences are so individualized. Sometimes I have been surprised to learn from the parents that their children prefer some of the music I am familiar with (e.g. music from American pop culture, TV shows, cartoons, movies, or traditional children’s songs I grew up singing). This can give us a starting-off point on which to build a broader repertoire of culturally relevant music. I have found that on-going conversation with parents and following the children’s musical lead usually points me in the right direction in knowing what music to provide to best meet my clients’ needs.

[Patricia Karr]

Kristen,
What a great story about how one of your young boys is moving from trust to independence!

[Patricia Karr]

Cheryl-Lee,
I really like your contribution regarding being careful not to provide too much musical stimuli at once. I think this advice is valuable in any setting as we should always consider our clients’ sensory and cognitive processing needs.

[Patricia Karr]

Cindy,
I’m so happy for your little toddler to be feeling more confident and independent!

[Patricia Karr]

I currently work with 1:1 clients who are mainly on the autism spectrum. As I studied each developmental level, I felt I was reading about my clients. I could clearly see my present (and past) clients in the descriptions given in this week’s training. While some of my clients fit more clearly into one level, others straddle over two levels as they are growing and learning in their own unique ways. Some of the younger, more socially delayed children are between awareness and trust, while others are entering the responsibility level. I have a new client that I am in the middle of assessing. I can already see that he is in the independence level and beginning to enter the control level. What I have learned so far in this course will enable me to more adequately reflect on my clients’ progress, identify their current functional level, and provide optimal music experiences to advance their development. I am excited to know about this music development framework and look forward to sharing pertinent information with my parents.

[Patricia Karr]

Hi Everyone,
So many of you have spoken about the stresses of parenting and the worries about what is “normal” development. As a mother, I can relate to those feelings. If our child lags in any key areas, we naturally worry. The truth is, there is a wide variance and each child follows an individualized pathway of development. As MTs, we can learn to assess where each child is on his or her path of development and assist the child and family in a positive, enjoyable way toward new learning and growth through the use of music.

[Patricia Karr]

As I mentioned in my introduction during Week 1, I have many years of MT experience working with children and their families in Detroit and Southeastern Michigan. I have a M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education. I am also Mom to two grown sons. Though not yet a Grandma, I am enjoying watching the next generation of young children in the family going through the developmental stages. I currently work with children ages two years and up with various diagnoses (primarily ASD) and adults with developmental delays. All of this experience prepares me for work with EC MT-based programs such as Sprouting Melodies. The information shared so far in this course serves as a valuable review of what I have been exposed to in my studies and my life experience about EC development. It is especially good to be reminded to look at things from the perspective and life experience of the child. As adults and professional MTs, we can get very caught up in thinking about goals, session plans, documentation, etc. and forget about the child’s perspective. We must be reminded to connect at the client’s level and enjoy the process of music making, learning, and discovery. I will be trying to focus on this in my practice and use the resources to guide my awareness of where each client is in the developmental process. I feel this information is also applicable to my adult clients. I want to expand my group offerings at one of my current facilities and have also seen a need in my community for high–quality EC programs. I realize that I have much to offer with my specialized training as a music therapist and my level of education and experience with young children and their families. I am interested in exploring these thoughts as I go through the rest of the SM training.

[Patricia Karr]

Cindy,
I like your takeaway regarding the importance of music in a child’s view of self and the way they “fit in” to the world around them and with others. I can’t wait to find out more about what the course has to teach us about Music Development!

[Patricia Karr]

Yes, Germaine and Rebecca, getting in touch with the child’s perspective at his or her particular developmental level is so important. By doing so, we can provide optimal experiences that lead to future growth.

[Patricia Karr]

Week 2 content has given me an excellent review of the prominent theories and typical ages and stages and of early child development that I will refer to when providing MT services to children and adults with delayed development. This information will help me select appropriate goals and communicate better with families regarding their loved one’s development. It is a good reminder that we must first meet the client where he or she is and then encourage a healthy path of development that takes into account the unique challenges experienced by our clients and families.

[Patricia Karr]

Hi Beth,
I love that your grandson seems to recognize you when you sing to him over the phone. Another wonderful example of the power of music to stimulate cognitive development, access working memory, and deepen social connections!

[Patricia Karr]

Hi Kristen,
I can relate to your interests in working with children in the schools, music education, and wanting to offer the best possible services for our clients, families, and schools. I am glad to be taking this class with you!

[Patricia Karr]

Hi, this is Patricia Karr from Ann Arbor, MI. I am a seasoned music therapist who has worked with children and their families throughout my career. In addition to my music therapy training, I completed my M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education. In 2016, I retired from my music therapist position with Detroit Public Schools, where I worked with children between the ages of 3-14 years with a wide range of special needs. While there, I was able to offer many inclusive groups and experiences. Since my school retirement, I have been providing music therapy for children (and adults) as a staff member at a few local facilities and through individual contracts. I currently spend the majority of my working hours providing 1:1 and small group sessions for children at Building Bridges Therapy Center. The majority of my clients there have been diagnosed with ASD. My youngest client there so far has been age two. I am so excited about this course! Despite having many years of experience, there is always SO much more to learn. I want to know more details about musical development, to hear from Beth and Meredith about their research and clinical expertise with babies and young children, and to learn a new repertoire of accessible music for working on functional skills. I expect that I will be able to find many ways to apply what I learn to my current work. I am very happy to hear that the Raising Harmony/ Sprouting Melodies community supports MT-BCs in using our expertise and allows adaptation to our unique clients, families, and clinical settings! I am looking to expand my group offerings at the center as early as this summer and will be considering what I learn through Sprouting Melodies training when working on these expansion goals.

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