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Music therapists can provide families with knowledge about child development and music, which can be an incredible tool. We can teach families how to incorporate music into daily life, making it easier to communicate with their small children, and also how to use music to help their child learn about the world around them.
October 4, 2021 at 11:32 am
in reply to: How have you used these four music experiences in your practice?
ParticipantWhen I worked with preschoolers and kindergartners with autism, I used all of these experiences on a regular basis. We would sing hello and goodbye songs, and also improvised songs to work on speech. One of my favorite group experiences, which incorporated instruments and listening, was having each child come to the gathering drum individually to play. They listened to each other while they were waiting for their turn to play. I reflected the child’s drumming on the keyboard and it was always exciting when the child playing realized that I was reflecting them. The drummer also had to listen in order to know when it was time to stop playing. We used shakers with directions to shake, high, low, etc, as a movement experience, while working on following directions. We also used scarves to dance to recorded music.
ParticipantI hadn’t even considered that! You may be right! That is definitely an interesting insight.
ParticipantAfter I wrote my initial response, it occurred to me how much Mozart has influenced children. I can think of at least 3 children’s songs to the tune of “Ah-vous dirai-je, Maman.”
ParticipantThe embedded songs were very easy to learn with simple, repetitive melodies and words. Since I don’t currently have clients, I tried out a couple of them with my 5-year-old. We sang “Just Like Me” using the drum with hands and then feet as Meredith had suggested. My daughter thought it was the greatest thing to play with her feet because I’m usually telling her not to put her feet on things. I tried the tickle song with her even though it’s meant for a much younger child and she was NOT a fan of that one. It was a good reminder that songs should be appropriate for the child’s developmental stage.
ParticipantI live in a community that has a lot of families who have lived here for generations, usually descending from German or Italian immigrants, and also a university that adds some cultural diversity through professors and students. I grew up in a community that was largely descended from German immigrants and the music that we learned as children were American folk songs, music from the early part of the 20th century, and music created specifically for children. Bluegrass music is indigenous to my state, and there are plenty of country and Christian stations on the radio. My community is just outside of a medium sized city, so we also have rock and hip-hop/R&B stations as well as a classical station. However, without actually being out in the field, it’s hard to say exactly what traditional or cultural music influences members of my community.
ParticipantWhen I was completing the clinical portion of NICU training, the infant I worked with demonstrated the awareness stage of musical development. When I picked him up, he was quiet and awake. I held him in my arms and as I began to sing a quiet lullaby, he turned his head toward me and started to coo. He snuggled in as I continued to sing. As I introduced the massage protocol, the infant showed a finger splay, meaning that the stimulation was too much at that time, so I stopped for a few seconds and went back to just singing.
ParticipantYes! I agree, it is amazing how much these little ones change and grow, even from month to month. Just as you’re getting used to them in one stage, they are already transitioning to another.
ParticipantI will bring a love of small children and a sense of play. I’m not afraid to be silly! I am hoping to create a welcoming, nonjudgmental space where children and caregivers can come to be present in the moment and share quality time together.
ParticipantThe most valuable takeaway for me was the reminder to be conscious of the environment. I need to keep this in mind while I am looking for a clinic space. When my kids were babies, I remember vacuuming all the time because they would find the tiniest piece of crumb or thread and stick it in their mouths. I also thought the information that not all parents are aware of what is developmentally appropriate was salient. It’s easy for me to forget that I definitely didn’t know much when my first child was born and I did not have time to read. I was so grateful for help and advice from my family and friends who had much more experience.
ParticipantHi everyone! My name is Rachel Sedmak and I am very excited to be participating in this course. I live in Kentucky with my husband and two children. I’ve been a music therapist for 16 years, and just received the NICU-MT certification through Florida State a year ago. I have experience working in schools, a nursing home, and as the activity director in a convent. I stopped working 9 years ago when my first child was born and now that my second is in school, I’m ready to start back again. This time I am starting my own private practice. It’s intimidating and exciting at the same time, but I am hoping this course will help to refresh some skills that may have become a little rusty. I want to offer groups for young children and their parents and Sprouting Melodies seemed like it would be the perfect fit.
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