[Rebecca Woodruff]

I am very excited to be heading to a second interview on Thursday for a job at a local music therapy firm. If everything works out I probably won’t be starting a private practice for a few years. However, I feel like Sprouting Melodies would be a wonderful option for me to get my private practice off the ground when the time homes. Regardless, the knowledge and skills I have gained through taking this course will help me in future music therapy work with young children and children with special needs. Thank you for offering a course that I could take from home it has been so very interesting!

[Rebecca Woodruff]

I have found myself sharing information I have learned during this course with many of my family members. It has also got me thinking about how becoming more involved in the community will help me to grow my business when I start a private practice. I am also seriously considering becoming a Sprouting Melodies provider when that time comes (having a lot of the business side of things taken care and the support would be amazing). I am thinking about offering a trial class in my local library for families. I have also been thinking about being a performer at the children’s festival in my home town to help with my exposure in music for children.

[Rebecca Woodruff]

I completely agree with the strategy of having a strong knowledge basis of what behavior and music responses for developmental stage. This will help you to be able meet each child at their level and increase participation. I also believe that being consistent is extremely important to ensure appropriate behaviors – children will always test their boundaries. Using music to redirect or as a reward is also powerful. As had been mentioned, being aware of each child is extremely important. As we do this we can better engage the child and be able to catch those red flags.I agree with Marice that letting parents know that passive participation is still participation is an important concept. Passive participation can help children self regulate if they experience cognitive or tactile fatigue.

[Rebecca Woodruff]

I’m excited to work with children – while it can be exhausting at times it is a blast and very rewarding. I also look forward to helping give support for parents and give them tools to help with behaviors. Taking this course really helped me to improve my knowledge of early childhood development and appropriate music and music responses. This has increased my confidence in working with this population. I am excited to start a music development group and really begin to grow music therapy as a whole in my community.

[Rebecca Woodruff]

Multi-age groupings can be a lot of fun and can be very difficult. My first practicum setting was an inter-generational group in an assisted living facility. This meant that my group had an age range of 12 months to 90 years. The needs of these clients varied widely. However, the focus of that group, and I believe family sprouts, is to help build relationships. Choosing music that was appropriate for everyone was a challenge. Usually we went with music that would be appropriate for children. I feel like in a multi-age group just for children I would look for more ways to let older children choose songs and find ways to adapt these songs to be appropriate for younger members of the group (as suggested in this week’s video). As many of you have mentioned, I would also use a variety of instruments. While not ideal, I feel like a multi-age grouping is a reality for any music therapist – especially those in smaller communities.

[Rebecca Woodruff]

Music for development is to help aid your children in proper development. The music therapist tailors sessions to meet the child where they are at developmentally and help them to continue to grow. This means that they will choose music and interventions that are developmentally appropriate. Music for skill building helps to build life skills (social, cognitive, educational etc.) or music skills. I believe that these two categories can overlap. For example, the skill of turn taking , will be developed and used in a music for development but is also building a specific skill.

[Rebecca Woodruff]

Family Sprouts
Five Words: Variety, relationships, inclusive, busy, adapt
Session Plan:
Gathering: “Here We Are Together” Sing each child’s name in the song to say hello.
Bonding Song: “Horse and Buggy” Have each child sit on their caregiver’s lap. Bounce on lap and sway at appropriate times. Sing the song through twice (or more) so each child gets a turn with their caregiver.
Songs About Me: “All of this is Me” Have children point to each body part mentioned in the song. Do a sped up version the second time for older children.
Instrument Song: “Dancing in the Middle” Have children follow directions in the song. Offer a variety of instruments. Older children can play two handed instruments. Instruct parents on which instruments are more developmentally appropriate for their child.
Movement Song: Offer children a choice between “I Can Move Around”, “Can You Follow?”, Will You Come?” Adjust musical elements for children at earlier developmental levels as necessary.
Good-bye: “It’s Time to Say Good-bye” Have parents and children do scarf movement.
Sprouting Melodies 3
Five words: Active, moving, social, harmony, personality
Session Plan:
Gathering: “Here We Are Together” Sing each child’s name in the song to say hello.
Bonding: “My Brand New Friend” Have two children hold opposite ends of a scarf. Change partners for finding a new friend. Parents can model this.
Book: “Hand, hand, finger thumb” Before the book teach children that a book is something that you do not eat or bend. Show them the functional ability of a book. Pass out drums. Have children identify their thumb and play rhythm with caregivers during the chant.
Instrument Song: “I Like this Song”. Have a variety of instruments for children to play. Especially have two handed instruments.
Movement: “Do As I’m Doing” Have a child choose an action for the group to complete.
Goodbye: “Thank-you very much” Have children shake hands as they say thank you.

[Rebecca Woodruff]

Instruments that I would use: jumbo chiquitas, maracas, rain sticks, hand drums, gathering drum, small djimbe, guitar, and possibly keyboard (could be nice for some lower energy interventions). As for brands, there are several on West Music and Empire Music (for us Canadian folks). I also like to look at garage sales for instruments. In the past I have been able to find a nice medium sized hand drum ($2), a full set of tone bars, carrying case and mallets ($10) and my most recent purchase a Casio weighted keyboard with damper pedal and bench ($90).

[Rebecca Woodruff]

I believe that stimulation or energy flow is very important to a session. There needs to be an ebb and flow to the amount of energy – variation is key. If there is too much stimulation the children will be overwhelmed but if there is not enough the children will be outside of the group too much. By varying high energy interventions with low energy interventions children have the balance of enough stimulation and will stay engaged longer.

[Rebecca Woodruff]

Five Words: Energy Balance, Movement, Musical Surprises, Trust, Independence

Five Sentences: Your child is moving from the stage of trust to independence – it is important to keep them close, to be a home base, but to also give them room to explore. Throughout Sprouting Melodies 2, your child will move from having purposeful repetitive movements to music to isolating body parts and intentional movement to music. Your child will begin to explore playing a variety of instruments and their tempo (speed of play) will expand as well. Your child can match pitches about half of the time – they can’t sing entire songs but will begin to babble with melodic inflection. Your child will recognize familiar melodies and move towards beginning to match the intensity of their movements to the intensity of the music.

Plan:
Instrument Exploration: Have a variety of instruments (jumbo chiquitas, small hand drums, small gathering drums, small rain sticks) for children to explore before class begins.

Hello Song: “Here We Are Together” Have each parent give their child a hug when their name is sung.

Gathering/ Body Percussion (lower energy) “Good Morning” (EKS) Have parents sway with their child on their lap the first time. The second time through have parents clap the beat with the children’s hands over top of their own (wrap your arms under the baby’s shoulders so there hands are behind yours). Last time through have the parents sway with the children on their laps again.

Lap Ride/Bonding Song (higher energy): “Wiggly, Jiggly Car” (EKS) Have parents get child seated on their lap. At the beginning of the song have their arms outstretched. Arms are gradually wrapped around the child “put your seat belt on”. Parents will sway side to side during the “Oh” section and bounce the child on their lap during the “wiggly jiggly” section.

Instrument Play (lower energy): “In My Little Hand” (EKS) Hand out chiquitas and maracas and have parents offer them to their children. Have babies shake their instruments along with the song. Reassure parents that if their child chooses not to play that is okay.

Gross Motor Movement (higher energy): “March with My Baby”(MRP). Instruct parents to hold their children or do actions with them. Have parents march, run, jump, etc. with their baby and stop when appropriate.

Cool down (lower energy): “Pick Your Hands Up High” (EKS) Give scarves to each parent and child. Have them throw the scarves up to the music.

Good-Bye: ”Good-Bye” (To the tune of “Goodnight Ladies”) Sing good-bye to each child individually and give them a turn to strum the guitar while the music therapist chords.

[Rebecca Woodruff]

Five words to describe sprouting melodies 1: Bonding, Attachment, Calm, Awareness, Trust<br />
Five Sentences: At this age, your voice and timbre is what is most preferred and important to your child – it doesn’t matter if you think you can’t sing. Musical choices that your child can make at this are; to look or not to look at the music, to reach toward the music, or turn attention toward music or away from it. Children of this age will not be singing but they do use pitched vocalizations that will contain intervals. Your child will most likely prefer and be more responsive to higher pitches. Rhythmic movements of these children are instinctive but not synchronized to the music – watch for movements vs. the child being still.<br />
Create a Plan:<br />
Instrument Exploration: Depending on the group I might actually skip this one for a Sprouting Melodies 1 class, to give the parents more time to settle into the space and not to add more stimulation to infants that may be overwhelmed. After everyone settles I would use the transition song of “Good Morning to You” and have everyone sing along.<br />
Hello Song: “Here We Are Together” Have each parent sing the name of their child while giving them a squeeze or a pat on the belly.<br />
Body Percussion: “Just Like Me” Have parents lay their child down (or stand if it is more comfortable for the child). Have parents clap hand over hand with the child to the rhythm of the song. If You have babies that are startling be sure to play guitar in the background to keep sound through the pauses.<br />
Lap Ride/Tickles: Use “Row It Faster” Have parents rock and support babies.<br />
Instrument Play: “In My Little Hand” Hand out age appropriate maracas to parents. During the song, have parents give their children opportunities to play the maracas. Have them try to place the maraca handle on the midline of the hand (infants may instinctively use palmer grasp to play the maraca).<br />
Gross Motor Movement: Use “As Big As Can Be” and have parents at first sway the child side to side them later, following the lyrics, lift their child up.<br />
Cool Down: Fingerpick “Soft Rain” in E major on guitar, and have parents lay their babies on the ground and slowly move scarves in front of their child (within 12-18 inches) so the child can visually track.<br />
Goodbye: Use “Goodbye” continue to finger-pick on guitar, or is more appropriate sing a Capella.

[Rebecca Woodruff]

Thank you Erika! I thought that was the case but just wanted to make sure.

[Rebecca Woodruff]

Before I post, is it alright for this assignment to use music and songs that have not been presented?

[Rebecca Woodruff]

Julia, I am guessing that (NR) (EKS) and (MRP) are the initials of the individuals that wrote the songs. Ex., I believe EKS is Elizabeth K. Schwartz.I would also like to know the answers to your other questions.

[Rebecca Woodruff]

I feel that a key part of the definition of music therapy is to accomplish non-musical goals through music. This happens in community based settings as well as clinical settings. However, community settings are not as rigid as clinical settings. In a community based setting we do not have all of the different stages or steps as in treatment. In these groups we aren’t really treating anything but, in Sprouting Melodies, supporting proper growth and development of children. An important aspect of community based music therapy is to promote bonding and support. This bonding and support can be parent/care-giver to child, child to child, parent/care-giver to parent/caregiver, and music therapist to all. In turn this creates and greater sense of unity within the community.

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