[Sarah Braverman]

Some key takeaways I got from this course was seeing how music develops in children. It was really helpful for me to learn about the stages of musical development because it allowed me to figure out the stages that my clients might currently be in as of right now and how to move them through the stages in a way that’s connected to their goals. It also helped me get a better understanding as to why certain music experiences might be more beneficial for some children compared to other children depending on where they are at developmentally. This allows me to then plan my sessions in a way that will help my clients get as much out of the session as possible.

This learning has changed my perspective on development because it allowed me to see what children are already capable of doing musically at a young age. I used to approach my work with just singing songs that I learned from fellow music therapists, but now I understand why these songs are popular whether it’s the repetition, the opportunity to participate, or having them explore the music within the session. I also learned ways that I can use the rhythm and dynamics of my voice to help children who I’m currently working with to learn through music. For one of my clients I’m working with currently, we’re learning how to use slowly say words in our inside voices to familiar, repetitive songs within the session.

For colleagues, I will recommend this class to them as a resource to learn about music therapy in early childhood development. This way they can create their own ideas for sessions to do with their clients or clients they might have in the future. For administrators and families, I will share what I learned in this class by explaining musical development, how it’s connected to the child’s development, and how it relates to the music we are using in our time together. This way, the administrators and families can learn about the purposes of music therapy and the opportunities that their children will receive through participating in music therapy.

[Sarah Braverman]

What excites me is seeing how the children and families bond with one another and have fun in a shared music experience. There were two clients that I worked with last week in an in-home session. It was the first time that I did an in-home session with these clients and that their parents were involved in the session with them. For the mom, it was the first time that she got to see what I do with her kids in our music therapy sessions together. When I saw these kids at the facility where I work, the dad would always take them and he was a bit more distant with his kids. The kids would also sometimes appear to have bored expressions on their faces. During the in-home session, the dad was more involved in the music with his kids. The kids also appeared to be more lively in the music and move about the session space. It was amazing to see that not only were the kids having fun and getting excited about the music in the session but the parents were too. The kids and their parents appeared to be more relaxed (probably because the music was taking place in a familiar environment) and as a result appeared to look like they were having more fun during our time together.

[Sarah Braverman]

When I make music with my groups at the Children’s Museum SPARK, I always have the children in the group play egg shakers. Sometimes, I play songs that are specific for egg shakers like “I Know A Chicken”. After the song, I tell the kids in the group “Great job shaking everyone!”. If the song that I sing for the kids includes numbers like “This Old Man”, I hold up my fingers and ask the kids “How many fingers am I holding up?” When they get the number correct, I say “That’s right!” or “Good Job!”. At the end of the song, I say “You kids know A LOT of numbers!” If the song that I sing for the kids includes animals like “Old McDonald”, I ask “What kind of animals do we find on a farm?” When the kids tell me, sometimes I ask a follow-up question like “What sound does this animal make?” By the end of the song, I say “You kids came up with some fun animals!”

[Sarah Braverman]

Five words to describe the music experiences in Family Sprouts are as followed:
1. Support
2. Helping
3. Joyful
4. Connections
5. Cooperation
Five sentences I’d use when speaking to parents about the musical responses of children in Family Sprouts are as followed:
1. If a parent comes to me and wondered if it was ok for their older child to do a music activity with their younger child, I’d tell the parent “Absolutely! This would be a great way to have the siblings connect and share a music experience together”.
2. If the parent wondered if it was ok that their older sibling showed their younger sibling how to play an instrument in the group, I’d say “Of course! This would be a great way for your child to model how the instrument is played to their younger sibling”.
3. If the parent worried about her children sharing instruments, I’d say “Instead of telling the children to share, try the word ‘trade’. This would give both your children the opportunity to play instruments that they want”.
4. If a parent tells me that their child is really eager to have their younger sibling try a musical task but they want the younger sibling to do something else without hurting the feelings of the older sibling, I’d tell the parent “It’s great that the child wants to do something musical with the younger sibling. Try telling the older child that they can do that music task with their younger sibling, but first they need to try this musical task. That way you are still validating the input from the older sibling.”
5. If a parent asks why I had their older child help me collect the instruments from the group, I’d tell the parent “ At this stage, your child is growing into the role of responsibility. This was an opportunity for your child to contribute more to the group and I believe your child is ready to rise to challenge.”

Plan for songs and music experiences to use in a session with Family Sprouts: 1.Hello/Gathering Songs 2. Bonding Songs/”Hold On Tight”/”Row It Faster” 3.Songs about Me/ “That All Makes Up Me”/”Watch Me Go” “4. Movement Songs/ “I Can Move Around”/ “Can You Follow?” 5. Instrument Song/ “I Like This Song”/ “Music Is The Way” 6. Transition song/ “Clean Up Song” 7. Goodbye songs

[Sarah Braverman]

Five words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 3 are followed:
1. Active
2. Personality
3. Strong
4. Intentional
5. Creative
Five sentences I’d use when speaking to parents about the musical responses of children in SM3 are as followed:
1. If the child started toward the guitar and the parent started to get nervous, I’d tell the parent “Your child is controlling the tempo of the chord I’m playing on the guitar and that’s ok”.
2. If the child started to move toward another child and the parent was worried, I’d say “It’s ok. This is a chance for the child to play with someone else in the group and together they can figure out how they want to play music together”.
3. If the parent asked about why I was using drums in the session, I’d say “This allows the children to share in controlling how they are playing music together”.
4. If a parent with a timid child asks me why I’m using a song that’s very repetitive I’d tell the parent “This can invite your child to participate more in the music because your child can rely on the consistency that the song’s structure provides.”
5. If a parent is worried that their child isn’t doing a particular music task the same way as other children in the group are, I’d tell the parent “It’s ok. Your child doesn’t have to do this task like everyone else in the group. This is a safe space and everyone in the group can interact with or participate in the music any way they want.”

Plan for songs and music experiences to use in a session with SM3: 1. Hello/Gathering Songs 2. Bonding songs/ “My Brand New Friend”/ “Swimming Together” 3. Songs about Me/ “Hello Everybody”/ “Sit Down and Join My Circle” 4. Movement Songs/ “Clickety Clack”/ “Will You Come?” 5. Instrument Songs/ “All Night All Day/ “Music Is The Way” 6. Transition song/ “Clean Up Song” 7.Goodbye song

[Sarah Braverman]

Providing multi-age groupings can be challenging because not everyone is at the same level developmentally. This could make it harder to plan goals that would be beneficial for everyone in the group. For example, there could be children in the group who are ready to transition from the independence phase to the control phase; however, some children in the group may still trying to transition from the awareness phase to the trust phase. It’s important for music therapists to find interventions that can give all members of the group an opportunity to participate and learn within the same music therapy session. It’s also important to make sure that the music used in the session is developmentally appropriate and not overstimulating for anyone in the group.

[Sarah Braverman]

I’d explain to parents that music learning-based programs focuses more on the music and teaching the child about skills related to music. Music learning-based programs don’t set goals that are specific to the child’s needs. There’s also a plan already set for what the child is supposed to get out of the program. As music therapists, we don’t only use music to help children reach goals, but we use music as a way to incorporate what someone might find in a music learning-based program and combine them with knowledge from other therapies simultaneously. We may have an idea as to what the child might get out of the session; however, it’s not a set plan. This makes way for music therapy sessions to be flexible so that whatever happens in the moment with the child is what their getting out of music therapy. Music therapy sessions are tailored based on the needs of the child, not the needs of the music.

[Sarah Braverman]

Five words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 2 are followed:
1. Sponetaneous
2. Exploration
3. Playful
4. Spontaneous
5. Free Movement
Five sentences I’d use when speaking to parents about the musical responses of children in SM2 are as followed:
1. If the child started moving away and the parent started to get nervous about their child moving away, I’d tell the parent “It’s ok. During this stage, your child can move freely in order to explore their environment”.
2. If the parent wants to make up a song to help their child with attended to task for a specific period of time, I’d say “Use a song that has a simple, predictable melody that your child can remember, like ‘Row Row Row Your Boat’ only you can replace them with words associated with the task that you want your child to focus on until the task is complete”.
3. If the parent asked about how many instruments they should use when playing with their child outside the session, I’d say “Start by just using one instrument together like the drum or you can each play one instrument together like egg shakers or maraca. Just remember that less is more”.
4. If a parent tells me that they don’t have instruments at home but want to use music to connect with their child, I’d tell the parent “That’s ok. You and your child don’t need instruments to be musical. You can sing a simple song that we used in group or you can use your body to be musical to songs like ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes’ or ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It’.”
5. If a parent wants to use a song that I use in group but can’t remember exactly how it goes, I’d tell the parent “It’s ok. The song doesn’t have to be exactly the same. This is the time for you and your child to create your own meaning and be spontaneous with the song.”

Plan for songs and music experiences to use in a session with SM2:
1. Hello/Gathering Songs
2. Bonding songs/ “Hold On Tight”/ “Jingle Up Jingle Down”
3. Songs about Me/ “Where Is The Music”/ “All Of This Is Me
4. Movement Songs/ “I Can Move Around”/ “Can You Follow”
5. Songs About The World/ “Do You Want To Be My Friend”
6.Instrument Song/ “I Like This Song”/ “Sit With Me and Shake”
7. Transition song/ “Clean Up Song”
8. Goodbye songs

[Sarah Braverman]

The right amount of stimulation would be giving the child enough things in the environment to explore. Currently with my clients, I always make sure that I have 3-4 instruments in the session space for them to explore and I make sure I consistently have those same instruments in the room so the children can begin to develop a sense of familiarity of the objects. When I use my voice in the session I try to make sure that the music doesn’t have too many leaps from note to note and use at least three descending notes if I repeat a specific word over and over again. As for the music itself, I use music that has a melody that is consistent and predictable because repetition helps with develop a sense of familiarity.

Too much stimulation would be having about 5-10 instruments in the room at once that are all different. Although this gives the child a lot of options to choose from, it could be overwhelming for the child to try and learn about these new sounds and instruments all at once. If someone is using their voice in their session that has a lot of leaps and skips between notes that are super distant from one another, it won’t develop a sense of familiarity and it might come off as confusing or too much for the child. Music that has a lot of different verses can also be overstimulating for the child because they wouldn’t be able to pick up on a melody that has no repetition which is important for their ability to learn and trust.

[Sarah Braverman]

I work with kids in this developmental level when I do music therapy at the children’s museum in Rochester called “SPARK”. I use basic beat egg shakers because they are easy for the children to grasp and play.

[Sarah Braverman]

Five words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 1 are followed:
1. Gentle
2. Slower-paced
3. Swaying
4. Bonding
5. Calm Affect
Five sentences I’d use when speaking to parents about the musical responses of children in SM1 are as followed:
1. If the child was watching the parent as they were singing a song, I’d tell the parent “Your child is able to recognize where the music was coming from and was focusing their attention to your singing”.
2. If the parent sings two different pitches, one of which makes the child cry and the other makes the child happy, I’d tell the parent “Your child is able to tell the difference between two pitches”.
3. If the child begins to vocalize using glides and shrieks, I’d tell the parent “Your child is playing with the range of their voice”.
4. If a parent asks me how they could use music to help calm their child down, I’d tell the parent “Try singing a lullaby because at this stage, you’re child might attend more to music that is sedative in nature.”
5. If a parent tells me that they want to sing a song to their child but don’t know what song to sing, I’d tell the parent “Try singing a song that uses descending intervals like ‘Three Blind Mice’ because your child might be able to recognize the simple and repetitive rhythm of the music.”

Plan for songs and music experiences to use in a session with SM1:
1. Hello/Gathering Songs
2. Lap Rides/Bonding songs
3. Body Percussion/Gross Motor Movement/Movement songs
4. Instrument Exploration/Instrument Play/Instrument Songs
5. Cool Down/Transition songs
6. Goodbye songs

[Sarah Braverman]

I haven’t had any experience with children within the age level of 0-9 months yet. I’m hoping that I can take what I’ve learned from this course and use it when I do have the opportunity to work with children of this age level.

[Sarah Braverman]

The role of music therapy is to connect those living in the community with the various resources that they have available to them in their community. For young families, music therapy can act as the catalyst for bringing together parents and children for a fun experience. Children get the opportunities to explore and learn about their environment as well as play with other children. Parents also have the chance to socialize with other parents, increase bonding with their child, and learn tools and techniques that they can take with them outside of the music therapy sessions. It also gives professionals the opportunities to help answer any questions that parents might have about the music being used in sessions and help grow their presence in the community. The benefits of community music therapy can reach everyone, whether or not they live in the community.

[Sarah Braverman]

I’d love to read your thesis Talia! It’s really fascinating to learn about how music therapy can help bring more opportunities in community settings and help strengthen it in new ways! 🙂

[Sarah Braverman]

I work with clients who have autism, Apraxia, developmental delays, language delays, and other various types of disabilities. The needs of the families and their communities include coping skills, relaxation, recognizing emotions, increasing overall movement skills, increase communication skills, and overall enjoyment. The way music can meet these needs for the families and these communities include using music for stress reduction, using music as a creative outlet for how the child might be feeling and identifying how their feeling, involvement in movement both with and/or without instruments, using the voice with and/or without movements to hear and imitate the various musical elements associated with language development, and to have fun in experimenting with different instruments and/or vocal sounds in a safe environment.

[Author]

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