[Sarah jane Mason]

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 2…. energetic, playful, exploration, surprise, free

Write 5 sentences you can use when speaking with parents about musical responses of children in SM 2.
The space has been designed to be safe so that the kids can explore. It’s important that they feel secure in going to explore, but know there’s safety back with you too. Move with your child. Try to synchronize your body motions with the music but also with your baby. Sometimes we forget what it’s like to be playful. This is a wonderful space to rediscover your playful self with your child. It’s ok if your child isn’t sitting down. They’re still being part of the group in their own way, exploring their own way.

Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in a Sprouting Melodies 2 session.
Hello/Gathering: The Hello Everybody song that Meredith does in the video! I love the surprise and whoaaas for this stage between trust and independence. A more upbeat tempo, and more rhythmic strumming pattern should be used.
Bonding: Wiggly Jiggly Car to help them understand the balance of going out into the world but having a safe base to return to. It creates wonderful anticipation with the surprises, and again is higher energy than SM 1 to match the child’s energy.
Songs about me: I think I would do Just Like Me here again. I love the simplicity of the song as the carrier of information, and it would be a carry over, familiar tune from SM1. Then farther into the classes introduce Can you See me? I liked the pitch matching there which they should be good at now.
Instrument Songs: Lot of instruments for them to explore and play, include stops, changes in tempo, shake high, low, fast, slow. I do a variation on Shake My Sillies Out with a middle part “Can you shake up hiiiigh? Can you shake down low? Loud, soft, as well and I try to “trick” them to make sure they’re listening.
Movement Songs: From watching my son in music class I see that kids LOVE to march and follow behind the leader. March with my Baby is a good choice or another song with a steady marching beat.
Goodbye: I like the idea of having the same goodbye song throughout all SM classes for a familiar tune for both the kids and parents.

[Sarah jane Mason]

Statements to use when speaking about musical responses of children in SM 1…
Listen to the higher pitch she is making? Use your voice in a reflective way and try to match her pitch back. Be confident that your baby loves the tone and timbre of your voice, even if you aren’t that confident in your singing. To her you are a rockstar! Please join us in singing so that you can share these songs at home as well. To learn it best, you should sing it often. See how much your baby enjoys your voice? She just turned her head towards you when you started singing. Holding your baby close, nurturing them, and swaying to the music is helping you and your baby to bond.

Create a plan for songs and music experiences in SM 1…
Hello/Gathering: A much more subdued version of what I normally do. I haven’t worked with this age on my own, but I think I would adapt a 3/4 arpeggio style song with simple language. I write a lot of songs so I will work on this one! Focus on simple hello or good morning and using the child’s name. I like Meredith’s song with the sense of space and breath, and will encourage the caregivers to sway to the beat. Touch is a nice touch rather than just singing the child’s name!

Bonding/Laptime: Row It Faster (EKS) I think would be a fun choice because most likely it is familiar to the caregiver and can be easier for the caregiver to relate to than a new song. New songs will be introduced, but this one with the variation to increase the tempo is super fun.
Songs About Me: I like Just Like Me (EKS), sung without accompaniment and not in a set tempo. I like that it says “you have ___ just like me.” It makes it so personal.
Instrument Songs: In My Little Hand has a nice percussive vocal part as well, that I think accompanies the instrument exploration well.
Movement Songs: Again keeping in mind there may be moms/dads that are new parents and new to class music experiences, I like Will you Come? (Adapted by EKS). The familiarity seems like it would draw the caregivers in, but also bring in a more strong, percussive melody as well.
Goodbye: There are so many goodbye songs! I do like Meredith’s idea to have the same Goodbye across all the SM classes for consistency. I think I will be adapting her tune!

[Sarah jane Mason]

Singing: Awareness- high pitched vocalizations. Trust- matches pitch at times like a game, showing first signs of communication even before words or vowels. Independence- “secret singers”, melodic, but not singing. Control- more of a performer starts to come out, attempts more variation, ups and downs of melody, but not on key. Responsibility- able to recall whole songs, may shift keys, can hear the pulse and sing with the beat.

Instruments: Awareness- listening to instruments, some exploration, responding to different sounds. Trust- starting to pick up, grasp, shake in small intervals, slow pulse as they explore the sound. Independence- Total exploration, wants lots of instruments to try, more playing and less in mouth. Control- Increased imitation with start and stop, may take longer to stop, or start back early but that is ok. Responsibility- Enjoys a strong steady beat, gains a sense of belonging from playing together, creates connections with others, and deliberately adjusts beat to match others.

Moving: Awareness- moving rhythmically instinctively rather than purposefully. Trust- Repetitive movements such as foot wiggling, shaking head, but not in time to music, some knee patting, but not clapping yet. Independence- More intentional responses to music, clapping, feet stamping, knee patting. Control- Movement becomes an expression of themselves, cognitive ability to memorize movements, more internalizing of music and responding with body movement. Responsibility- Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes! finally they are able to enjoy the cognitive challenges of sequences.

Listening: Awareness- Child will turn their head to attend to a familiar voice. Trust- familiar, simple melodies can help center and calm, will turn attention to change in familiar song. Independence- actively attending to the music, will match facial expression to music. Control- Actively makes choice to listen to changes, still all about “me”. Responsibility- finally learning to stop their action, listen, and respect others music.

[Sarah jane Mason]

Thanks for sharing!

[Sarah jane Mason]

At the start of the session I agree that the energy level needs to be warm, happy and inviting, but more calm. I have a kinda big personality and dramatic affect in my groups that I have to tone down a bit at the beginning and then work into. Cassandra said it well with energy-matching. If the group that day is up or down, I always just try to match their energy. This is much easier in a 1:1 session as others said, but as MT’s we can assess the group’s needs at that moment in time. I still avoid cymbals and tambourines at this age group because I think they can cause over-stimulation. One of the music classes I go to with my son always has the cymbals out for them to choose. They dominate the room and the person playing them can’t really hear what’s going on besides the crashing sound. Of course my son is the one playing them too! He goes straight for them every time and although I try to encourage him to try all of the instruments, they are there and he wants them!

[Sarah jane Mason]

Certainly adjusting to the needs of the kids is part of what we are trained as MT’s to do. So incorporating gross motor into a song when they need to “get their sillies out” and they’re all standing up anyway works great. For transitions I try to write little melodies rather than speaking the instructions. If I am trying to get the attention of the group sometimes I lean in and whisper, and often, not always, that helps. And I love the idea of letting the parents know from the start that it’s OK if their child isn’t sitting down. I go to this library music class with my son and there’s one mom who just chases her son around the whole time trying to get him to sit. So then he’s focusing on her and not the music. Finally the teacher said something that I liked. She said “It’s ok. At this age the kids are just practicing sitting still and listening. It takes practice.”

[Sarah jane Mason]

Remo is my preferred brand for drums for sure. I have the same kids nesting drums that are perfect for little hands and light. I used to use the lollipop drums, but appreciate the tip that they may actually be too distracting. For older kids I like to use instruments with a variety of materials to create unique sounds like wood, metal, etc. With this age group I also try to keep everything plastic for easy cleaning except the wood rhythm sticks. I like the mini, colorful rain sticks, and mini maracas which I think are LP brand. Instead of a guitar I often use a tenor ukulele. It’s easier to handle during a group class and the tone of a tenor is more mellow and pleasing as opposed to say, the high pitch of a soprano ukulele.

[Sarah jane Mason]

Katie, I am feeling your sense of fear of the unknown as I have a lot invested in the “what ifs” of this program and my private practice. What if I find a place to provide classes and then no one signs up? What if I do all the work for marketing, getting child care covered, renting space, buying supplemental instruments, etc and I only have enough families for one class? What if I out-price myself for my community and I have to end up charging way lower than I feel my time as a MT is worth? What if this doesn’t grow into a viable daytime income source for me as I hope it will? We needed for me to be back at work months ago and I have put off getting a daytime J-O-B that I will probably not be passionate about in hopes Sprouting Melodies can provide that income for me by Fall registration time. I know it needs time to grow, and patience is required. I am a positive person in general, but feeling nervous about getting it going too.

A great motivator for me is that I am confident in the music and in my abilities as a MT to facilitate a developmentally appropriate and super fun class! I just need to get them there! “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…” We got this!

[Sarah jane Mason]

Music Therapy in community based settings is actually part of my focus for marketing for my re-establishing of my business here in Buffalo. I unfortunately have had to move a few times and it has broken the flow of what I was trying to accomplish in each city. (This is the 3rd town I have had to establish my practice in since 2008.) It’s also been pretty heartbreaking to make such great strides and then have to move again. Yet through this I have gained so much knowledge and through trial and error have determined that these community based programs are going to be crucial to my success as a small business. I’m excited to include Sprouting Melodies to my service offerings. I appreciate the comments about differentiating between community based music therapy and music wellness also. I offer a “community based” service called “Drumming for Wellness” which is focused on adult and corporate drumming groups. I’ve struggled with having appropriate language for Drumming for Wellness and Sprouting Melodies so I appreciate the video discussing that.

QUESTION… For consistent language, what exact wording are you using for these types of programs?
1) Community Based Music Therapy
2) Music Therapy Enrichment
3) Music Therapy based program/class/session
4) Other?

From a marketing perspective I need to choose language and stick with it to increase search optimization online!

[Sarah jane Mason]

My experience includes very little with this age group. My very first field work, my first semester of MT studies I worked with an MT that worked the rounds of each classroom at a preschool/daycare. The first class of the day was infants, maybe 6-9 months, and kept quite short. If I remember correctly most of them were sitting up at least for short durations. We worked on grasping, directing attention to the music, and body awareness. The songs I remember were an egg shaker song for grasping, and Row Row Row your boat for a movement song. The MT had a small laundry basket, would put the child inside, and do small, gentle motions side to side with them. After watching the video I prefer the closeness of the caregiver having the baby on their lap and look forward to implementing that with my class. Using a song like Row Row Row your Boat feels supportive for the parents too as its probably a familiar tune for them.

I used to go up to babies and make a huge excited face for them and sing a song or something. After making several kids cry (and being pretty embarrassed) I stopped doing this, and it wasn’t until I was a mom that I understood that actually was kinda scary and startling for them!

I also like the openness in the group to feed or change as needed. If the baby is fussy and the mom needs to breastfeed, I want them to feel open to stay a part of the circle, part of the experience, and if they’re comfortable, to feed right there. Even diaper changing happening in the room keeps everyone involved in the music.

[Sarah jane Mason]

5 words… Calm, repetitive, inviting, nurturing, bonding.

[Sarah jane Mason]

This brings up a point I have always wondered about. It seems in this day and age there are so many misdiagnoses and life changes because of a diagnosis. Because of that I have been hesitant to voice my opinion if I notice a child having issues developmentally for his age. I was told in school that it’s not our job to diagnose a child (obviously) but what if I voice a concern to a parent and then they go through testing and determine nothing is really wrong. Maybe I just need to trust my education and training more. This issue has always been something I’ve been uncomfortable about in early childhood groups that were not music therapy specifically. Is it my ethical responsibility as a MT to advise the parent of my observations?

As for cleaning instruments, Darcy Walworth highly recommended in her Bright Start session at conference, the use of Microban. She said it is sprayed on and creates an anti bacterial barrier on the instruments for months! It’s pricey but she stood behind it even for her work in hospitals where cleaning is extremely crucial. They even sell it on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/MICROBAN-221522000-Disinfectant-Spray-Plus/dp/B008699FZ8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hpc_2/188-9435790-1938355?ie=UTF8&refRID=11F2VRG42JP4SFATW2XR

[Sarah jane Mason]

As I mentioned before, I am just returning to work now and do not currently have clients. That being said I am researching what is happening in my community and what the needs are for marketing purposes! I am in Buffalo and this seems to be a blue collar area overall, but I am living in a suburb town that seems to be a bit higher on the socioeconomic ladder. There is a music program here that many families go to called Music with Mar. I attended the class with my 2.5 year old son and yes, we did enjoy it. Everyone was happy and singing along, both parents and the older toddlers, and the teacher was very engaging. So how do I distinguish what I want to do with Sprouting Melodies and the program in place? How do I justify the (at least) double in price that I plan to charge? Currently Music with Mar is $7 a class, drop in, and you can get a multi class pass that makes the class at $5 per class. $5 per class?!!!!! How to compete with that?

That brings me back to this question. What are the needs of the families in my community? Well, the answer is I don’t know yet. I think in order to have a successful practice here that is exactly the question I need to answer!

[Sarah jane Mason]

Great responses from the group! I agree about MT’s having extra value to families of young children in our education, level of musicianship, awareness and flexibility. Thank you, Nancy for bringing up the point about Kindermusik. I went through the training but decided against doing the program for many of the reasons you stated. Honestly I felt like my education and training was a bit wasted on such a program but I knew I loved the early childhood population. I ended up creating my own “curriculum” and classes that weren’t structured by a strict outline for the day. As a MT I understood the kids were not wanting to sit down much in a particular session, and as a MT able to be flexible in the class, I changed my loose outline to include lots of gross motor songs. In working with young children with sensory issues or Autism I think being a MT really sets us apart. To understand the needs of those children in a session…. That perhaps the lights need to be down a bit, or tambourines put away because in a previous session it had caused a child to withdraw, those are part of our training as MT’s to understand and have a raised awareness about. I also think our level of musicianship is an increased value to families of young children, specifically in our ability to improvise with the child in the moment. I utilize improvisation in every session and helps to be on the level of the child at the particular moment. One child I worked with, age 5 and non verbal, had his first “conversation” with me during a piano improv on his third session. After establishing the music as a level field for communicating we were able to achieve his goals in less time than his other therapies had attempted. Extra bonus points for music being fun too!

[Sarah jane Mason]

I also use all 4 music experiences in my practice. It’s interesting that we all realize we don’t use listening as much as the other three music experiences. I am the same! Movement is often a part of my sessions (I am currently segueing from stay at home mom back to work) because I have clients with physical disabilities. Using paddle drums for reaching, crossing midline, etc is always a favorite movement intervention. I also do a simple choreographed music and movement song with stops for anticipation and fun. Playing instruments is part of every session and I learn so much about where the client is that day, at that moment by what instrument they choose. Singing is a wonderful carrier of information as others have mentioned. One of the ways MT is different when singing with clients than just a music class, or working with a MT is more beneficial, is that we are able to understand the client’s needs, sing in their key if needed, sing at their tempo if needed, and be flexible in the moment about the song. I see many music programs in early childhood that sing along with a cd, and it doesn’t necessarily match the rhythm of the client or the group. I certainly can benefit in my sessions from incorporating more listening experiences.

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