[Sarah Szymanowski]

Levine is a community music school, and I think the music therapy program itself is a response to community needs. The school has been around for 40 years and can take a kid from Twinkle to collegiate level on any instrument, but it’s been important to the organisation to emphasize “community” as well as “school.” With this perspective, the early childhood offerings expanded, as did adult education and performance, and the MT program was born. It is an ongoing thought what the needs of the community are. My supervisor is frequently exploring new avenues for the music therapy program. One new possible partnership to explore is the integrative preschool just two blocks from one of our campuses. I started a small group just 2 weeks ago, and aside from the parent who got the ball rolling, no parent was aware of music therapy. I think it is a community need to inform and offer music therapy to these kids. Together with my supervisor, we plan to do a presentation at the preschool, and ideally begin groups within the school.

[Sarah Szymanowski]

I’m in the middle of the video, and I wrote this from a “self-centered” perspective (good presentation — I really feel like Meredith is talking directly to me!). However I think the same things can be said of all music therapists, and the latter part of all music therapists who happen to be parents.

I have a genuine interest in music and children, and especially the combination of the two. I am a trained musician, and building up to do what I do has been a long and constant process. This development does not stop, and I will continue to strive for my own betterment (for example, taking this continuing education course). When caregivers invest in a music class, they should have a trained and creative musician working with and responding to their children. A music therapist fits the bill. When looking for a class for my own son, that’s one reason why I opted for the “DIY” approach with friends and neighbors: I did not want a music class in a can. While it is not a requirement to do good work, I now have the perspective of a mother and can relate to caregivers in an empathetic manner. And what I want as a positive and enriching musical experience for my own son is what I want for their children as well.

[Sarah Szymanowski]

When planning sessions for children, I’ve always used the concept balancing singing, playing, and moving within the experience. However, I had not thought to separate “listening” as an experience in itself, and I plan to focus on that area as I go forward this week. I use a song “Let’s All Listen” (you’d think I’d be more aware of listening from that title) from Pat Lloyd on the piano for small groups: I play a simple melody with a pedal tone and call the children up by name to have a turn to improvise with me. Much of the focus is on the “soloist” and what he or she is doing. I’ve always been aware of the children who are waiting, but more in the didactic “can they wait their turn?” sense. I’d like to use this intervention and be more aware of HOW they are listening and processing when it is not their turn to play.

[Sarah Szymanowski]

Singing: Awareness – make eye contact with parent while she/he sings to child Trust – vocalize “call & response” style with caregiver Independence – explore vocalizations outside of musical prompting as a “secret singer” Control – sing simple lines within the correct context of a song, e.g. “EIEIO” Responsibility – show preference for favorite songs to sing for others

Playing: Awareness – turn toward or open eyes to instrument sound Trust – experiment with shaking instruments such as bells or maracas Independence – hold mallet and hit xylophone, then explore what else can be struck with a mallet (other instruments, floor, etc.) Control – observes the word “stop!” in lyrics when alongside absence of accompanying instrument, though perhaps not quite on cue Responsibility – maintains beat on a drum to a marching-style song

Moving: Awareness – naturally quiets body during a lullabye Trust – taps, claps, or approximates these movements to a steady song Independence – follows different movements to an action song about clapping, stomping, etc Control – “follows the leader” in movement to music Responsibility – sings and moves to “Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes” in correct sequence

Listening: Awareness – calms crying to caregiver’s singing Trust – shows preference by calming self quickly to a certain lullabye Independence – shows pleasure and natural movement when recording of upbeat music plays Control – listens intently with introduction of new instrument Responsibility – listens to peer as he takes a turn at the piano

[Sarah Szymanowski]

Yes Erika — sometimes I feel insecure about interpreting these questions correctly!
For DC itself, I don’t see the community as having a cohesive musical identity. I can look at shifts in music I’ve used throughout my career, depending on location and population.

I had to learn a LOT of rep in German for my first MT job. But what was most popular when I did my weekly singing group? The Beatles, of course.

Working in psych in the US, I shifted from mostly instrumental MT groups to mostly vocal MT groups. With that came another major shift in my repertoire. I created songbooks to use on the units with as wide a range as possible. Elvis to Eminem, Jackson 5 to Imagine Dragons, Joni Mitchell to Nick Minaj — I tried to create as much diversity as possible in case a new patient would discover that I had their preferred music after all.

I’m shifting again as I focus on my music school job. One area that I need to work on is learning songs from kids’ TV. As I learn about new clients, I hear about preferred music coming from shows I didn’t know existed.

[Sarah Szymanowski]

If we’re talking about “home” home, I’m thinking about the music my son is experiencing. There’s a lot of instrumental music in our house — my husband is a brass player, I am a cellist. There is usually radio on in the house, sometimes the local classical station, sometimes MDR Figaro (my husband’s favorite German station that plays a mix of classical, jazz, singer-songwriter stuff, etc.). If something comes on the radio that inspires my husband, he’ll just pick up an instrument and improv along (we have brass instruments literally lying around the house). If I’m prepping for an orchestra concert, my son hears recordings over and over of the music I’m preparing. Right now it’s Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances, which is hardly danceable, let alone singable! It’s probably not the most typical musical upbringing, but he’s developing a strong pull to music nonetheless. I’m eager to see what he’s drawn to when he develops preferences of his own. He’ll probably hate classical music 😉

[Sarah Szymanowski]

Kristen, I feel your I-IV-V pain! I think being aware of it means you’re really not in danger of becoming musically stale. I’m grateful for Beth reminding us of how well little ones respond to modal and minor keys!

[Sarah Szymanowski]

I’m planning tomorrow’s “Music with a Mom” session (not music therapy, but early childhood music with my son and friends), and we always do a riding song of some sort. Tomorrow I am excited to use “Hold on Tight.” I love how we’re going to dismount the horse tomorrow and get on a BIKE, which is much more relevant to kids growing up in suburban DC! I also will be using “Sit Down with Me and Sing This Song” because it has become an earworm since listening to the video. I think I’ll tweak it to introduce some instruments to the session.

I am starting (while simultaneously assessing) a small preschool group on Thursday, and I will add “Do You Want to Be My Friend?” to my repertoire at hand in case it’s appropriate!

[Sarah Szymanowski]

This prompt made me think of an entire family that I worked with, so I apologize if this is too long!

I worked with a child for two years in a music school setting. She was on the autism spectrum and started with me at the age of three. In her initial assessment, her mother expressed an interest in involving the client’s sisters in our weekly sessions. The client was the middle child in a very close spaced trio of sisters, with just over a year age difference in both directions. We decided to have 30 minute sessions with the middle sister (MS) alone, and then bring in the older sister (OS) and younger sister (YS) for fifteen minutes. Goals to be addressed for the MS involved communication (particularly asserting herself as a leader in the trio, rather than to be “lost in the shuffle”) and motor skills (an area in need of improvement for the MS that could be modeled beautifully by the OS). Also, because the YS and OS were frequently brought along to therapies and appointments just to wait, it provided them with something to look forward to and benefit from themselves even though it was primarily for their sister.

It was fascinating to not only watch the primary client’s progress in music therapy, but also to see all three sisters develop and change as individuals and in the group dynamic. From the beginning, the OS was planted firmly in the responsibility stage. She could have been a textbook “oldest child.” The MS appeared to be in the control phase in the beginning, except her pitch and singing skills were advanced for this stage. I was surprised when early on, we sang a song in a key that I found uncomfortable for my vocal range. So I played a “V-I” progression in a new key, and the MS starts singing in the new key, without me! I tested this again, and sure enough she found any key I played. In two years I observed as other areas moved from “control” to “responsibility,” although music movement area was still developing toward the “responsibility” criteria. She became more cooperative with her sisters, and became more flexible and creative in her music making, including writing her own songs.

The YS was perhaps the most interesting to watch in the group dynamic. I would not say she ever was firm in the “control” phase. She had the least interest in singing. She would have the most difficulty taking turns or waiting for a preferred instrument while we were doing another song. She was prone to tantrums and not very invested in the group process. I first figured it’s developmental: she’s two afterall! As time went on, I though maybe it’s just difficult being the youngest child in this dynamic: so close in age, all female, one sister with special needs. But as similar behavior continued, sure enough one day the nanny informed me that there has been some question of YS’s development, and parents were beginning to examine if she may on the autism spectrum as well.

[Sarah Szymanowski]

Several before me have already mentioned the parents and caregivers, and I would like to bring that forward as an interest and strength of mine as well. I want to help each adult in my groups feel comfortable and confident in making music with their children! As a child, I always felt very bonded to my own mother through music. Throughout the stages in the presentation, even with growing independence it is of great importance to have an adult to return to for grounding and nurturing. I know it would be a very specialized direction, but someday I would like to combine my population interests and work with babies and their mothers suffering from postpartum depression. I think the bonding through music under the guidance of a music therapist could be very beneficial.

[Sarah Szymanowski]

I have not spent a significant amount of time reviewing development since school. In the past eight years since the classroom, I have worked almost exclusively with children of Kindergarten age through adults. This presentation was a great overview. I was able to relate development through 18 months to my son and his contemporaries, and look forward to the ages and stages to come. Besides the comprehensive overview, honestly the most significant takeaway is that I NEED to review material like this. I do not remember everything from school! This underscores the importance of CMTE’s and recertification.

[Sarah Szymanowski]

Hello, Johanna! We’re practically neighbors.

[Sarah Szymanowski]

Hello! I’m Sarah Szymanowski from Arlington, Virginia. I attended Baldwin Wallace in Ohio, and finished coursework in 2008. From there, I interned in Germany where I worked with a diverse range of populations in the community (including following my supervisor to her sidegig as a Musikgarten provider). My professional career also began in Germany with inpatient psych, a population with which I continued when I moved back to my hometown in 2012. In addition to my work in inpatient psych, I’ve also worked as a part-time music therapist in Fairfax Co. Public Schools and Levine Music, a community music school. I’ve recently decided to leave my hospital job to focus on my work at Levine, which hopefully will include expansion with young children.

I had my first child in December, 2014 and am very much enjoying music exploration with him! Last fall, I decided to experiment with leading a music group with my son present. Each week, a group of friends and neighbors with similarly aged children gathers for an informal “Music with a Mom” group. We’re having a great time, but I’d like to deepen my knowledge! I’m very much looking forward to this course and connecting with you all.

[Author]

Posts