[Talia Morales]

Some of the key take aways I am taking from the course really have a lot to do with expanding my understanding of development beyond a typical milestones lens to learning more about the stages of awareness-trust-independence-control-responsibility and how that informs the music and mt interventions that we design and offer across settings be in individual and group community settings
It such a great reminder that music development IS development which has such inherent value that as a clinician is appreciated to remember and also inform the parents and other professionals we collaborate and consult with.

[Talia Morales]

I love how we are engaged in music based experiences they can be scaled across abilities and there is always a strength or positive aspect to share and reflect back to participants. That said, choosing intervention/activities that are developmentally considered can make a big impact on assuring success. Certain behavioral strategies like making expectations clear, creating visual schedules, seating accommodations/considerations, positive reinforcement strategies can also assist! Additionally working with other adults and even older participants and siblings in sessions as models can be very helpful.

[Talia Morales]

What excited me most is to take the information I’ve learned and apply it to my practice in the school based setting (on-going assessments) and also in the development of the Spanish songs I am in the process of writing.

[Talia Morales]

I think it’s important to point out to parents that any musical enrichment program is valuable for multitude of reasons AND (rather than but) by choosing a music learning based program that is led by a board certified music therapist, you can ensure that the activities and class structure have been deliberately designed with skills in mind to encourage growth and development of a wide-range of skill areas including pro-social, communication, cognitive, fine and gross motor skills etc…Additionally, MT’s are trained in how best to tailer music experiences to suit the child’s individual needs and celebrate exactly where their child is at in their development!

[Talia Morales]

Challenges in engagement can be impacted by the fact that you have participants that range so greatly in their development and need for structure/pacing. Eg. you can have an older sibling in the control stage of development at the same time as an younger sibling who is still in the awareness stage. Children in multi-age groups can also be vying for their caregiver/parent attention in different ways.

[Talia Morales]

Sprouting Melodies 3 Framework:
Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 3.
Active, showcase personality, intentional, creative, accepting, flexible

Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in Sprouting Melodies 3.
Greeting Song
Free Sing-along medley instrument-choice
Movement – choose how to move Song
Shared instrument song_gathering drum_then work around the periphery of the circle so that all get a chance to play
Bonding Lap song>finger play
Movement Prop Song> Pom poms, parachute, puppets…Song About Me or My World
Song Story
Cool Down
Goodbye Transition Song

[Talia Morales]

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Family Sprouts:
Busy, interaction, ability-ranging, sharing, high energy

Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in Family Sprouts.
-Greeting gathering song
-Free sing-along medley instrument jam
-clean up transition song
-Gross motor movement song with choice making elements_older students as models/leader
-Shared instrument song_eg ocean drum or gathering drum
-Song Story
-Related My World-type of song connected to book theme_could be finger play type of song or a related cool Down
-Goodbye Transition Song

[Talia Morales]

I use instruments that are sturdy, colorful, can be cleaned well and often- withstand an on-going sanitizing regimen. I like to use Remo brand due to the high quality of sound and characteristics i mentioned above.

[Talia Morales]

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 2.
playful, curious, observing, animated, free flow

Write 5 sentences you can use when speaking with parents about musical responses of children in SM 2.
Pay attention to sounds that your child as we sing. This could include vocalizing in the tonality of the song we are singing. When we change the melodic rhythm (sing example…), watch for how they adjust their attention. Pay attention to how your baby responds to instruments, maybe they are reaching out to touch or exploring the instruments with their hands and mouth, or striking the instrument with a beat or shake it. Each of these ways to participate is ok! Observe how your child also pays attention to the to sounds when they stop and there is silence by looking at you (the singer) or maybe they initiate vocalizations in response to the silence.

Create a plan for songs and music experiences to use in a Sprouting Melodies 2 session.
Gathering Hello
Movement Getting our bodies moving activity
Instrument Play Activity
Clean up instruments transition song
Bonding Lap Ride, Finger Play
Song About Me
Song Story
Related Song About My World
Let’s Sing a Cool Down Song Together_paired with sensory strategies like deep pressure
Goodbye Transition Song

[Talia Morales]

This can present-as and be experienced-as quite differently across individuals. From working along-side OT’s who specialize in regulation sensory strategies, I have learned about neurological factors which are important to consider. Our sensory systems are “wired” across profiles ranging from day to day, moment to moment in a state of homeostasis or hyper or hypo reactivity, which impacts whether we tends to move towards avoiding or alternatively, seeking sensory stimulation in order to regulate a physiological arousal or emotional states. It is part of our work as MT’s to learn what the signs of “too much” or “enough” stimulation is, especially when we are working with young children who are developing their expressive language skills and ability to communicate “this is too much!”. Body language says a lot! and some things to be on the lookout for as possibly indicating over-stimulation include turning gaze, face, or body away from the source of auditory information, Other signs of over-stimulation could include yawning, hiccups, sneezing; tongue protrusion; finger splay or outstretched arm; struggling movements, facial affect such as; grimacing or creasing forehead into a frown; startle reflex response in which infants extend their necks and throw out their arms and legs.

[Talia Morales]

I have not had lots of experiences working with infants officially as a MT but have been lucky to make music with my nephew and niece and friends’ babies and find that my timbre just naturally shifts to a more low key and my vocal quality turns sing-songy.

[Talia Morales]

Use 5 words to describe the music experiences in Sprouting Melodies 1.
Calm, bonding, repetitive, comforting, inviting

Write 5 sentences you can use when speaking with parents about musical responses of children in SM1.
Pay attention to sounds that your baby makes while you are singing to them. This could include vocalizations that sound similar in pitch to yours, make repeated sounds(eg.. “Ah, ah..”), make sounds of varying durations (eg…), vocalize variations of dynamics (eg. crying sound). Pay attention to how your baby responds to instruments, maybe they are turning their eyes towards the source of sound or track the sound with their eyes when you move the instrument while playing it. If you find that your baby is turning away from the music, grimaces or startles, turn down the intensity of the music as your baby is especially sensitive to overly loud sounds. Some other signs of overwhelm might include…

Session Format Suggestion Song Format Suggestion
Gathering Hello
Infant massage to music
Let’s vocalize song (no words just vowels and simple cvcv sounds modeled and repeated)
Instrument Explore Showcasing instrument of the week_listen, track, stop, start. “I have a little instrument i want to show you..it make a quiet sound like this…”
Lap Ride, Finger Play
Standing Movement Sway/Rocking Song
Instrument Play Activity
Let’s Sing a Song Together_Bonding Song-song insertion type of song, I love your…
Cool down_breathing sounds
Goodbye Transition Song

[Talia Morales]

As board certified music therapists, we have the skills, the training, evidence based backing to provide quality services for children in our communities. As music therapists we are trained to be able to adapt and modify while facilitating in order to help create music making experiences that are successful. I feel this question relates very much to last week’s question as well and could apply as well: Music therapists offer enormous value to families in our communities. Some examples include the role of MT as educator for young families, education related to development, demo’ing strategies and coaching to assist with development via music, making music accessible for carry over at home and provide a successful experience across ages and development. Furthermore, the MT’s role and value in making music an interactive experience, broaden the range of how to engage in music beyond a solely receptive act of watching Youtube videos via social opportunities with peers, bonding opportunities between family members, provide a lens to witness each other’s’ strengths and share in the simple yet profound joy of making music together. Also, because MT’s work in diverse settings in collaboration with a variety of agencies and institutions, we provide the additional value of offering information on community resources young families can access to receive services and additional support and networking with others who provide valuable services ie. asking your child’s kindergarten teacher about how their child may qualify for MT via their IEP etc.

[Talia Morales]

Many of the families I work with have a wide range of needs some examples include affordable health care/ therapy, respite services, child care, enrichment-after-school/summer programs, language translation services/support, healthy strategies for to interact with their kids in meaningful ways.. Needs of my community range greatly as well from critical survival needs such as affordable housing, food, health care which impact the community and boost the immunity on a foundational level. If health is a resource for an individual or a family, then the promotion of health within a community is a resource for society. Strengthening the immune system of communities via music is a way to achieve both objectives. From a salutogenic lens, “boosting the immune system” of community also includes a need to fortify its resilience and a sense of belonging and “communitas”, the experience of human kindness. Ideally before conflicts or challenges arise. My community needs opportunities for connecting and interacting with fellow community members from the hub points of our shared humanity-across the political, racial, socio-economic or immigration status etc..Music can’t be the solution to everything, but it sure can help! Music and MT also can not replace the important needs that well funded social services and health care serve, but it CAN be embedded as part of the services these institutions offer. For example, providing music education in schools, offering MT in the public schools via the IEP, providing MT in home based services via the county’s resource center. I have seen these models in action, I actually wrote my masters thesis related to community peacebuilding via music so am especially passionate about this topic and grateful when families and communities have opportunities to engage musically ranging in a variety of settings from home, to school, to park, to hospital, to farmer’s market, to clinic and enriches us ALL in planting the seeds of voice, safety, place and empathy. Happy to share my thesis with anyone who might be interested 😉

[Talia Morales]

Music therapists offer enormous value to young families and my list could be very long lol! But some examples include the role of MT as educator for young families, education related to development, demo’ing strategies and coaching to assist with development via music, making music accessible for carry over at home and provide a successful experience across ages and development. Furthermore, the MT’s role and value in making music an interactive experience, broaden the range of how to engage in music beyond a solely receptive act of watching Youtube videos via social opportunities with peers, bonding opportunities between family members, provide a lens to witness each other’s’ strengths and share in the simple yet profound joy of making music together. Also, because MT’s work in diverse settings in collaboration with a variety of agencies and institutions, we provide the additional value of offering information on community resources young families can access to receive services and additional support and networking with others who provide valuable services ie. asking your child’s kindergarten teacher about how their child may qualify for MT via their IEP etc.

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