by Alisabeth Hopper | Sep 29, 2015 | Intern's Corner, MTC
Hello, again!
This week was my first week interning at the hospital on the pediatrics floor, and what an experience it has been!
After completing weeks of paperwork, vaccines, and more paperwork I was finally able to leave for my first day at the hospital on Monday morning and I was ecstatic! I confidently strode to my car, coffee in hand and plopped into the seat and began on my lengthy drive to Springfield. It was then that it hit me… what on earth am I thinking?! I have never broken a bone, had a surgery, or had to be in the hospital for any reason at all. I have never even been stung by a bee! How can I possibly have any understanding for what the patients are going through with absolutely no frame of reference?
Still, I met with Katey, got my badge and made my way to the floor, and then I watched all the sessions. At the end of the day these sessions collaged to create an image in my mind which stuck with me…
I stood in a small hospital room with beeping sounds coming from what seemed to be every direction. There were toys and socks on the floor, a throw blanket over the chair, and family resting nearby. There may have been machines and beeps, gowns and gloves, and a nurse’s station outside but for them, whether for a single day, or years…this room was their home. And sure enough I could look over and see Katey making music with the patient and the patient may have been playing the instruments, telling a story, or simply watching in silence.
This image sat with me until it occurred to me; providing care in this context is not about understanding by one’s own history or wisdom but approaching every situation with an attitude saying “Whatever it is you need to say, I hear you” and sharing in a musical moment together.
-AH
by Alisabeth Hopper | Sep 22, 2015 | Intern's Corner, MTC
Welcome back!
I have been excited that I feel I am finally getting into the swing of things. I am beginning to really settle into this transition from student to therapist, and I’m loving it.
As this week was winding down I experienced my first complete breakdown with a client. I have seen many breakdowns in my life but for some reason this one was different, and it stuck with me. Because of this I have found myself lost in thought while I’ve been cooking, cleaning, or even trying to do homework.
To some therapists, this time of concentrated thought may be helpful but to me it has been stressful. It was then that I remembered what a professor of mine used to say “it is important to take off your music therapy hat and leave it at the door.”
Doing this can feel as though I am setting aside time to stop helping others, but it is actually time to begin helping myself. When I take off my “music therapy” hat I can put on my “wife” hat, “musician” hat, or even… no hat at all!
Then when I step out the door every morning with coffee in hand, I can place that music therapy hat back on my head where it belongs and head into every session with a refreshed outlook.
-AH
by Alisabeth Hopper | Sep 17, 2015 | Intern's Corner, MTC
Hello again!
For those of you who didn’t see last weeks post; my name is Alisabeth Hopper and I am the intern at Music Therapy Connections. I will be posting here every week throughout my internship so be sure to check in!
This week was a bit out of the norm as Monday was a holiday and Thursday both of my supervisors were out of town. Thankfully, I got quite a bit of practice time leading up to a Listen & Learn for Little Ones class I was to co-lead with another therapist.
I went into this experience with plenty of nerves, and much excitement. I was a bit jittery and fumbling in the first couple of songs. That is, until I was playing “Down on Grandpa’s Farm” and one young boy suggested that we sing about a fox. I couldn’t help but laugh when I had to ask him “…and what does the fox say?” The entire group, parents and children, were belly laughing at our new verse, and I felt my nervousness drift away!
At times it can be difficult to set our nervousness and anxiety aside, but I have found that I am not able to be fully present in the session or class unless I do. Once I take that step I begin to experience a genuine musical moment with all of the participants.
I believe that this experience is one of the things that Music Therapy brings to the table that is unique, significant, and lifelong: a connection. What we do with that connection, that’s what makes it therapy.
Thank you for reading! See you next week!
– AH
by Alisabeth Hopper | Sep 8, 2015 | Intern's Corner, MTC
Hello All!
My name is Alisabeth, I am the Music Therapy intern at Music Therapy Connections, and this is the Intern’s Corner! Once a week throughout my internship I will share my perspective on the internship process and what its like to intern in Music Therapy, and at Music Therapy Connections. I am so excited to share my journey with you!
That being said, I just completed my first full week at Music Therapy Connections and wow, it has been a crazy week! Going into my first day I was not sure what to expect. I have known that I wanted to have a private practice ever since I began studying Music Therapy. Now I am finally here! I am able to see people actually doing that which up until now, has only been a dream. As the week went on I found myself feeling the weight of compounding stress right alongside the compounding joy that comes with doing what you love. It has been overwhelming in every sense of the word.
For all of the up and coming interns out there I have made a short list of things to remember on your first week!
1. Relax.
As nerve-wrecking as that first day can be, with a couple deep breaths you can get through it. It can be overwhelming to be introduced to all of the competencies you need to meet and projects you need to complete. Just take it one day at a time. And remember today is a day to…
2. Celebrate!
You made it to your internship! This is an exciting time and you should take some time to celebrate the fact that you did it. You made it here.
3. Reflect
Take time everyday to reflect upon what you have experienced. Transitioning from one client contact hour per week to 20+ can be a dramatic change, so adjust accordingly and give yourself time to digest everything can be very helpful. I like to do this on my lengthy drive home.
4. Self Care, Self Care, Self Care
You have reached the end of the week and you are planning your to do list for the weekend; don’t forget to add some time for self care. This is time where you do something just for you. In the past this has been difficult for me, but my supervisors have made it clear that this is very important to be the best you that you can be, and after committing to it this week, I feel more relaxed and at ease. As challenging as it is to take time for yourself, when you feel overwhelmed it can be a great benefit to you.
I wish you all the best of luck in your own adventures this week!
Thank you for reading,
-AH
by Katey Kratz | Feb 20, 2015 | Materials & Supplies, MTC, Tips & Tricks, Videos
Ever wonder what it takes to prep and clean up an early child hood group? The short time-lapse video at the end of this post shows exactly what I do before and after a class!
Each Listen & Learn Class requires a little effort to set-up and tear down. In our recent post “little details, big difference”, I outlined some of the small things we do to make our space more comfortable for the families we work with each week. On top of those small amenities we bring (hand sanitizer, a rug, tissues, etc), we carry instruments, binders, a book, and a guitar to and from our sessions. At the end of the session, everything gets packed up, taken to the other room, cleaned, and put away. This setup and cleanup generally takes about an extra 10 minutes before and after the session, making the total time for a class just over an hour.
Enjoy this short video!!
by Katey Kratz | Feb 13, 2015 | Apps, MTC, Resources, Videos
I love using sign language in our early childhood groups because it gives children of all ages and abilities the opportunity to participate and communicate in a meaningful way while learning new words and skills they can use at home.
In the video below you can learn and practice the sign language to my song, “Sing With Me Love.” Along with providing opportunities for parent/child bonding, children learn the sign language for family members (mom, dad, sister, brother, grandma, and grandpa). “Sing With Me Love” is featured in our Facilitator Package 3 and in the “Bonding” mini-pack.
One of my favorite apps for learning new sign language is “ASL Dictionary American”. This app shows you the sign language for individual words using videos that you can slow down and replay as many times as you need.
Note: I am by no means a sign language expert. After reviewing the video I posted, the I found that I accidentally used the sign for “my” instead of “me” when signing the first two parts of the video. I corrected this in the later parts of the video, including the full sing through at the end of the video.
by Katey Kratz | Jan 22, 2015 | Materials & Supplies, MTC, Tips & Tricks
When Rachel and I began working in our new group space, we were both incredibly excited. The space is only feet away from our instrument storage, the room is large, and the building centrally located in town. Even with all of the positives of our space, we had a few challenges to overcome.
Though the space is mostly empty, it is used by several different people so we needed to adapt it to make our clients a little more comfortable and willing to participate in groups. Here are some of the small changes we made to make a big different for our clients.
Adding a Colorful Area Rug
Having a rug helps define the space and creates a central location for children to come forward during story time or gather to play with larger instruments or movement props. It serves as a wonderful reference point when giving directions as well (ex. “Come sit on the rug”).
An area rug can also help cover unsightly or distracting things on the floor. The shiny outlet cover in this picture was a huge distraction during our first class and was quickly covered for future gatherings.
Not only is our rug functional, it adds to the overall aesthetic of the space, making it more “ours”. It’s also easy to roll up and store away after every class.
Storage on Wheels
Our rolling storage cart may be my favorite purchase thus far. This 3-drawer cart allows me to organize the instruments we are using in the group and store things out of sight of our group members.
Because my toddler-age group members like to explore on their own, I face the drawer pulls toward the wall so the drawers cannot be opened without turning the cart around. This usually discourages clients from getting into the drawers and give me more freedom to lead the group.
At the beginning and end of class, it’s so much more convenient to roll the cart back into our storage area then carry multiple bags and bins!
Little Amenities
We try to provide little things to make our clients feel more comfortable.
Anticipating their needs helps them feel more at home, willing to participate, and likely to come back again. Having small things like hand sanitizer and tissues can make a huge difference when someone is in need!
by Rachel | Jan 18, 2015 | Class Registration, Parents, Services
Listen & Learn for Little Ones is an early childhood music class for children ages 0-3 and their caregivers. Created and led by music therapists Rachel Rambach and Katey Kamerad, this class is designed to instill and foster a love of music as well as develop basic skills for both musical growth and daily life.
The Listen & Learn for Little Ones curriculum is comprised of both original and familiar songs that you can start singing along with at the very first class. Activities are designed based on specific goals and objectives. Skills that are addressed through the Listen & Learn curriculum include (but are not limited to) fine and gross motor movement, rhythmic foundations, intonation, peer interaction, turn-taking, and academic concepts.
As a parent or caregiver, you attend the class with your child to provide support and encouragement — and capture photos and videos of music making in action! Each 45-minute class combines structured activities (movement, singable stories, group instrument play, etc.) with free time for children to explore various instruments and interact with one another.
All classes are held at Capital City Music
3700 Wabash Avenue, Springfield, IL 62711
Registration is open now!
by Rachel | Jan 18, 2015 | MTC, News
In my almost 10 years of experience leading early childhood music classes, I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many others who do similar work. We’re therapists (of the music, physical, speech, developmental, and occupational sort), music educators, music specialists, general education teachers, volunteers, parents, and the list goes on. But the bottom line is the same: we all help kids learn and grow through music.
I’ve been writing songs and sharing them on my blog since 2008, and those songs make up much of my early childhood music class curricula. This summer I partnered with a fellow music therapist, Katey Kamerad, and we have been collaborating to provide early childhood music programs ever since.
Katey and I put lots of time and energy into songwriting, recording, crafting, and creating print materials for each and every class session we offer. We go through this process every 6 weeks or so, and while it is exhausting, we absolutely love the work.
But we know that not all leaders do. Maybe you are passionate about marketing but not songwriting. Perhaps putting together your curriculum together completely stresses you out, but you are passionate about putting songs into action with your students. It very well could be that you just aren’t interested in writing your own songs, but you need fresh material.
No matter which category you fall under, we created this site for you. We’ve taken the classes that have already been put into action here at our studio in Springfield, IL and packaged them up so that you can do the same. The songs (including lyrics, chords, and recordings), instructions and material lists are all there and ready for you to implement in your own early childhood classes.
And this is just a jumping off point for us. We have lots of plans in the works for other resources and materials, and in the meantime will be sharing tips, techniques and tool right here on the blog.
So please stop by regularly, and don’t hesitate to share your feedback! We’d love to hear what you need most when it comes to resources for leading children through music.
