Here at Wholesome Harmonies we love, love, LOVE the library!

We have been partnering with the Miami-Dade Public Library System since 2010 to offer Baby Rock, Toddler Rock, and Rockin’ & Readin’ at the Library.

Now that I’ve moved up north to Pennsylvania, I’m partnering with the Adams County Library System to offer these same programs.

It’s a dream come true to facilitate these sessions in the same place where I checked out Babysitters Club and Goosebumps books as a kid!

I’ve had a great time facilitating themed Rockin’ & Readin’ sessions at various library branches, and facilitating Baby & Toddler Rock during storytime.

Our summer program at Carroll Valley Library had 65 attendees surfing to songs by the Beach Boys, singing and making ocean waves with the parachute, doing an ocean animal freeze dance, playing the ocean drum, shaking maracas to “Under the Sea,” and enjoying the singable story “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell.”

I loved hearing those little voices singing along with me, and watching the joy on the faces of their caregivers.

In case you were wondering…

Baby Rock & Toddler Rock are developmental music classes for babies (ages 0-2) and toddlers (ages 2-4), and their caregivers. Classes are designed to provide musical experiences that enrich development.

In our sessions, we utilize developmentally appropriate songs and activities to encourage interaction between caregivers and their little ones and to work on basic developmental skills.

Little ones explore a variety of musical instruments and props such as scarves, parachute, stretchy band, and puppets. We sing songs in English and Spanish, enjoy singable stories, and move to music to work on growth in the areas of social, communication, physical, and emotional development.

In our sessions, we use both original and familiar songs so caregivers are singing along in no time! Live musical accompaniment is provided on guitar, keyboard, and omnichord, and we utilize a variety of musical styles like samba, country and rock and roll!

Rockin’ and Readin’ at the Library is a music therapy program designed for children of ALL abilities, including those with autism and related disabilities.

In the music therapy sessions, children have the opportunity to participate in musical experiences to work on goals that are non-musical. For example:

• Singing an original song to the book “Head To Toe” by Eric Carle to work on expressive language skills (identifying animals) and motor skills (moving like the animal)
• Playing rhythm instruments with stop and go cues to work on attention skills and impulse control
• Moving rainbow colored scarves to work on academic skills (identifying colors), motor skills, and direction following (“Move your scarf in a circle! Now move it side to side!”)
• Taking turns to play the xylophone or rain stick to work on social skills and impulse control

A special focus is placed on songs and singable stories that promote literacy.

We also have some exciting NEW programs scheduled with the Miami-Dade Public Library System – Holidays with Wholesome Harmonies.

Holidays with Wholesome Harmonies is a festive holiday sing-a-long that encourages participants to sing, play instruments, and celebrate. The program is open to individuals of all ages and abilities, and is designed to bring together family members and community members.

A board-certified music therapist leads families in singing holiday songs in English and Spanish. Everyone receives an instrument to play as we sing and dance together.

We can facilitate the program for any of the following holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter holidays, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter/springtime, and patriotic holidays like Memorial Day and Fourth of July.

We love making music at the library and look forward to keeping these partnerships strong!

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As I write this blog post, my 3-year-old is watching Daniel Tiger and my 7-month-old take is taking one of her mini-non-consolidated naps (can anyone relate?!)

I’ve had many Daniel Tiger episodes playing in the background as I try to get a little work done during nap/quiet time. This is because I’m home with my two little ones on the days I’m not out working clinically.

As I’ve listened to the episodes, something strikes me each time.

Daniel Tiger’s songs are catchy. Really, really catchy. Maybe too catchy. Just ask my husband ;)

I can never get his songs out of my head and this got me thinking. We can learn a thing or two about songwriting from Daniel Tiger (stick with me here).

Here’s what I’ve learned about songwriting for young children from Daniel Tiger:

• Simple is best – Many of his lessons are taught through short, simple melodic phrases. Young children may not remember an entire song if it only appears in one episode, but they will remember a short and simple phrase like “When you feel so mad that you have to roar, take a deep breath and count to four.”
• Repeat, repeat, repeat – Each of the short melodic phrases are repeated multiple times throughout the episode. By the end of the episode you’ve got it down and it’s become an earworm!
• Catchy is key – I find myself singing the songs throughout the day (despite my husband’s protests). The melodies are so darn catchy that I just cannot help myself. We’ll be making lunch and I’m singing “Take a grownup’s hand, follow the plan and you’ll stay safe.”

All these things make Daniel Tiger’s songs easy to recall and incredibly effective. I have certainly found myself singing “If you have to go potty stop and go right away” to my toddler on more than one occasion.

Even if you don’t have a little one to watch with you, I would highly suggest you check out an episode or two of Daniel Tiger. (Consider it…research!) Each episode focuses on a specific social emotional topic that could easily be used in our music therapy sessions.

I don’t know about you, but to me that’s Grrrr-iffic!

Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Some of my favorite services to offer are developmental music classes for babies and their caregivers.

I just love the developmental stage when babies are reaching milestones in different areas. (My little one is 5 1/2 months so we are knee deep in this stage!)

Wholesome Harmonies provides developmental music classes for babies at the Brockway Memorial Library and at various branches of the Miami-Dade Public Library System. We also provide individual developmental music classes for babies, toddlers, and their caregivers.

One of the main areas we target in our sessions is language development.

When providing sessions to little ones and their caregivers, I like to incorporate piggyback songs as much as possible. A piggyback song is one in which the words of a familiar song have been changed. I like piggyback songs for a few reasons:

• Caregivers are usually familiar with the song’s melody, and if provided with lyrics can start singing in the session right away.
• Because the melody is familiar, caregivers can sing the songs at home with their little ones which is incredibly valuable

Here are two ways I address language development using piggyback songs:

Sing bilabials to the tune of “Farmer in the Dell”
For example:
Ba ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba ba ba ba
Let’s all sing together now
Ba ba ba ba ba ba

Sing bilabials to the tune of “Are You Sleeping?”
For example:
Ma ma ma ma
Ma ma ma ma
Ma ma ma, Ma ma ma
Let’s all sing together, let’s all sing together
Ma ma ma, Ma ma ma

Very simple, yet very effective.

Caregivers are able to jump right in and sing AND they are able to sing these songs at home. I sing these very songs with my little one when I’m changing her diaper, dressing her, or when we’re just hanging out enjoying each other’s company.

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Spring is in the air!

Well, here in Miami, I guess it always feels like Spring.

But there’s something so refreshing about the days staying lighter longer.

With the coming of Spring, I want to share with you about the new Spring schedule that’s out for our Baby & Toddler Rock programs. These sessions are presented in partnership with the Miami-Dade Public Library System.

Here’s what we’ve got going on for babies & toddlers:

Baby Rock:
Saturday April 15th; 11:00 – 11:30am
South Shore Library Branch, 131 Alton Road, Miami Beach, FL

Tuesday April 18th; 11:00 – 11:30am
Miami Beach Regional Branch, 227 22 Street, Miami Beach, FL

Friday May 12th; 11:00 – 11:30am
Key Biscayne Library, 299 Crandon Blvd, Key Biscayne, FL

Baby & Toddler Rock:
Friday May 19th; 10:15 – 10:45am
International Mall Branch, 10315 NW 12 St, Doral, FL

Baby Rock is for babies ages 0-2 and their caregivers; Toddler Rock is for toddlers ages 2-4 and their caregivers. These sessions are designed to provide musical experiences that enrich development.

What can you expect at a Baby or Toddler Rock music session?

In our sessions, we utilize developmentally appropriate songs and activities to encourage interaction between caregivers and their little ones and to work on basic developmental skills.

Little ones will explore a variety of musical instruments and props such as scarves, parachute, stretchy band, and puppets. We’ll also be singing, reading books with songs and moving to music to work on growth in the areas of social, communication, physical, and emotional development.

In our sessions, we use both original and familiar songs so you’ll be singing along in no time! Live musical accompaniment is provided on guitar, keyboard, and omnichord, and we utilize a variety of musical styles like samba, country and rock and roll.

All sessions are FREE and no registration is required. We hope to see you there!

Are you a music therapist looking to offer sessions at your local library? Check out this post for some tips on how to incorporate singeable stories into your sessions.

Image courtesy of Matt Banks at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Mark your calendar!

We have two pop up music sessions taking place at Miami Beach Library in September:

Session: Baby Rock Music; open to babies (ages 0-2) and their caregivers

Dates & Times: Thursday, September 22 & 29, 2016; 10:30 – 11:00am

Location: Miami Beach Regional Library, 227 22nd St, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Cost: FREE

Here’s what you can expect:

Baby Rock Music classes are are designed to provide musical experiences that enrich development.

In our sessions, we utilize developmentally appropriate songs and activities to encourage interaction between parents and their little ones and to work on basic developmental skills.

Little ones will explore a variety of musical instruments and props such as scarves, parachute, stretchy band, and puppets. We’ll also be singing, reading books with songs, and moving to music to work on growth in the areas of social, communication, physical, and emotional development.

In our sessions, we use both original and familiar songs that you’ll be singing along to in no time! Live musical accompaniment is provided on guitar, keyboard, and omnichord, and we utilize a variety of musical styles like samba, country and rock and roll!

I hope to see you and your little one there!

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Monday mornings are my favorite.

I know that doesn’t sound believable, but it’s true!

On Mondays I spend my morning making music with babies and their parents or caregivers. I do in home individual sessions and then a large group session at the Brockway Memorial Library in Miami Shores.

I love leading sessions for babies because…they’re just fun to be around.

I love seeing them change and develop each week.

I love seeing them connect with their parent or caregiver through music.

I always like to start my sessions off with movement and one of my favorite movement songs is an original I wrote called “Hands, Hands.”

This song works on basic body part identification and movement of those body parts.

Click here to listen to “Hands, Hands” and see if it might work for one of your sessions. (The clients I work with love the tempo change!)

The mp3 download and sheet music are available for this track so be sure to check it out here!

Stay tuned next week…I’ll be sharing the four key components of my music therapy sessions with babies and their caregivers.

Image courtesy of [luigi diamanti] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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I realized on Monday that I don’t use my primary instrument nearly enough during my music therapy sessions.

I have to admit that sometimes I get comfortable using my guitar and my keyboard and forget about all the other interesting instruments I have available to me that I play ~ the clarinet (my primary instrument in college!), the flute, the ukulele, the recorder…even the kazoo!

I had pulled the clarinet out for my Toddler Rock music session at the Brockway Library and the responses I got reminded me that I need to do that much more often.

When they heard the sound of the clarinet the children stopped moving.

They listened.

Their eyes got wide.

They giggled.

They were intrigued.

I had their undivided attention so I knew I could use this instrument as a tool to work on a number of different goals.

Here are some ways I used the clarinet in my toddler music session:

Listening (briefly): I played the chromatic scale so they could hear the range; I played high notes and low notes; I played legato and staccato.

Movement: When the clarinet played from low to high we moved our arms from low to high; when the clarinet played from high to low, we moved our arms from high to low.

Stop & Go: When the clarinet played a boom chuck, we stomped our feet; when the clarinet stopped playing, we froze.

Name That Tune & Singing: I played through a number of familiar songs (“Itsy Bitsy Spider,” “Twinkle, Twinkle,” etc.) I asked the children to tell me the name of the song and then sing along with the clarinet.

The children LOVED. IT.

They started gathering around me and following my directions more closely than for any other musical experience I did that day.

If you want even more ideas for how to use the clarinet (or whatever your primary instrument is!) in your sessions, watch this video:

Now I would really love to hear from you.

What is your primary instrument and how do YOU use it in your sessions?

Leave a comment below to let us know so we can learn even more ways to make the most of our primary instrument in our sessions.

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I’ve been on a library kick the past few weeks.

I’ve been having an amazing time planning for my sessions at the library, which include baby and toddler classes and Rockin’ & Readin’ sessions for children of all abilities, including those with special needs.

If you lead sessions at the library or if you want to incorporate more book ‘n songs into your sessions, be sure you’re signed up for our mailing list by clicking here.

As soon as you sign up, you’ll receive a brand new PDF resource I created – “20 Best Books to Use in Book ‘n Song Activities.”

These are some very specific things I look for when I choose a book to put to music and use in my music therapy sessions. I look for at least one of these things:

• The book has large, colorful illustrations.
• The pages are not overly cluttered with pictures or words (I’ve found that simple is better).
• There is some way the children can “interact” with the book – by lifting a flap, pulling a tab, or feeling a texture.
• The book incorporates some kind of academic concept (counting, numeral identification, letters, colors, etc.)
• The phrases or storyline allow children to participate (there’s a phrase they can repeat or some action they can do). I don’t ever want the children ‘just’ sitting there and listening – they need to be actively involved in the activity.

The list I created has books that incorporate one or more of the above criteria.

Here are a few more Book ‘n Song Resources for you:

• Read this blog post “Create Your Own Book ‘n Songs” which has more tips for you
• Watch this video where I use the book “Color Dance” to teach my kindergarten class about mixing colors.

I’ve had great success just going to the children’s section of the library and pulling out books to see what I can find. Oftentimes, I’ve found the more interesting and engaging books that way.

So be sure you’re signed up for the newsletter list to receive the “20 Best Books to Use in Book ‘n Song Activities” today!

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I just got back from taking my little one to story time and our local library and let me tell you, she loves it!

Now that she’s one, everything is more fun.

She’s getting into the movements of each song and she’s very observant of the librarians when they read.

I lead baby and toddler developmental music classes at library branches all across Miami (check out our Developmental Programs page for details!) and Brooke has given me so many ideas for things I can add into my sessions. (More on that in an upcoming blog post!)

Because she and I spend so much time at the library, I have tons of opportunities to grab books for my developmental music classes.

Recently, I found a few gems.

Jane Cabrera has a series of books that incorporate and expand on popular songs. This week in my sessions I’ve been using “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” “Over in the Meadow” (my favorite!) and “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”

These books are beautifully illustrated and lend themselves perfectly to book n’ song activities because they incorporate concepts I’m already addressing in my sessions (identifying animals, movement, numeral identification, and counting just to name a few).

I typically use all my own original songs in sessions, but during my developmental music classes I like to also incorporate pre-existing, well-known songs so parents can sing along right away and use these songs at home.

Be sure to check out Jane Cabrera’s books – she has quite a selection to choose from.

And if you’re looking for even more books to add to your book ‘n song collection, be sure to hop on our newsletter list today. I’ll be sending out a list of the “20 Best Books to Use in Book ‘n Song Activities” next week to newsletter subscribers – you don’t want to miss out on that!

Now I’d love to hear from you…

What is your favorite book to use in your book ‘n song activities. Leave a comment below to let us know!

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In last week’s blog post, I shared about the library programs we offer at the Miami-Dade County Library System ~ Rockin’ & Readin’ (a music therapy program that targets literacy skills) and Baby & Toddler Rock (both developmental music programs).

I’m thrilled that we announced that we JUST received funding to expand and offer these programs at the Brockway Memorial Library System in Miami Shores!

I did a trial session there in April and we had a fantastic turnout. So, I am thrilled to be going back throughout the summer and early fall to do some rockin’ and readin’.

Here is our 2015 schedule:

When: Mondays 11:00 – 11:45am
Session Dates: June 1 – September 30, 2015
Program: We will alternate between Baby Rock and Rockin’ & Readin’ every other week
Where: Brockway Memorial Library, 10021 NE 2nd Ave, Miami Shores, FL 33138

I am so excited. My wheels are already turning with new theme and session ideas for these groups. And, I’ve been browsing the library for more books to add to my singable story collection.

Here are some of my favorite original songs to use in my Baby Rock, Toddler Rock and Rockin’ & Readin’ sessions. Click on each icon below to listen – sheet music & MP3s are available!

Music Therapists: Are you interested in starting up a music therapy program or developmental music program at your library? Did you know I offer consultations about starting these programs? If you’re interested in setting up a consultation, visit our consultation page or contact me directly here. I’ve worked with a number of music therapists & educators to get programs started in their area and I’d love to help you get started, too.

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