Check out our new and improved Sprouting Melodies logo! You will be seeing this more and more around town in future months. Roman Music Therapy Services is growing, and we thought it would be appropriate for our graphic designs to be updated as well.  Please feel free to email us with your comments and feedback at help@romanmusictherapy.com.

Music’s effect on the human brain begins weeks before birth.  Because the ability to hear is developed inside the womb, babies can hear sounds prior to exposure to the outside world.  The soft timbre of a mother’s voice is one of the first recognizable noises a child hears.  The child associates this sound with comfort,  and will continue to remember and identify the mother’s voice as such after birth.  This same concept may be applied to music.  Any sort of musical sounds that a child is exposed to while in the womb— such as songs sung by the mother, musical instruments played by the mother, or music in the mother’s particular surrounding environment— may be remembered by the child and effect their progress (Hepper & Shahidullah, 1994). Though early exposure to music can not be proven to impact human brain development, research has been conducted on rats that seem to validate this hypothesis.  Rats exposed in utero plus sixty days postpartum to the Mozart sonata (K.448) navigated a spatial maze faster and with fewer errors than did animals exposed to minimalist music, white noise, or silence (Rauscher & Shaw, 1998).  Thus, it is quite possible that neural processes are effected by exposure to music, but there is not enough evidence to fully support this claim.

One could then further this question by asking, does listening to music through various stages of development (preschool years, middle to late childhood) have any impact?  More studies have been conducted regarding childhood listening; more specifically, a phenomenon coined “the Mozart effect.”  Explored by psychologists Frances Rauscher and Gordon Shaw, the “Mozart effect” suggests that listening to classical music may create short-term improvement in mental processes known as spatial-temporal reasoning.  The results of this study however, were largely misinterpreted by the public, who falsely began believing that “listening to music makes kids smarter.”  While Rauscher and Gordon did observe improvements on abstract spatial reasoning tests after the children were primed with a Mozart sonata, these positive effects lasted no longer than fifteen minutes.  Because there was no brain alteration and the effects were temporary, the Mozart effect can not be credited with improving IQ or creating lasting change (Rauscher, Gordon, & Ky, 1993).

Although listening to music may not be directly linked to brain development, there have been studies to prove playing music might be.  The act of playing an instrument involves motor skills, coordination, and complex mathematical processing, as well as psychological/emotional skills such as patience, determination, and self-expression.  Musical training can assist a child’s development in the school environment specifically in the departments of mathematics and language.  Understanding note values, counting out rhythms, and being able to keep a steady meter all involve uses of mathematical concepts; interpreting positions of notes on the staff and meanings of various musical symbols of embellishment parallels to reading a different language.  Students are able to apply these concepts to their school work.  In addition, reading music and playing an instrument can increase a child’s creativity, memory, and sense of self-worth (Schlaug, Norton, Overy, & Winner, 2005.)

In order to prove the influence of instrumental training on cognitive brain development, Gottfried Schaug, Andrea Norton, Katie Overy, and Ellen Winner conducted experiments on groups of children (fifty in total) between the ages of five and seven and between the ages of nine and eleven.  Each child in the five to seven-year-old category had no previous musical background; half of them would take lessons for a year, the others would not.  Children took several behavioral and intelligence tests prior to beginning music lessons (including the Object Assembly, Block Design, and Vocabulary subtests from either the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III) (for children six years and older) or the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III) (for children under age six); the Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices (CPM) and Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM); the Auditory Analysis Test as a measure of phonemic awareness; Gordon’s Primary Measures of Music Audiation (PMMA) as a measure of musical skill/aptitude; and two motor tests to measure speed and dexterity in both right and left hands).  They also underwent structural and functional MRI brain scans.  A year later, the same tests were taken, revealing improvements among the musical participants.  No significant change was noted among the non-musical control group.  In the nine to eleven-year-old study, researchers compared children with four years of musical experience to a group of non-instrumentalists.  Musical children scored higher on some of the tests— specifically fine motor skills and auditory discrimination skills— but showed no notable differences on standard IQ tests.  The instrumentalists did, however, have significantly more gray matter volume pronounced in the sensorimotor cortex and the occipital lobe bilateral.  (Schlaug, Norton, Overy, & Winner, 2005.)

Schlaug, Norton, Overy, and Winner also performed cross-sectional studies among nonmusical versus musical adults, finding “significantly more gray matter in several brain regions, including the primary sensorimotor cortex, the adjacent superior premotor and anterior superior parietal cortex, primary auditory cortex, the cerebellum, the inferior frontal gyrus, and part of the lateral inferior temporal lobe” of the musicians. (Schlaug, Norton, Overy, & Winner, 2005.)

Despite the results of Schlaug, Norton, Overy, and Winner’s experiment, other researchers still claim that there is not enough solid evidence on this topic.  The construct validity of the test can be disputed due to subject variables— variables that characterize pre-existing differences among study participants.  Psychologists argue that the brains of subjects who undertake and persist in music lessons might originally differ from those who have no interest or do not have the persistence to continue lessons.  Statistics also show that the typical piano student comes from a white, middle-upper class, and thus privileged environment (Costa-Giomi, 1999).  Because of this, these children tend to have more involved and encouraging parents, as well as the opportunity to attend better schools.  Therefore, though studies show a correlation between musical lessons and intelligence, there is no evidence that music is the causation.

Various studies have demonstrated the positive effects of both listening and playing music on brain development. These effects include improved visual-spatial, linguistic, and mathematical performance, in addition to increased memory, emotional development, and self-esteem.  Structural and functional differences in the brains of adult musicians compared to adult non-musicians have also been observed.  The contributions of nature and nurture to this phenomenon are not yet clear, however.  Psychologists debate whether or not these experimental results are predispositional or due to other factors such as instructional methods, environment, and parenting.

References

Rauscher, F. & Shaw, G. (1998). Key Components of the Mozart Effect. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 86, 835-841. Retrieved from http://www.uwosh.edu/departments/psychology/rauscher/Key.pdf

Schlaug, G., Norton, A., Overy, K., & Winner, E. (2005). Effects of Music Training on the Child’s Brain and Cognitive Development. The Neurosciences and Music II: From Perception to Performance, 1060, 219-230. doi: 10.1196/annals.1360.015

Costa-Giomi, E. (1999). The Effects of Three Years of Piano Instruction on Children’s Cognitive Development. Journal of Research in Music Education, 47, 198-212. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3345779

Hepper, P. & Shahidullah, S. (1994).  Development of Fetal Hearing. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 71, F81-F87.  Retrieved from http://www.realpeacework-akademie.info/graz/e/eScience/music.pdf

Today I had the pleasure of witnessing my first music therapy session.  Though I have read numerous books and studied cases in which music is used as a therapeutic tool, I have never actually been present during a session; this was both an exciting and reaffirming experience for me.  As the new Northeastern Co-op student assisting at Roman Music Therapy Services, I am going to be sitting in on sessions led by Board Certified Music Therapists and assisting them with their programs during the next six months.

On Tuesdays at 2:00pm, Roman Music Therapy Services hosts a group session called “Music Makers,” (Drop-Off Program) which works with young children ages three to six, with or without disabilities.  This is the first Drop-Off class as part of “Sprouting Melodies,” the children’s program at Roman Music Therapy Services.  Music is used to help them express themselves, develop social skills, and learn how to positively interact with others.  The session I took part in was with two children. Despite their differences, I witnessed both reap the benefits of music therapy.

The session started with us all (including Meredith and Kari, the two music therapists in charge) sitting in a circle, each with our own hand drum.  Varying in sizes, the drums were used to bang along to a melody that Meredith sang to introduce the class and get the children involved.  Whether it was quiet and slow or fast and loud, each of the children clearly demonstrated their personality through their playing technique and preferences. Next we sang along as Kari played the guitar.  Meredith has developed a catalog of songs that get the children moving and hold their attention, which is crucial when working with young kids.  Passing a drum around, the kids learned how to share, take turns (and accept when their turn was over!), make eye contact, and call each member of the circle by name. They also were learning musical concepts– how to maintain a steady beat, how to improvise, and the sonority of various musical instruments.  The second to last song used scarfs as props, an idea that I found quite creative. Kari sang “I See Colors All Around” (written by one of our music therapists, Holly) and the children waved their colored scarfs in the air.

After forty-five minutes, the session ended with a goodbye song, and the children moved to the next room where they were greeted by their parents.  Joyful, they said their goodbyes and left RMTS. I was happy, knowing that they had enjoyed themselves and  were a step closer to achieving their goals.  Even in this brief session, I was provided with proof that music therapy can indeed help children grow.

The schedule has changed, so please note the new dates on your calendar.
        Rockin’ Babies for babies 0-9 months old is at 11:15am-12:00pm
        Boppin’ Toddlers is for babies and toddlers 9-18 months old from 10:15am-11:00pm

Monday, December 20th
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Want to see what our Library Program looks like? Check out the Ablevision YouTube Clip.
Want more music for your baby or toddler? Check out our Sprouting Melodies program.

I said it again this month at the Melrose Public Library program during a music therapy session.
I love looking out at all the babies and toddlers who came unsuspectingly. I begin to play my guitar and they just stare at me.  It is partially a look of panic, “Who are you?” And partially a look of disbelief, “You want me to do to what?”  It is also a look of intrigue and confusion. But I do know, and I’m sure of this based on my 5 years of music therapy experience, that these looks are not looks of boredom!

I have to admit that it did take me a long time to come to this realization.  I used to think it was just me and that I was boring them to death.

I remember, my very first session with preschoolers for my music therapy internship.  The students were brought down to the music room for thirty minutes.  I started with the hello song I had prepared.  I was petrified when I realized that they were all staring back at me with that deer in the headlights look.  I sang the song two times and then, because they obviously didn’t like that one, I quickly transitioned to another song.  The second song was received with those same empty stares.  As was the third, and the fourth, and the fifth, the sixth, seventh, eighth and even the ninth.  That’s right!  I sang nine songs in that first thirty-minute music therapy session!
No wonder they were confused. I never gave them a chance to catch up with me!

It took me years of experience and learning about early childhood development and music, but now I know that if I’m still getting that deer in the headlights look, I need to do the song again, and again, and again, until the young children who are participating in my music groups are no longer in panic mode. Once their facial expressions relax and they begin to look at me with the expression that says, “Oh, okay…tell me more,” then I know we are ready for more music making.  I assure you, as adults we will tire of a song much more quickly than our babies will.  But our babies are not bored!

So the next time you start singing a new song with your baby, sing it again and again and again until they start to get it.  Never do what I once did and run through 9 songs in 30 minutes! Instead, give your child a chance to really soak it all up and experience the music. And then when you are bored, sing it three more times!

By: Meredith Roman Pizzi, MT-BC
Here’s a fireside chat with Meredith about individual music therapy sessions.

1.   What does individual music therapy look like?

Meredith: In a typical individual music therapy session, the music therapist and client will engage in a variety of musical experiences including:

• singing

• playing instruments
• songwriting
• song recording
• lyric analysis
• active music listening
• movement to music

Individual music therapy is truly individualized! The client’s needs and goals are addressed directly in the musical interactions and active  participation in music.

2.   Do participants reach their goals faster in private sessions?

Meredith: Because individual music therapy sessions are designed to focus directly on the client’s needs and goals, participants do reach individual goals faster in private sessions.  In group music therapy settings in school or afterschool programs, the primary goals are always related to the group. Individual participants do make definite progress towards their individual goals, however, they are not the focus of the entire group session.

On the other hand, in an individual session, the individual’s needs always come first. The music therapist is able to respond to whatever the client needs in the moment and although music therapy is still a process and takes time, consistency and engagement, individual progress is often seen more quickly in private music therapy sessions.

3.   What can be accomplished in a 1:1 session?

Meredith: One on One music therapy sessions are a great way to target and increase skills in the following areas:

• expressive and receptive communication/language
• motor development
• self-awareness and awareness of others
• academic and cognitive areas
• sensory regulation
• behavior



4.  When is 1:1 music therapy NOT the right choice?

Meredith: If the goals you are looking to address in music therapy are based on social skills and functioning within a larger environment, then individual music therapy is not the best choice.  Skills like waiting and turn taking, asking and answering questions, increasing joint attention to group activities, and understanding socially appropriate behaviors are best addressed in a music therapy group format.

What are your questions about music therapy? If you have any other questions you would like to see answered about music therapy, please email me and I will answer them in a future newsletter.

]]> http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/one-on-one-a-music-therapy-duet/feed/ 0 http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/announcing-new-birthday-party-packages/ http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/announcing-new-birthday-party-packages/#comments Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:45:16 +0000 admin http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/?p=932 Read more →]]> Roman Music Therapy Services is announcing that we have teamed up with Papa Gino’s to offer a brand new option for Birthday Parties for children. Here’s a fun way to celebrate your child’s birthday in developmentally and age appropriate ways in which the kids and grown ups all have a blast!
Forget those crazy places that spin you around for an hour and a half and you come out feeling dizzy! Come on in to our comfortable music therapy center for a Music and Movement Birthday Party for children 1-5 or a Let’s Rock! Birthday Party for children 6-12. We’ll make music, play instruments, sing songs, and have a great time for your child’s birthday.

Then downstairs to Papa Gino’s for Pizza and Cake! Everything is included!!


I’m so excited about this! If you’re interested in having a birthday party with us on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, give us a call!

For More Information, check out
Music Therapy Birthday Party Flyer
Music Therapy Birthday Party Agreement

Contact Meredith R. Pizzi, MT-BC at 781-665-0700 or mpizzi@romanmusictherapy.com


Big Kids Party – flash slideshow

Little Kids – flash slideshow
]]> http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/announcing-new-birthday-party-packages/feed/ 0 http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/%e2%80%9cno-momma-no-dadda-no-sing-%e2%80%9d/ http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/%e2%80%9cno-momma-no-dadda-no-sing-%e2%80%9d/#comments Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:13:02 +0000 admin http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/?p=724 Read more →]]> By: Meredith Pizzi, MT-BC

Does this sound familiar?

“Don’t sing, mama, me sing.” Or maybe it’s not quite so verbal. Maybe your child stares you down until you stop singing. Or maybe they walk over and hold their hand over your mouth. Or maybe they scream and cover their ears until you stop singing.

So what is this behavior about, anyway?

First of all, it’s not you having a terrible singing voice. And,  it has nothing to do with your child disliking your voice. There are many other important developmental issues at play here. As a child goes through the stages of development, they are grappling with many different skills and concepts.

I’m currently reading a fascinating book titled “Music, Therapy, and Early Childhood: A Developmental Approach”, written by Beth Schwartz, a Board Certified Music Therapist in NY. She writes about the musical development of young children and how that can be applied to help young children and older children who are moving through the developmental levels of Awareness, Trust, Independence, Control, and Responsibility. This book has led me reflect further on a lot of the behaviors that I observe in children of all ages and the developmental reasons behind the behaviors.

As a child develops new skills, they like to practice them and demonstrate independence. For instance, a young child learning to dress him or herself wants only to dress independently. Any efforts to help will quickly be refused. A child’s musical skills are also developing. As a child begins to recall music and songs, they understand the lyrics, melody, and rhythm and then they begin to reproduce them.

When they don’t want to hear you singing, it may be a sign that they want and need to practice the music themselves to better understand and master this new skill.

But don’t quit singing yet!

After this stage of development will come a new area for growth in which the child will learn how to engage in music making with others and will be ready to participate in group music making.

Here are some ideas for engaging your child in music making at this developmental stage. Many of these ideas come from the book, “Music, Therapy, and Early Childhood: A Developmental Approach”.

 
• Encourage developing motor skills through music by doing a lot of songs with repeating patterns of body movements. Clapping hands, patting knees, and stamping feet are engaging and fun, and give the child a chance to demonstrate her skills
• Use instruments that the child can play independently including maracas, eggs, drums, and tambourines. Also include two handed instruments, like a triangle, finger cymbals, or a wood block.
• Give children many opportunities to make choices in the music. Choices can include what instrument to play, singing loud or soft, fast or slow, or what movement to do to the music.
• Allow for developing language skills in songs by leaving out the last word of a phrase and waiting for the child to fill it in.
• Sing or make up songs with very simple language that is repeated. Children learn the words to songs before they remember the rhythm and melody. As Beth Schwartz says in her book, “Less talk is more.”

 


I hope this provides for some fun music making opportunities for you and your child.

And next time your child covers his or her ears when you start to sing, remind yourself, “It’s developmental, not the quality of your voice.”

Keep making music!

If you have questions or would like to find out more about how music therapy can help address your child’s developmental needs, please call me at 781-665-0700 or email me at mpizzi@romanmusictherapy.com

]]> http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/%e2%80%9cno-momma-no-dadda-no-sing-%e2%80%9d/feed/ 0 http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/why-i-love-making-music-with-children/ http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/why-i-love-making-music-with-children/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 22:59:55 +0000 admin http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/?p=610 Read more →]]> How could you not love making music with children? I love providing music therapy programs for little ones at public libraries and in our Sprouting Melodies classes. And I love making music with older children in afterschool groups. But honestly, the best part is knowing that Moms, Dads and other caregivers can bring those songs home and develop the music making at home.

So on that note, here are My Top Reasons Why I Love Making Music with Children.

Music is Music – Simple Enough
There is nothing like sharing in the simplicity of music making with a child. As a newborn, music is a profound experience that causes the baby to stop and look around, waiting and watching. As children age, they become more and more aware of the environment and still attend to music as if it is a huge presence in the room. I learn a lot from their experience of music.

Progress is obvious – And so much fun to observe!
When you see children, young and old, master a musical task in a song, the progress is crystal clear! I enjoy working in groups of 6-7 weeks because at the end of a session, the progress from beginning to end is absolutely magnificent! We can all sit around and say, “Do you remember when we first started this group?”

The same is true with a child at home. With repetition, you see great growth! Every time a song is shared, children soak it in. With even more repetition, they are able to make the music their own. And it is really is fun to see.



Music making with children is joyful!
When you can see the anticipation of a musical phrase in a baby’s eyes, smile, and body movements, it is shear joy! And as the baby grows, (which happens much too quickly) the joyful responses become joyfully contagious! It’s hard to not laugh with a 3 year old when playing the drum, or a 7 year old delighted to be strumming to the blues on the guitar!

Bonding through music is natural
There is a closeness in making music with your child that goes beyond a song. It is our common understanding that songs and lullabies create intimate shared moments for babies and caregivers. With repetition, those shared musical moments create meaningful bonds.

The same can be said for music making with older children. Think about all of the stress and conflict in our parental relationships with our children. From putting on shoes in the morning, to clearing the dinner table, to brushing teeth. There are plenty of events that take us away from bonding with our kids. Making music on a regular basis with your children returns some of he playful bonding to our relationships that we all need.

Why do you love making music with your children? Do you have other ideas? What’s the best part for you? Post your answers below.

]]> http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/why-i-love-making-music-with-children/feed/ 4 http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/basket-and-a-blanket-concert/ http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/basket-and-a-blanket-concert/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:07:03 +0000 admin http://www.romanmusictherapy.com/?p=564 Read more →]]> The Melrose Public Library Concert is fast approaching! If you haven’t already put it on your calendar, be sure to write it down now!



Melrose Public Library

69 West Emerson St., Melrose, MA
Thursday, August 19th at 6:00pm

Come early with your picnic blanket and dinner. Enjoy your meal and then let’s make some music together! We’ll be singing our old favorites from Rockin’ Babies and Boppin’ Toddlers, plus some familiar music for school age kids who have participated in music therapy groups before. It is sure to be a good time! Grown ups and kids should come “Ready to Rock!”

If there’s rain in the forecast, the show goes on! In the event of rain this program will be held at the First Congregational Church, 121 West Foster Street, Melrose. Concert at 6pm. (Please eat your dinner at home.)

This concert is for ALL children of ALL ages and ALL abilities!

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