Carolyn, Talita and Bijita have nine and a half years of interactive music-making experience between them!  It was great to hear them discuss their favourite activities and share ideas for engaging children in their sessions.  We reflected on the ways in which music – particularly thoughtful opportunities for free play on the musical instruments (improvisation) – can be a new medium for self-expression and can provide a positive channel for their energy.

Our discussions included considering the role of parents in interactive music-making sessions:  When might it be useful to include parents in music-making with their children?  What might your aims be for this type of session?  How many children could you include in an effective IMM group, if you are also involving their parents?  Would you choose the parents and children and encourage them to attend regularly, or would you be offering more flexible sessions to people who attend occasional stay-and-play sessions?

Interactive Music-Making Working with Parents (CPD Event)

We recognised that there is much to think about when you are working with parents as well as with their children. Based on enthusiasm for the idea, we are organising our next CPD event to focus on this topic: Involving parents in Interactive Music-Making – Opportunities and considerations which will take place online on Friday 12th July (12.30-1.30pm).  It will be led by Music Therapist, Sarah Hadley who has a wealth of experience working with parents and is open to any early years practitioners who have completed our Interactive Music-Making training course. 

Sign up to the event here

Sarah co-founded the interactive music-making course inspired by her experience in the mid-1990s two separate clusters of babies were born with Down Syndrome over a period of 18 months in the local community where she worked as music therapist.

The parents of these 10 children had highlighted to their Health Visitors how their babies seemed to respond to music, in terms of them looking, listening, and becoming animated. In turn the Health Visitors contacted the Music Therapy Service to see what we could offer to these very young babies who at the time were 5 months old. This triggered the Music Therapy Home Programme within which the Mums and Dads would come and visit Sarah on a monthly basis and they would work together. Sarah would demonstrate some simple musical activities which would encourage the child’s early developmental skills and provide the parents with an alternative way of interacting with their baby. 

Soon after this Sarah commenced working with Music as Therapy International, equipping Romanian practitioners to confidently and competently use music-making in creative shared play with the orphaned children in their care.

Sarah’s commitment to working with parents (or with those who have parental responsibility) remains an integral part of her practice to this day, maintaining that this partnership provides the foundation of achieving the best possible outcomes for the children.

There are lots of things to think about when involving parents in IMM sessions so I’m excited to think together with Interactive Music-Makers about how we make the most of these opportunities.

Sarah Hadley, Music Therapist/Interactive Music-Making Course co-founder