“Hi everyone! My name is Calli and I am one of the music therapists here at Creative Melodies. I have been doing a lot of work developing the new programs for daycares, which you can read about on our website. I wanted to tell you about the new program I designed called Journey Jukebox. This program is all about traveling and exploring familiar or new places through the use of music. I developed this program starting with an idea our founder Haley gave me when I first started here. I was just starting to lead sessions with her, and she mentioned she was doing a travel theme. So I created a session plan about going camping and looking for bugs and used it with that group. In that session, I saw how well the children responded and thought there was a lot of potential for a travel themed series. I used this theme at a few other daycares, then Haley gave me the opportunity to fully develop it and create this program.
When I was developing this program, I had a few major inspirations. One was the many music therapists and musicians who create awesome songs for children, specifically Stephanie Leavell, MT-BC and Laurie Berkner. I use a lot of their songs in my sessions and they are great fits for this program.
Another big inspiration was our founder, Haley. I got to watch her do some amazing work at a few daycares, and she gave me a lot of ideas to use and adapt for this program. Also, Haley is so supportive and open-minded. I approached her about this project and she was quick to say yes and offer herself as a resource. She is always helping me along the way.
My biggest inspiration for this program was the children I work with. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing them respond well and have fun in a session. So I wanted to make sure this program was fun and exciting for the children, while still addressing the music therapy goals.
My goal for this program is to give the children I work with a safe space to use their natural imagination and creativity. I want them to take a rocket ship to outer space and explore the solar system while sitting in their classroom. I want them to express themselves by dancing like bugs or zoo animals. I want them to be curious and learn about new things, like dinosaurs and rainforests. This program is designed to be fun, imaginative, and supportive.
Thank you for reading. I am so excited to share Journey Jukebox with you all.”
