The 11 weeks of teaching have been full of musical workshops and thoughtful discussions. It’s been a joy to see the students grow in confidence musically, now ready to lead their own groups. I’m excited to visit everyone in the coming weeks as they lead their own Interactive Music-Making sessions in their early years settings.

Reflecting on the last few months, several moments have stood out to me. In our musical workshops, I have seen students learn to adapt and respond in the moment, from matching the quality of how someone plays the tambourine, to improvising a song about someone jumping around the room. Students have experienced first-hand how it feels to be responded to sensitively through music, and to be heard and understood. They have enjoyed taking on the role of practitioner and the chance to be an excitable 3 year old too!

It was great to workshop our ideas, learn from each other and have fun doing so!

Course participant

We have had valuable input from visiting tutors. Ally Whittle (Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust) led some vocal workshops, exploring how to use our voices playfully and flexibly in response to our children, while Emma Bailey (Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust) offered valuable insight into the sensory differences that children may have and how we can incorporate movement into our music-making. Alexia Quin joined us for a close look into attachment theory and how we think about the significance of our relationship as an IMM practitioner with our children. We were also lucky to have Amelia Aptaker (former IMM student) with us one week, who shared her own experience on the IMM course and how she continues to use her skills in her music groups today.

I have been so impressed how students are linking their practice to theorists we have covered, referring to Daniel Stern’s theory of “Affect Attunement” and holding in mind Carl Roger’s “Unconditional Positive Regard” when responding to children. Some have mentioned how the IMM course has allowed them to think differently about how they engage with children day to day in their nursery and school settings, looking out for behaviour as a form of communication.

We ended the final week by singing the Ghanaian song, Nanuma wyee ay, nanuma (“as we journey through life”). This felt like a fitting musical end to this part of the course, with students sharing how they will miss seeing each other every week. Although everyone is going their separate ways for now, I know that everyone will continue supporting and sharing with each other as they embark on the next stage of their Interactive Music-Making journey! Thank you to Morningside Primary School in Hackney and the Primary Advantage Federation for hosting us and making us feel so welcome every Friday.