I work with adolescents in a prenatal clinic. Many times, they report that they primarily listen to current music, in particular, hip hop and R&B, and Spanish music from their country, such as Mexico or Dominican Republic. My playlist focuses on current music, a mixture between hip hop and R&B. The category is under positive focus during early labor stage. When selecting each song, my primary intention is to find an andantino-moderate tempo. Many of the adolescents present with difficulty slowing down. Thus, I think providing andante songs could irritate them, rather than remembering to breathe especially when labor is just beginning. Finding music at a moderate tempo (bpm is mostly in the 80s), and familiar songs can encourage them to refocus their attention to the music. All the songs have lyrics which can provoke emotions such as love, comfort, empowerment, and self-reflection. Also, providing words may naturally trigger adolescents to sing, which automatically encourages breathing and re-focusing on her body. Providing them with various artists and quality of voice can provide anticipation of the next song as labor slowly progresses. In addition, slight changes in tempo and type of vocals provide variations to prevent adolescents from feeling bored or distracted. Furthermore, many of the songs I selected revolve around the idea of love. This is to promote healthy bonding between partners. Although anything can happen post birth, at least in the moment, each couple is in the process together and taking responsibility for their unexpected journey. Many of the songs provide a repetitive percussive beat throughout each song, while providing a clear downbeat in 4/4 time. Aside from the relationship aspect, songs like “Halo” and “Girl on Fire” provides a sense of confidence and woman power. Allowing her to feel confident to be part of something scary, yet special may prevent complications as relaxing muscles are better than constantly tensing muscles. Overall, songs provide a positive direction in her labor process.
I really enjoyed your playlist! I thought it was very unique to choose R&B and I learned a lot from listening to your playlist! Thank you for sharing and your explanations.
Yes great job Angel! We have Girl on Fir on the Girl Power playlist- that is a great tune. :) I think you are spot on with your observations regarding the adolescent population. I work with adolescents too and their attention span is very short for anything they don't immediate recognize or connect with. That is why a lot of prenatal education with them and teaching about how music for pain relief is different for music for entertainment purposes is really important. That being said- finding music that will work for pain relief in intense active and transition labor might be a bit of a challenge but we will work together to help you create more playlists that can be effective for your population and we can find a few from the current playlists that I think will work for them if they are willing to try them. :)
Hi Angel! I enjoyed your playlist also (I didn't know a few of the songs). Other than having a 13 y/o boy myself, I don't have experience working with adolescents I can definitely see the benefit of using positive focus playlists that contain current/familiar songs for adolescent clients to help with focus & attention before labor gets to be more intense!
I had a really good time with this material this week. For one I really enjoyed the playlists in the Sound Birth Spotify account. Upon first reading of the assignment I simply assumed that I would use the music already in the Spotify account and make them my own/rearrange with a specific goal in mind and then I read the assignment description again and thought it might actually mean finding my own music. So, I have 2 examples in my assignment this week (1 with music from the Sound Birth playlists, and the other with original music that I found). I choose to do my original music playlist for mother & infant bonding. This is one of the stages of labor that I am most excited about experiencing one day and look forward to providing that blanket of music to support the bonding process. I looked for a variety of songs that fit well together. When I design recorded music interventions I am very careful of the order in which I design. I really like to make the transition between each song as seamless as possible. As I designed my bonding playlist I imagined the first moment of bonding with the first song to the last song which guided mom and baby to sleep. I was particularly interested in songs that provided a full sound while also having a sweet melody that would complement and encourage the bonding process and the hormonal changes going on during this first postpartum period. As I designed and listened to this I was taken back to my best friend's birth who was unable to even hold her baby during that time and missed out on this bonding process for unnecessary medical interventions. I hope that with this training I can aid mother's in this important stage of birth.
Both of my boys were born via c-section, so I didn't get to experience the initial bonding process either. It's definitely something I wish I could have experienced looking back. Nice songs!
Great job Kristin. Thanks for sharing! Yes the bonding time is so critical for the emotional relationship between mom and baby and provides the foundation for the initial breastfeeding experiences if mother is breastfeeding. The music helps to release oxytocin which helps let down reflex and makes breastfeeding easier too. So there are bio-psycho-social benefits throughout this process. Also live music with sft guitar or uke can be excellent during this time if parents would like it. It is important to remember that the music should always be supportive during this time. :) MD
I do not have children and thus have never been through the process of childbirth. I tried to imagine the feelings that an expectant mother would be experiencing (emotionally and physically) during the period of early labor - anticipation, fear, elation, joy, discomfort, self-doubt all came to mind. I then tried to think of elements of music that would address some/all of those feelings and would assist in moving the woman through and with them. I have done 9 marathons over the course of the last several years and even though they are obviously nothing like giving birth, they are a test of endurance and can be quite painful. Often I have wanted to give up, but I have also wanted the feeling of elation and joy that comes with the accomplishment. I drew open those themes as well when developing this because for many women, labor is a marathon expereince, it can be painful and some want to give up. I also tried to be aware of transitions; however, I think the playlst could be reshuffled to meet the specific preference of the mother. I considered melodic elements, vocal timbre, level of variation in style and structure (not too much, but enough to be interesting), message of the music, feeling that the music evoked, if the music would elicit gentle movement (which may be desired at this stage of labor) and would also be approporiate for simply welcoming in to pass the time (if that was what the mother needed at the time). I changed the playist several times afer listning to it. I wanted the music to evoke a sense of love, joy and empowerment at this stage of labor in order to hopefully put the mother in a very positive place early in the experience.
I also haven't experienced childbirth before. Your guesses of the changing and often conflicting feelings seem appropriate compared to stories I've heard from other women. I love your comparison of birth to a marathon! Though I haven't experienced either of these, a friend who has been through multiple natural births told me something I thought was profound and important to keep in mind: choosing to take the easy and painless path through birth before even trying to prepare properly for it is like signing up to run a marathon but never training for it, all while hoping to make it to the end without pain. I can see how it would be possible to switch around the order for the mother as well. I thought songs you chose could easily be shuffled in any order! I enjoyed all the acoustic guitar. I wonder whether this is the same on your end: when I went into Spotify, I was only able to listen to four of the songs on your playlist. Also, I ran into issues when creating my own playlist, in that sometimes I felt a song went perfectly in this particular playlist, but it didn't fit within the metronome marking I'd listed to begin with. I had a very narrow range to work with as well (60-72). After seeing your playlist as well as several of Mary's playlists, I realized there were some that didn't fit the bill but it was okay to keep them anyway. They were perhaps like outliers that needed to remain for some reason or another. Some of the songs' metronome markings could be counted differently based on how different people hear the divisions of the beat. I'd love to hear your reasons!
Yes there are some songs that don't fit bill but you can keep them. These are just guidelines. But remember, the bio physiological response to music is very significant and you have to make sure that your choices will not alert or shift the conscious awareness of a laboring mother. It is important to remember not to shuffle them however. Mothers will be listening to them and this will create expectancy of what is coming next. This creates familiarity, safeness, and a sense of security. When you are actually in labor (active and transition) you are in an altered state. Women are actively managing pain and rely on the expectancy. It is very important not to shuffle. It is different when women are actively in pain and when they are not.
I've never run a marathon - but I do like the comparison. :) For my first son, I was induced with cervidil and given pitocin a few hours later. 8 hours of pitocin with no pain medication - the most exhausting thing I've ever experienced. When the doctor said "I think we need to do the c-section now" - I was more than ready to concede. (She didn't want me to labor in the first place because baby was measuring about 10 lbs. a week prior to my induction.) I hadn't dilated very much and he was at like -1 or -2 station. Anyway - while I don't know about marathons - I can see how they are similar. Having gone through labor - I can understand why many women want to give up and readily give in to suggestions made by the doctor when labor feels unbearable. I think that's part of why I feel what we are learning is so important. We can be there to use the music to support our clients to work through the labor that feels difficult.
I didn't get to listen to all of your playlist. Some of the songs aren't showing.
The category I chose to do my original playlist on is for pushing baby down. Although I never had an experience on giving birth, by videos that I saw and comments I heard from friends about the pushing stage, in my own opinion, I feel like this is the “real deal” stage. What a mom has been preparing and expecting for the past 10 months is the birth of her baby. During this stage, besides dealing with the pain and other psychological factors, a mom needs tremendous physical effort and energy to push her baby out. Having the appropriate breathing and pushing pattern play an important role because this could make the process faster.
As I design my playlist, I considered if there is steady rhythmic or harmonic patterns (to support the breathing and pushing pattern); the dynamics and melodic contour of the song (to build and to release energy), the key (major keys tend to give people a more positive feeling), the tempo (72-120 bpm, faster tempo is more energetic yet not too fast to over-stimulate or to become an disturbance to the mother), and also the name of the song (the mother probably will not remember the names of the songs, but when going through the list before labor, names such as sad piano or dark summer could evoke negative imagery beforehand). At this stage, I hope the music serves as an extra pair of hands beside all the other helpers to help the mother with the delivery process and to send energy and power to the mother for her to keep pushing, even when she is feeling exhausting.
I created a playlist for my own birth that will take place in April with my first child. I chose positive focus during early labor, with my own song preferences that would encourage, offer hope, and strengthen me in the beginning labor stages. Many of the songs include piano as the main instrument with grounding rhythms and encouraging vocals with freely flowing melodies for relaxation and reflection. My considerations included songs that dealt with any current fears, placed those fears down and looked to Jesus, exalted Jesus, invited me to rest and persevere, and reminded of the life’s purpose as well as the purposeful pain of labor. Several songs include string and electronic music supports during transitions, which was a consideration when choosing the order of the playlist as well. Many songs begin and end very quietly, which means this playlist could easily be shuffled. However, the lyrics are also generally ordered topically to begin with letting go of fears, looking to Jesus, resting in Him as my living hope, and continuing to persevere because of the strength that He gives.
I could easily have spent many more days on this playlist. I found myself adding more and more to it, only to find it was over an hour. As I paired it back down, I began compiling songs for other purposes since I’d found songs that were new to me.
I liked your playlist. I feel that God is added source of support in the room for a Christian during labor. :) (I've never heard of Laura Hackett. I like her songs from your list! I discovered JJ Heller when I was deciding what playlist to create. I had started one of Christian love songs.)
I loved some of the verbal cues - "breathe darling breathe" (song 2) - so important even at that early stage of labor to breathe! "don't give up" (song 3) - important for those who can feel discouraged with a prolonged early labor
Great Anna- early labor playlist order is not as important but as I noted in the post above- shuffling should not be done for active and transition playlists. It is also important when you are working with a client to always start with the first track and not in the middle of a playlist during active and transition labor because of the expectancy. Yes when I create a playlist I often find that it becomes 2 or 3 separate playlists because of the music I discover when creating them. I am so glad you are creating playlists that will help you in your birth and I hope you can share with us your experience after your labor and birth. : )
I can see why creating the MTAC playlists took you 2 years Mary! I could easily have spent days on this, but for now I'll step back and let it live as is. I created a playlist for gentle movement, imagining a women moving her hips in circles on a ball or using her partner for physical support in a kind of dancing movement during labor. I chose to utilize celtic music and found pieces with similar instrumentation and tempo. I found it challenging to find a balance between music that flowed together but was still a little different to create a feeling of positive forward progression that I feel is so important when supporting a woman in labor. While choosing the pieces for this playlist I imagined my own labor experience and closed my eyes to see if I could imagine moving and breathing to the music. I found it so easy to get sidetracked and pulled into other moods by pieces of music and can see how creating one playlist easily leads many more to be created.
Alyssa, I love the Celtic music you chose. Very relaxing and soothing, yet encouraging movement, swaying, rocking. I could definitely see using this for movement and relaxation.
Hello! I find myself thankful for the extra time before conference to get things completed! The lovely fall weather recently got me with sinus issues (accompanied by off & on sinus headaches.) Feeling better now though. Hope you all enjoyed your Halloween!
For my playlist, I chose Positive Focus for early labor using 80s/90s love songs. I honestly couldn't decide what I wanted to do at first! I had started a couple of different playlists and finally focused on this one. I was inspired by a recent conversation with a friend of mine (who is in her 20s) who loves the music of the 80s and 90s. A few months ago, she gave birth to a stillborn baby girl at just shy of 24 weeks. She told me they were planning to begin trying again (it took them a while to get pregnant this most recent time following a prior miscarriage). I feel the early stage of labor is an important time for a couple. Each child brings a change to the family dynamic. Songs used for this early stage of labor can serve as a reminder of the love that brought the couple together. It is a time to connect with each other as a couple before the birth of their baby. The songs I selected for the playlist were chosen to help elicit and support those feelings of love and togetherness. I envisioned this playlist being used to pass the time of early labor, movement/walking, swaying/dancing or holding one another for support and connection. Because many women are having children later in life, I imagined this playlist being geared more towards mothers of advanced maternal age (or if you have women like my friend who enjoys music from those years). Factors that I considered were: meter and tempo (to encourage movement or swaying/dancing) as well as the mood of and feeling elicited from the songs (love). I tried to transition the songs with similar instrumentation and/or sounds (finger snaps, clicks) when possible. The slower songs at the end could be used as a transition towards relaxation or meditation playlists.
In regard to the playlist, I created a playlist with a certain client (friend to practice with) in mind. She requested music that was personal to her and her husband. There was one particular artist that was a favorite, and they also requested a few songs with ties to their wedding. In the early stages of labor, the woman and her support may need a way to connect, refocus, and bond before the more difficult stages of labor.
The specific music was very focus on the lyrics for this stage. Lyrics focused on love for each other, love of God, trust in God, and letting go and letting God be in control for this journey.
Near the end of the playlist, I included a song/prayer and then a transition song that was a little more upbeat, but in a 6/8 time signature which allows for upbeat or a slower pace - whichever is needed at the time.
I wanted to create a playlist for birth mothers placing their babies for adoption. This landed me on a positive focus playlist in early labor for emotional support. I also thought the same playlist could be used as post labor support once home without the baby. I chose to focus on spiritual support, as most birth mothers often do not have the social support of a partner or family members. I thought relying on God as a sense of strength and support could be a powerful tool while beginning labor with their baby.
Several of the songs I chose had wave like climaxes (ebbing and flowing), which I thought would follow the sense of beginning contractions. A few of them included sounds of waves or water. All my songs focused on using God as a sense of comfort or place of strength. I chose to begin and end the playlist with a song that was focused on lyrics of remaining relaxed and calm.
I like how specific your target was. I think that I struggled because I didn't have a complete view of who I thought should be the listener. Having mothers who are placing their babies for adoption and who identify as being religious/spiritual is great.
When I made my playlist, I had my daughter in mind. She is getting married in June, not planning on kids anytime soon, but I know it won't be that long before the baby bug hits. They are both country fans and I included a lot of songs current and some older that are slow, love songs. As a personal touch, I added a version she did of herself singing over "their song" at the end of the list. This is what seems like the "easiest" playlist to do, but it is really hard to narrow it down. This is a good starting point to have the birth mother personalize it to songs that are special to them, or that remind them of a certain place/time. And possibly make 2 or 3 different but similar playlists so that if one is just not working, then maybe the next one will. Having several playlists of this type too might come in handy since this is the longest part of labor, so it may be needed to have a lot of music.
I love your country songs! (I started a country love song playlist also and have many of those in mine.) As important as the elements of the music are - I feel that a big component of the positive focus playlist is also the message/lyrics of the selected songs. There are a couple of songs that I'm not sure would work (even though I do personally love them!) depending on your client.
I think the main factors I am taking into consideration is 1) client preference (genre, artists, etc), 2) goal (I chose Imagery), and 3) tempo. Since my sister is giving birth in May, I have chosen her as my main audience. She tends to listen more to current music, mostly singer/songwriter artists. I asked who in particular and she mentioned Grace Potter and Ray Lamontagne. So, I focused on listening to those two artists and finding what they had in common. Mostly it was instrumentation and rhythms. While compiling her playlist for imagery, I kept in mind the target tempo of 60-72 bpm. I found quite a few songs that had similar instrumentation and added them to her playlist. I listened to the playlist probably 4 times through, shuffling songs around until they flowed well. I also kept in mind the type of music she would have during her next stage of labor, which is a quicker tempo. I made sure to lead up to that quicker tempo and smoothed out any jolting key changes between songs.
I really enjoyed making these playlists! I know my sister's taste in music is probably not the majority in who I would work with in the future, but it is fun to create something specifically for someone, in order to make their birth process more comfortable and smoother.
There were several thoughts which crossed my mind at various points while creating a sound birthing playlist to support movement during active labor. My playlist is intended to encourage the feeling of focused energy for movement (as in using a ball or gentle dancing) and coping with discomfort through breathing.
I started by choosing a general musical genre and instrumentation to guide my searching. Since personal preference of a client would be a top consideration in the clinical setting, and I do not have any close friend or family member expecting at this time, I used my own preferences for an example of a client's wishes. I knew that I wanted instrumental music only. However sometimes typical orchestral music can feel more like work to me because of my orchestral studies. Instead the genre I chose was instrumental country and bluegrass style music. The different instrumentation of guitar and banjo with occasional fiddle had a more earthy and home-grown feeling to me. This was simply a more comforting sound in my opinion and yet still offered plenty of music with natural motion and uncomplicated progressions to support my goals.
In addition to the genre and instrumentation qualifiers, I also utilized the tempo guidelines discussed in the Sound Birthing Music Manual which suggests music between 90 and 120 beats per minute for movement playlists. With these requirements, I selected various pieces until I had nearly an hour of music.
As I began to put my music in an ideal order my primary concerns were making sure tempo changes and instrumentation transitions were subtle. My goal was for these changes to be as least intrusive as possible. For example, my playlist is structured around a bell curve in terms of tempo in that the beginning pieces are slower (towards the low end of the tempo range). The selections get increasingly faster towards the middle of the playlist and then gradually slow down again towards the end. It is my hope that ultimately slowing down movement and breathing in this stage through decreasing tempo markings would facilitate a smoother transition to another method of coping such as using meditation or imagery (supported with even slower music). To the best of my ability I tried to match instrumentation by instrument or thickness/depth from the end of one piece to the beginning of another. I also considered the pitch height (and key) so that large pitch leaps were avoided when possible. The volume of each beginning and end was another important aspect that helped determine the best listening order.
I have listened to my selections and playlist several times and I do feel that it supports the designated goals for movement and breathing. Overall it provides motion through music and a feeling of moving forward which would hopefully be emotionally and psychologically encouraging in this selected stage of labor.
One challenge I experienced in creating this playlist was achieving a long enough list in terms of time. Perhaps it is related to the genre I chose in that most songs are less than 4 minutes long. I have 14 songs total and still have just barely over 50 minutes of music to offer. In the end I decided to keep the playlist at this length because it crossed my mind that continuous movement for too long may also become more tiresome than helpful!
Yes nice job using the bell curve idea of flowing the music by tempo. It is hard to find an hour of music to make a playlist! Keep in mind that when in labor there are breaks between the contractions (usually at least a few minutes) so movement is not continuous. Often if a mother is using the ball during labor she is resting between the contractions. Another thing to remember is that labor lasts for a long time for some women so it is important to make sure we have enough music. Sometimes it takes a long time to find the right pieces to create a complete playlists. : )
Can I first say that this was immensely enjoyable! Due to this being a totally made up practice playlist I loved how it was set up like a musical mad lib. I chose my music based on my choices at the beginning. I knew from the reading I needed 90-120 mpb for movement. I knew I needed fiddle instrumentation and folk genre because of my choices, but everything else was totally dependent on the other knowledge I had gathered through the readings and what I know about the nature of music.
I chose music with a grounded bass line; a steady unwavering tempo that could be recognized without strain. My playlist focused on elements such as driving beat pattern, emphasis on down beats, lilting accents. I wanted to make sure I was finding music that was motivating, empowering and yet not so upbeat it was frenzying or annoying.
I also had to consider the repetitive nature of fiddle/folk music. Was it too mundane, or vexingly repetitive, or did it have enough variety to distract from the discomfort. I thought it was interesting how many elements went into choosing a song. I found myself trying to walk, sway or rock to the music to see if it was a comfortable tempo. Did the song jump out from an already complied playlist making me smile or automatically start to move? I also tried to organize the playlist with transitions in mind and progressive tempo as well. I considered all these things in building my playlist.
For my Sound Birthing Playlist, I wanted to focus on relaxing during the active stage of labor, so I wanted chose music that would promote relaxation, but would also facilitate gentle, smooth movements if needed. I mainly chose pieces with piano and strings orchestrations because they have a wide range of abilities and possibilities. When choosing music, I focused on finding music that had smooth articulations and open chordal structures. All the pieces had a moving or flowing melody lines with many opportunities to breathe with the music. Another thing I considered was the order of the music. I began the playlist with lighter, simpler textures and slower tempi, then sped the tempi up towards the end and slowly added thicker textures and more intensity.
I started out with twice the number of songs I needed, but as I re-listened, I shuffled, cut, and exchanged many of the songs for something else, the list began to form itself. I lost track of the number of hours I put into this playlist, but I fully realize that it still needs a lot of work! Every time I listen to the list as a whole, I realize how something else doesn’t quite fit or could be swapped for something else, but I also realize we all have to start somewhere – so this is a start!
Yes the playlists are a work in progress! It is not easy to create an hour of programmed music that is continuous with minimal transitions. They can take quite a long time to create. :)
What a great brain challenge for me. I found myself having difficulties beginning this activity. I had too many song running through my mind. After some tips and talking to my pregnant co-worker, she gave me some of her favorite songs. This became my inspiration point. I went with Positive Focus: Soothing Male: My friend seem to enjoy male voices and gave me a variety of Country and Cont. Christian songs. I see where you could play with this song list for hours especially with the starting song and the ending song before finalizing the list.
I found I was intrigued with transitioning with male timbre and tempo gradually getting faster and then slowing back down. Trying to intermittently add her favorites and giving her a variety of new but similar as well.
I can also see where this could be quite addictive and making several playlist while riding down the road and trying to remember songs as I hear them and what playlist I would like to add them too.
It has also been interesting to listen to my husbands comments as I work on this at night and his input and point of view. Which brings Up the father- How much this is not just for the mother but the father also plays a critical role and bringing this experience to both of them in a positive manner. Keeping them both grounded and positive and relaxed.
I do think this is just a start and I have a lot to learn and practice with developing playlist and I can not wait to see where I am 4 years from now as I craft a new tool or instrument.
Aweome reflections Karla. Yes it is a challenge and you will listen to music in a whole new way from this point forward. In our Birth Music Consultation course we spend a good portion of our time talking about and reading about hwo we can best support fathers in this process. Yes the music supports mother, baby, and partner. And us too if we are present during the labor and birth. :)
YES! I always tell birth partner they should listen to the playlists too. The more they listens and learns the music (and learns to relax to it) the better for momma!
For me, I couldn't have my husband in charge of the playlists though... that man has an itchy finger when it comes to song selection!
When using the Sound Birthing Method we use specific playlists selected by a music therapist and practice deep relaxation exercises with these playlists for weeks prior to birth The playlists should not be played out of order. Feeling of safety and expectancy are very important in helping to release the right biochemicals necessary for the birth process to unfold. The playlists are started from the beginning and not be played out of order. Our research shows that women who spent more time practicing the relaxation exercises prenatally with the playlists for weeks prior to birth have shorter labors, report less pain and are generally more satisfied with their birth experiences. The other factor that is most important is that support from the Music Therapist during the birth is equally as important.
When creating my lullaby playlist, the first thing I considered was beats per minute. Because the preceding playlist reaches up to 90 bpm and down to 72, I chose to use a bumper song (at about 75 bpm) to help smooth the transition. I then ordered the song in descending order to their bpm.
I tried to use songs that didn't have to much percussion, more specifically, sudden crashes, to avoid any startling disruptions.
I also chose to use mostly songs with a female voice because infants prefer female voices over males.
As for lyric content, I tried to use songs that helps mothers reflect and look at their sleeping baby and think "I did it, I made it, and look how beautiful!."
Awesome thanks Patricia! Those are qualities I would think about when creating a lullaby playlist. Please post your link in the Google drive in the Week 2 folder so we can all listen to it. Thank you!
I chose to make an active relaxation playlist with an emphasis on song order. I meant for this to be a transition playlist as the beginning includes a majority of songs with lyrics as well as more active pieces with faster tempos and more melodic movement.
The readings emphasized preferred music, so I used the Ellie Goulding version of "Your song" to begin the playlist. It's a commonly known song and its lyric content as well as calming female voice were factors in its selection.
Two of my three vocal tracks were female voices. I chose the third, "Beautiful Boy," by Ben Harper for the lyric content "Close your eyes, have no fear," as well as the intentional singing of a father to a song to include the birth partner. I used a song in spanish to transition out of paying attention to lyrics (assuming the mother is an English speaker).
I concluded the playlist with "Arctique" by Rene Aubry and "Over the Ocean." Both are heavily programmatic and evoke images of calming and quiet arctic and oceanic landscapes. I know this is technically more imagery but the images invoked seemed to fit more into the relaxation section than the more active imagery section.
All of my pieces were chosen because they lacked heavy percussion and abrupt dynamic or tempo shifts.
I ended up redoing this playlist about six times, because I had so many different ideas about the way I wanted it to function.
Playlists are ever changing! What sounds good today to your ears might not tomorrow.
I don't think I have access at the moment to listen to your playlists, but I believe that with the relaxation playlists you are looking for strictly relaxation, and not too much evoking of imagery. As you said yourself, that is usually better suited for transition.
Yes they are definitely a work in progress! I listened to your playlist and I noticed that you had a lot of different styles and genres of music in 1 playlist. In music used during labor we want as little change as possible between songs. We need the music to hold the client in deep relaxation. Changes in musical style, meter, rhythms, etc. may alert the arousal system and interfere with the labor process. I liked the songs you chose- however they would probably be best as 4 different playlists, Positive focus with vocals, relaxation guitar, classical, and jazz relaxation; rather than all together on this one playlist. If you study the Sound Birthing Playlists and listen to them you will get the idea. :) and yes as Corinne said we do not need imagery and transition music on the relaxation playlist because this function is different.
I think I was too focused on the initial Functions one and was just confused when I listened to all the others. I think I just condensed it all instead of making one functional one, so what you're saying makes sense. I'll go back and separate them.
I too had some difficulties beginning this activity Karla,as I had so many ideas floating around in my head - I initially thought I would focus on Imagery, however I felt drawn to meditation as I remembered the times music and sound were most important for me and this was when I was trying to remain calm and relaxed. More specifically, because I love mantra meditation and kirtan, I decided to be influenced by them.
The first track starts around 75 bpm as I wanted to be able to meet the mother closer to where she might be at emotionally and physically and then gradually bring her heartrate down as the tempo drops, allowing a place for deep relaxation.
Although there are vocals used in most of the tracks, there are a lot of elongated vowel sounds, vedic languages and of course repetitive mantras. Any lyrics used are positive in focus and many promote images of the ocean and waves - which I know many women often find a useful tool to visualise during labour. The songs gradually strip away use of instrumentation, until voice is the main focus in 'Ever so lonely', before moving into the 'Ohms'. I had to include this track, as I remember just how grounding the use of this sound was in my own labour and how much it helped to calm me. 'Breathing Space' is an opportunity to hold space for the 'ohm's' that have gone before and the music once again starts to slowly build, as if rising out of a deep wave. Although the tempi remains between 60-72 bpm, the tracks gradually build again in both tempo and instrumentation, giving the mother an opportunity to regain her strength and energy in preparation for the next stage.
I chose to create a meditation playlist with an emphasis on breath. I chose New Age mostly electronically instrumental music that had a breathy timbre. I was mostly trying to imagine what I would enjoy to relax to! I also considered the potential clients I may be working with and went with a "yoga class" feel.
Most of the music I selected I couldn't even discern a tempo! Mary, is there a trick for this? The music I chose was also very peaceful with little change in instrumentation, mood, or dynamics. I bookended the playlist with more lush, dense, and slightly active pieces for coming in and out of deeper relaxation.
Meditation and breathing are such essential elements of labor especially during periods of rest. I am excited to listen to it and will send you some feedback. :) MD
I chose to create an imagery playlist, mostly with music in the electronic/post rock genre. I tried to choose music that evoked imagery of nature, peaceful settings and vistas I have seen, and allowed my brain to wander. Most of the music is very ethereal and slow, with some being more pulsating and with more of a driving beat.
Some of the artists are from Iceland, so it has a different kind of timbre than I am used to. However, I feel this kind of sound is very lush and rich and has lots of different kinds of sounds to focus on to let the brain wander.
Sounds great! Can't wait to listen to it. Please post your name here because you are coming up as unknown. That way I can send you some feedback. Mary D. :)
I chose to create a positive focus playlist for Early Labor to which the mother and partner could slow dance to and engage in movement. I wanted the playlist to portray tenderness and chose to use soul music (both new and old). I specifically chose to have only male vocalists, as well, hoping to create a supportive and nurturing atmosphere for the mother. What I also enjoyed about using this genre for the assignment is that the rhythmic sections of the pieces I chose always had that strong beat you could entrain and get lost in.
While picking the music, I attempted to keep it all at a relative dynamic level and pick songs with a duple meter. I found many songs to be in 6/8 but still have the duple feel. I found myself spending mass amounts of time on trying to find a sequence I found to flow best -- and the annoyance of having a song you want to use but just can't find that perfect spot in the playlist. At the beginning of the assignment, I didn't find myself paying as much attention to the keys of the pieces, which I later found while trying to sequence that I wished I did. The songs that I wanted to keep together I found were often in the same key.
As I put the playlist together, I put the faster tempo songs near the end as an easier transition to a playlist made possibly for more movement as labor progressed.
Great Kimber sounds like you did an awesome job and were very careful in your consideration of pieces. I will take a listen this afternoon and send you some feedback. :)
I enjoyed reading about your process in creating this playlist--very thoughtful! I think it's great to create a space early in labor for the mother and partner to connect with each other and prepare for what they are about to experience together. Music can do that so naturally through rhythm that encourages movement and flow, and it sounds like your playlist would be great for partner bonding.
Putting together a playlist was more challenging than I anticipated, I probably started 4-5 different playlists. I am very picky when it comes to choosing music and I generally have to feel a sense of connection to the songs I use.
I decided to put together a playlist specifically for bonding. I chose songs that could potentially portray the love a mother feels after just giving birth. Each song can connect back to love, support, or are a song that was specifically written for their child (like Hey Jude). I decided to do a mixture of instrumental and original versions of songs. Since I chose 'bonding' I felt that I wanted to focus more on the meaning of each song versus the instrumentation. I went back and forth listening to multiple variations of each song before making my decisions.
I did not put my playlist in a specific order and I believe each song falls between 76-108 bpm.
I originally tried to use all instrumental songs but I found that some songs needed to be the original versions complete with the lyrics.
I also wanted to choose some songs that had a consistent rhythm throughout, so the mother (and father) had something they could grab on to.
I noticed that there were only two MTACB playlists for G. Birth (Music for the moment of birth), so I chose that Category.
I learned in the handbook (p.91) that this music is very situation-dependent, and should be joyous. It may be replaced by the Womb Song or live music may be provided instead.
With that in mind, I selected music that featured instruments that were not heavily featured in many of the other playlists (bassoon, cello, and bass). My husband's primary instrument is bass, and mine is bassoon. If I was working with a client like myself who has a timbral preference, or was hoping to match a lower voice type (mom or dad), I might look to these pieces to be comforting and welcoming. They may be a little niche for clients that are not familiar with them, but I do think many are universally appealing given a little exposure.
I put tracks in order to have mostly related keys playing back to back. The tempi fall in the 72-108 range pretty nicely, but there is a mix of energies. Some are sweetly effervescent with lots of movement, while others are much more subdued. I'm not sure if this would be problematic. I think in a real birth experience, I would likely choose only a handful of these instead of playing all 10 in order.
Right usually we typically use just a few songs on the birth playlist. The music should be joyous yet gentle as the baby is experiencing music on the outside for the first time and is trying to process what is happening and find his mother. :)
I chose to do a meditation playlist. I have a friend weeks away from her first child and created a playlist based off her. I used piano instrumental that had cyclic bass lines and long ascending/descending structures that mimic deep breathing. They are also religious in nature, and music that she will quickly identify and know they words to. Therefore, I tried to choose hymns with uplifting messages and reminders for trust, peace, and spirituality throughout the process. At this stage, the mother should be reclining or in a tub, so the music reflects ethereal moods that might allow her to transcend pain and focus on the coming joy. In looking for cyclic pieces, I often was drawn to music that felt like a waltz or duple meter. This being the case, the tempo varied outside the parameters in order to compensate for down beat feeling stronger than the successive two beats. In listening, I ordered the playlist to reflect pacing, presence of mind and lyrics, and transitions.
Love the piano music and the arrangements are beautiful. I would caution about the opening piece because it is too fast and the last two are also on the fast side. One thing I am cautious about is using music that might evoke a movement response when someone is in the tub. :)
Hannah, have you shared the playlist with your friend? If so, what was her feedback? Also, I would love to hear if she uses it during labor and how she felt about it. I haven't heard your playlist, but your description makes me feel like it might be a good playlist for walking during active labor.
I chose to do a relaxation/partner bonding playlist. I considered several things when creating this playlist. The first thing I asked myself was, “what is a song that I would want to hear if I were in labor?” So, naturally I used some of my own preferred music that I felt it along the guidelines specified. One of the first bands that came to mind to use was Sigur Ros because of their atmospheric sound and primarily instrumental recordings. I also love how uplifted their music makes me feel and the positive energy it brings. I started with “Sigur 3 (Untitled)” because I felt that it had a calming energy that would bring a mother comfort. After listening to a lot of the playlists, I heard a lot of piano or guitar based music, whether that be covers of songs or classical pieces. I felt that “Nocturne No. 2” and “River Flows in You,” both solo piano pieces, would fit well next to each other on the playlist, giving a nice flow to the experience. On the other end of the pieces, I put the other Sigur Ros song (one of my favorite songs of all time) as a song that evokes some calming, romantic reminiscence between a mother and her birthing partner.
“Edelweiss” has always been a favorite of mine, and this calming guitar version seemed like a great addition to the playlist. It has a very comforting melody and has a romantic undertone in the movie. The next section of music moves to more jazzy tunes. “As Time Goes By” is a jazz standard that has been covered by Michael Bolton in this version. His voice is driving and strong and definitely smooth. It has a nice tempo and feel throughout the song. The next song, “Two Sleepy People” is another one that is a standard that has been covered by Seth McFarlane and Norah Jones. This is a very romantic song that will definitely have the effect of bonding mother and birthing partner. “Dream A Little Dream of Me” has the same effect. The last section of my playlists features a couple of indie/folk tunes, “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” and “Love and Some Verses.” These songs are both calming and romantic, with really lovely, poetry-like words that a couple can listen to and relate to their own relationship that has resulted in the conception of their beautiful child.
This is a great example of a personalized playlist that I would create for a birth mother from her own collection... helping her to flow music that is meaningful to her. This would be helpful in pregnancy and very early labor. As contractions become regular however even in early labor, music that is more similar in orchestration and genre is generally more supportive of the rhythm patterns of the contractions and relaxation.
I was surprised at how difficult I found it to focus my attention to just one category for this playlist assignment. I ended up making 3 playlists in different categories and chose the one I felt the most confident about. I chose a positive focus playlist because research shows that feelings of safety, freedom, and confidence contribute to the progression of labor. While I fully support the use of music throughout the labor and delivery experience, it seems to me that it is imperative to set the tone and space for birth in the early stages of labor as the mother prepares her body and mind.
I selected my own preferred music for the playlist and based my song choices on similar tempi, feeling, and genre while also taking great care in choosing simple instrumentation to support a feeling of ease. I wanted to the playlist to feel like a welcoming hug, a calm and steady presence, and a warm invitation into the birthing space.
I chose the order based on a rise and fall in tempi, giving ample opportunities for movement, partner bonding, connection with the baby, and focus. I ended the playlist with 3 songs that elicit imagery conducive to a transition to meditation. I also ended the playlist with the slowest of all of the songs to facilitate a change in breath and focus as the mother progresses.
I imagine that as I grow my playlist repertoire and memorize the playlists provided in the course, I would instinctively know when to move between playlists, or skip certain songs to support the needs and stages of the mother. With that in mind I tried to create a playlist that could work as a seamless sequence or could be played in pieces that would easily transition into other categories.
Creating my own playlist had to be one of the most fun yet challenging tasks!
I went with the bonding theme because that spoke to me, because I strongly feel and hope that giving birth should be an experience experienced with your partner if possible.
While choosing the music, I spent time contemplating what kind of music I would want to listen to while being held by my partner. For me, I like listening to music that is calming, uplifting and hopeful all at the same time. If the song includes lyrics, that the lyrics contain positive messages that aid me in the moment that I'm in. So for the bonding theme, I envisioned being in that moment of labor, about to give life, with my partner holding me and what music I wanted to hear; and out came out my playlist.
The order I chose had to do with the different instruments and intensity of the songs. I began with a strictly solo piano piece first. None of my solo piano solos that I had chosen where classical standards, but current creations from the last 10 years. I made this decision because for me, classical standards such as Mozart or Haydn can be extremely complex in its structure and music, and to me, I did not want to be focusing on the complexity of music, but the soothing simplicity and affect that it offers.
I switched the song from solo piano to vocals back to solo piano at times because I imagined that I would want to focus on lyrics every so often.
I also chose the vocal songs that I did because they evoked the imagery of love, support, comfort, and intimacy; all feelings that I believe should be present during "bonding" with one's partner.
HI Laura C.: I'm glad you had a good experience with the playlist assignment. This is a great example of a personalized playlist I would create for a client and partner to listen to during pregnancy or very early labor. This would fall into the Positive Focus category and would be great for setting the tone of labor. For Bonding playlists these are used after birth and are usually played after the birth and are generally more focused on the baby. :)
I was intrigued by the possibility of creating an Imagery playlist for the later stages of labor. Since verbal communication can be difficult during this intense phase of the birthing process, it seems that music can play a significant role in supporting the mother, helping her to stay relaxed, and keeping her focused. Knowing that many women are in an altered state at this point in labor, I felt some trepidation when choosing music. It is quite a responsibility to accompany someone through such an intense process. I’m grateful for the opportunity to practice, though, and thought it would be useful to get feedback on a playlist for the stage of birth that feels most intimidating to me.
I chose to start with two pieces from Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack to The Mission. I love using this music to facilitate imagery experiences, due to its simple instrumentation and clear melody. It is evocative, but not overwhelming, so it seemed like a good place to start. I tried to select music with similar instrumentation (strings and woodwinds) throughout, though I did choose pieces with a thicker texture as the playlist progressed. I wanted the music to gradually increase in intensity and fullness, supporting and reflecting the mother’s process in transition. I chose to use classical pieces with strong melodic lines, thinking that the harmonies would be rich and complex enough to support the mother’s imagery techniques, while the melodies would give her something to focus on and follow.
Arranging the playlist was challenging! Some pieces clearly seemed to belong together, but I rearranged others several times. I’m still not sure about some of the transitions, and will probably continue to play around with the order some more.
Nice job on this playlist Dorothy. I can see you put a lot of time and thought into it. It is a good idea to be mindful of the tempi so they pieces flow well and are not too fast. Dvorak 9 Largo is on the SB Imagery Support list and the Enigma Variations was on one of the original dissertation playlists so you are spot on with your musical choices for texture. Yes it is challenging to sequence them isn't it? It is definitely a work in progress. Keep us updated on your playlist as it develops and how it is received by your clients. I always like to hear feedback .
I work with adolescents in a prenatal clinic. Many times, they report that they primarily listen to current music, in particular, hip hop and R&B, and Spanish music from their country, such as Mexico or Dominican Republic. My playlist focuses on current music, a mixture between hip hop and R&B. The category is under positive focus during early labor stage. When selecting each song, my primary intention is to find an andantino-moderate tempo. Many of the adolescents present with difficulty slowing down. Thus, I think providing andante songs could irritate them, rather than remembering to breathe especially when labor is just beginning. Finding music at a moderate tempo (bpm is mostly in the 80s), and familiar songs can encourage them to refocus their attention to the music. All the songs have lyrics which can provoke emotions such as love, comfort, empowerment, and self-reflection. Also, providing words may naturally trigger adolescents to sing, which automatically encourages breathing and re-focusing on her body. Providing them with various artists and quality of voice can provide anticipation of the next song as labor slowly progresses.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, slight changes in tempo and type of vocals provide variations to prevent adolescents from feeling bored or distracted. Furthermore, many of the songs I selected revolve around the idea of love. This is to promote healthy bonding between partners. Although anything can happen post birth, at least in the moment, each couple is in the process together and taking responsibility for their unexpected journey. Many of the songs provide a repetitive percussive beat throughout each song, while providing a clear downbeat in 4/4 time. Aside from the relationship aspect, songs like “Halo” and “Girl on Fire” provides a sense of confidence and woman power. Allowing her to feel confident to be part of something scary, yet special may prevent complications as relaxing muscles are better than constantly tensing muscles. Overall, songs provide a positive direction in her labor process.
Hi Angel,
DeleteI really enjoyed your playlist! I thought it was very unique to choose R&B and I learned a lot from listening to your playlist! Thank you for sharing and your explanations.
Yes great job Angel! We have Girl on Fir on the Girl Power playlist- that is a great tune. :) I think you are spot on with your observations regarding the adolescent population. I work with adolescents too and their attention span is very short for anything they don't immediate recognize or connect with. That is why a lot of prenatal education with them and teaching about how music for pain relief is different for music for entertainment purposes is really important. That being said- finding music that will work for pain relief in intense active and transition labor might be a bit of a challenge but we will work together to help you create more playlists that can be effective for your population and we can find a few from the current playlists that I think will work for them if they are willing to try them. :)
DeleteHi Angel! I enjoyed your playlist also (I didn't know a few of the songs). Other than having a 13 y/o boy myself, I don't have experience working with adolescents I can definitely see the benefit of using positive focus playlists that contain current/familiar songs for adolescent clients to help with focus & attention before labor gets to be more intense!
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ReplyDeleteHi everyone,
ReplyDeleteI had a really good time with this material this week. For one I really enjoyed the playlists in the Sound Birth Spotify account. Upon first reading of the assignment I simply assumed that I would use the music already in the Spotify account and make them my own/rearrange with a specific goal in mind and then I read the assignment description again and thought it might actually mean finding my own music. So, I have 2 examples in my assignment this week (1 with music from the Sound Birth playlists, and the other with original music that I found). I choose to do my original music playlist for mother & infant bonding. This is one of the stages of labor that I am most excited about experiencing one day and look forward to providing that blanket of music to support the bonding process. I looked for a variety of songs that fit well together. When I design recorded music interventions I am very careful of the order in which I design. I really like to make the transition between each song as seamless as possible. As I designed my bonding playlist I imagined the first moment of bonding with the first song to the last song which guided mom and baby to sleep. I was particularly interested in songs that provided a full sound while also having a sweet melody that would complement and encourage the bonding process and the hormonal changes going on during this first postpartum period.
As I designed and listened to this I was taken back to my best friend's birth who was unable to even hold her baby during that time and missed out on this bonding process for unnecessary medical interventions. I hope that with this training I can aid mother's in this important stage of birth.
Hope you are all enjoying your week,
Kristin
Both of my boys were born via c-section, so I didn't get to experience the initial bonding process either. It's definitely something I wish I could have experienced looking back. Nice songs!
DeleteGreat job Kristin. Thanks for sharing! Yes the bonding time is so critical for the emotional relationship between mom and baby and provides the foundation for the initial breastfeeding experiences if mother is breastfeeding. The music helps to release oxytocin which helps let down reflex and makes breastfeeding easier too. So there are bio-psycho-social benefits throughout this process. Also live music with sft guitar or uke can be excellent during this time if parents would like it. It is important to remember that the music should always be supportive during this time. :) MD
ReplyDeleteI do not have children and thus have never been through the process of childbirth. I tried to imagine the feelings that an expectant mother would be experiencing (emotionally and physically) during the period of early labor - anticipation, fear, elation, joy, discomfort, self-doubt all came to mind. I then tried to think of elements of music that would address some/all of those feelings and would assist in moving the woman through and with them. I have done 9 marathons over the course of the last several years and even though they are obviously nothing like giving birth, they are a test of endurance and can be quite painful. Often I have wanted to give up, but I have also wanted the feeling of elation and joy that comes with the accomplishment. I drew open those themes as well when developing this because for many women, labor is a marathon expereince, it can be painful and some want to give up. I also tried to be aware of transitions; however, I think the playlst could be reshuffled to meet the specific preference of the mother. I considered melodic elements, vocal timbre, level of variation in style and structure (not too much, but enough to be interesting), message of the music, feeling that the music evoked, if the music would elicit gentle movement (which may be desired at this stage of labor) and would also be approporiate for simply welcoming in to pass the time (if that was what the mother needed at the time). I changed the playist several times afer listning to it. I wanted the music to evoke a sense of love, joy and empowerment at this stage of labor in order to hopefully put the mother in a very positive place early in the experience.
ReplyDeleteI also haven't experienced childbirth before. Your guesses of the changing and often conflicting feelings seem appropriate compared to stories I've heard from other women. I love your comparison of birth to a marathon! Though I haven't experienced either of these, a friend who has been through multiple natural births told me something I thought was profound and important to keep in mind: choosing to take the easy and painless path through birth before even trying to prepare properly for it is like signing up to run a marathon but never training for it, all while hoping to make it to the end without pain.
DeleteI can see how it would be possible to switch around the order for the mother as well. I thought songs you chose could easily be shuffled in any order! I enjoyed all the acoustic guitar.
I wonder whether this is the same on your end: when I went into Spotify, I was only able to listen to four of the songs on your playlist.
Also, I ran into issues when creating my own playlist, in that sometimes I felt a song went perfectly in this particular playlist, but it didn't fit within the metronome marking I'd listed to begin with. I had a very narrow range to work with as well (60-72). After seeing your playlist as well as several of Mary's playlists, I realized there were some that didn't fit the bill but it was okay to keep them anyway. They were perhaps like outliers that needed to remain for some reason or another. Some of the songs' metronome markings could be counted differently based on how different people hear the divisions of the beat. I'd love to hear your reasons!
Yes there are some songs that don't fit bill but you can keep them. These are just guidelines. But remember, the bio physiological response to music is very significant and you have to make sure that your choices will not alert or shift the conscious awareness of a laboring mother. It is important to remember not to shuffle them however. Mothers will be listening to them and this will create expectancy of what is coming next. This creates familiarity, safeness, and a sense of security. When you are actually in labor (active and transition) you are in an altered state. Women are actively managing pain and rely on the expectancy. It is very important not to shuffle. It is different when women are actively in pain and when they are not.
DeleteI've never run a marathon - but I do like the comparison. :) For my first son, I was induced with cervidil and given pitocin a few hours later. 8 hours of pitocin with no pain medication - the most exhausting thing I've ever experienced. When the doctor said "I think we need to do the c-section now" - I was more than ready to concede. (She didn't want me to labor in the first place because baby was measuring about 10 lbs. a week prior to my induction.) I hadn't dilated very much and he was at like -1 or -2 station. Anyway - while I don't know about marathons - I can see how they are similar. Having gone through labor - I can understand why many women want to give up and readily give in to suggestions made by the doctor when labor feels unbearable. I think that's part of why I feel what we are learning is so important. We can be there to use the music to support our clients to work through the labor that feels difficult.
DeleteI didn't get to listen to all of your playlist. Some of the songs aren't showing.
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ReplyDeleteThe category I chose to do my original playlist on is for pushing baby down. Although I never had an experience on giving birth, by videos that I saw and comments I heard from friends about the pushing stage, in my own opinion, I feel like this is the “real deal” stage. What a mom has been preparing and expecting for the past 10 months is the birth of her baby. During this stage, besides dealing with the pain and other psychological factors, a mom needs tremendous physical effort and energy to push her baby out. Having the appropriate breathing and pushing pattern play an important role because this could make the process faster.
ReplyDeleteAs I design my playlist, I considered if there is steady rhythmic or harmonic patterns (to support the breathing and pushing pattern); the dynamics and melodic contour of the song (to build and to release energy), the key (major keys tend to give people a more positive feeling), the tempo (72-120 bpm, faster tempo is more energetic yet not too fast to over-stimulate or to become an disturbance to the mother), and also the name of the song (the mother probably will not remember the names of the songs, but when going through the list before labor, names such as sad piano or dark summer could evoke negative imagery beforehand). At this stage, I hope the music serves as an extra pair of hands beside all the other helpers to help the mother with the delivery process and to send energy and power to the mother for her to keep pushing, even when she is feeling exhausting.
Great thoughts VIvian- thank you for sharing!
DeleteI created a playlist for my own birth that will take place in April with my first child. I chose positive focus during early labor, with my own song preferences that would encourage, offer hope, and strengthen me in the beginning labor stages. Many of the songs include piano as the main instrument with grounding rhythms and encouraging vocals with freely flowing melodies for relaxation and reflection. My considerations included songs that dealt with any current fears, placed those fears down and looked to Jesus, exalted Jesus, invited me to rest and persevere, and reminded of the life’s purpose as well as the purposeful pain of labor. Several songs include string and electronic music supports during transitions, which was a consideration when choosing the order of the playlist as well. Many songs begin and end very quietly, which means this playlist could easily be shuffled. However, the lyrics are also generally ordered topically to begin with letting go of fears, looking to Jesus, resting in Him as my living hope, and continuing to persevere because of the strength that He gives.
ReplyDeleteI could easily have spent many more days on this playlist. I found myself adding more and more to it, only to find it was over an hour. As I paired it back down, I began compiling songs for other purposes since I’d found songs that were new to me.
I liked your playlist. I feel that God is added source of support in the room for a Christian during labor. :) (I've never heard of Laura Hackett. I like her songs from your list! I discovered JJ Heller when I was deciding what playlist to create. I had started one of Christian love songs.)
DeleteI loved some of the verbal cues -
"breathe darling breathe" (song 2) - so important even at that early stage of labor to breathe!
"don't give up" (song 3) - important for those who can feel discouraged with a prolonged early labor
Laura Hackett is the best. ;) Love her.
DeleteGreat Anna- early labor playlist order is not as important but as I noted in the post above- shuffling should not be done for active and transition playlists. It is also important when you are working with a client to always start with the first track and not in the middle of a playlist during active and transition labor because of the expectancy. Yes when I create a playlist I often find that it becomes 2 or 3 separate playlists because of the music I discover when creating them. I am so glad you are creating playlists that will help you in your birth and I hope you can share with us your experience after your labor and birth. : )
ReplyDeleteI can see why creating the MTAC playlists took you 2 years Mary! I could easily have spent days on this, but for now I'll step back and let it live as is. I created a playlist for gentle movement, imagining a women moving her hips in circles on a ball or using her partner for physical support in a kind of dancing movement during labor. I chose to utilize celtic music and found pieces with similar instrumentation and tempo. I found it challenging to find a balance between music that flowed together but was still a little different to create a feeling of positive forward progression that I feel is so important when supporting a woman in labor. While choosing the pieces for this playlist I imagined my own labor experience and closed my eyes to see if I could imagine moving and breathing to the music. I found it so easy to get sidetracked and pulled into other moods by pieces of music and can see how creating one playlist easily leads many more to be created.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa, I love the Celtic music you chose. Very relaxing and soothing, yet encouraging movement, swaying, rocking. I could definitely see using this for movement and relaxation.
DeleteGreat insight Alyssa thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHello! I find myself thankful for the extra time before conference to get things completed! The lovely fall weather recently got me with sinus issues (accompanied by off & on sinus headaches.) Feeling better now though. Hope you all enjoyed your Halloween!
ReplyDeleteFor my playlist, I chose Positive Focus for early labor using 80s/90s love songs. I honestly couldn't decide what I wanted to do at first! I had started a couple of different playlists and finally focused on this one. I was inspired by a recent conversation with a friend of mine (who is in her 20s) who loves the music of the 80s and 90s. A few months ago, she gave birth to a stillborn baby girl at just shy of 24 weeks. She told me they were planning to begin trying again (it took them a while to get pregnant this most recent time following a prior miscarriage).
I feel the early stage of labor is an important time for a couple. Each child brings a change to the family dynamic. Songs used for this early stage of labor can serve as a reminder of the love that brought the couple together. It is a time to connect with each other as a couple before the birth of their baby. The songs I selected for the playlist were chosen to help elicit and support those feelings of love and togetherness. I envisioned this playlist being used to pass the time of early labor, movement/walking, swaying/dancing or holding one another for support and connection.
Because many women are having children later in life, I imagined this playlist being geared more towards mothers of advanced maternal age (or if you have women like my friend who enjoys music from those years). Factors that I considered were: meter and tempo (to encourage movement or swaying/dancing) as well as the mood of and feeling elicited from the songs (love). I tried to transition the songs with similar instrumentation and/or sounds (finger snaps, clicks) when possible. The slower songs at the end could be used as a transition towards relaxation or meditation playlists.
In regard to the playlist, I created a playlist with a certain client (friend to practice with) in mind. She requested music that was personal to her and her husband. There was one particular artist that was a favorite, and they also requested a few songs with ties to their wedding. In the early stages of labor, the woman and her support may need a way to connect, refocus, and bond before the more difficult stages of labor.
ReplyDeleteThe specific music was very focus on the lyrics for this stage. Lyrics focused on love for each other, love of God, trust in God, and letting go and letting God be in control for this journey.
Near the end of the playlist, I included a song/prayer and then a transition song that was a little more upbeat, but in a 6/8 time signature which allows for upbeat or a slower pace - whichever is needed at the time.
What a great way to get feedback on your playlist- creating for someone in mind! I love your theme of love and trust.
DeleteI wanted to create a playlist for birth mothers placing their babies for adoption. This landed me on a positive focus playlist in early labor for emotional support. I also thought the same playlist could be used as post labor support once home without the baby. I chose to focus on spiritual support, as most birth mothers often do not have the social support of a partner or family members. I thought relying on God as a sense of strength and support could be a powerful tool while beginning labor with their baby.
ReplyDeleteSeveral of the songs I chose had wave like climaxes (ebbing and flowing), which I thought would follow the sense of beginning contractions. A few of them included sounds of waves or water. All my songs focused on using God as a sense of comfort or place of strength. I chose to begin and end the playlist with a song that was focused on lyrics of remaining relaxed and calm.
I like how specific your target was. I think that I struggled because I didn't have a complete view of who I thought should be the listener. Having mothers who are placing their babies for adoption and who identify as being religious/spiritual is great.
DeleteWhen I made my playlist, I had my daughter in mind. She is getting married in June, not planning on kids anytime soon, but I know it won't be that long before the baby bug hits. They are both country fans and I included a lot of songs current and some older that are slow, love songs. As a personal touch, I added a version she did of herself singing over "their song" at the end of the list. This is what seems like the "easiest" playlist to do, but it is really hard to narrow it down. This is a good starting point to have the birth mother personalize it to songs that are special to them, or that remind them of a certain place/time. And possibly make 2 or 3 different but similar playlists so that if one is just not working, then maybe the next one will. Having several playlists of this type too might come in handy since this is the longest part of labor, so it may be needed to have a lot of music.
ReplyDeleteI love your country songs! (I started a country love song playlist also and have many of those in mine.)
DeleteAs important as the elements of the music are - I feel that a big component of the positive focus playlist is also the message/lyrics of the selected songs. There are a couple of songs that I'm not sure would work (even though I do personally love them!) depending on your client.
I think the main factors I am taking into consideration is 1) client preference (genre, artists, etc), 2) goal (I chose Imagery), and 3) tempo. Since my sister is giving birth in May, I have chosen her as my main audience. She tends to listen more to current music, mostly singer/songwriter artists. I asked who in particular and she mentioned Grace Potter and Ray Lamontagne. So, I focused on listening to those two artists and finding what they had in common. Mostly it was instrumentation and rhythms. While compiling her playlist for imagery, I kept in mind the target tempo of 60-72 bpm. I found quite a few songs that had similar instrumentation and added them to her playlist. I listened to the playlist probably 4 times through, shuffling songs around until they flowed well. I also kept in mind the type of music she would have during her next stage of labor, which is a quicker tempo. I made sure to lead up to that quicker tempo and smoothed out any jolting key changes between songs.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed making these playlists! I know my sister's taste in music is probably not the majority in who I would work with in the future, but it is fun to create something specifically for someone, in order to make their birth process more comfortable and smoother.
Wow that is great that you got to make the playlists for your sister. : ) Send me your play lists so I can hear them. Thanks! Mary D.
ReplyDeleteThere were several thoughts which crossed my mind at various points while creating a sound birthing playlist to support movement during active labor. My playlist is intended to encourage the feeling of focused energy for movement (as in using a ball or gentle dancing) and coping with discomfort through breathing.
ReplyDeleteI started by choosing a general musical genre and instrumentation to guide my searching. Since personal preference of a client would be a top consideration in the clinical setting, and I do not have any close friend or family member expecting at this time, I used my own preferences for an example of a client's wishes. I knew that I wanted instrumental music only. However sometimes typical orchestral music can feel more like work to me because of my orchestral studies. Instead the genre I chose was instrumental country and bluegrass style music. The different instrumentation of guitar and banjo with occasional fiddle had a more earthy and home-grown feeling to me. This was simply a more comforting sound in my opinion and yet still offered plenty of music with natural motion and uncomplicated progressions to support my goals.
In addition to the genre and instrumentation qualifiers, I also utilized the tempo guidelines discussed in the Sound Birthing Music Manual which suggests music between 90 and 120 beats per minute for movement playlists. With these requirements, I selected various pieces until I had nearly an hour of music.
As I began to put my music in an ideal order my primary concerns were making sure tempo changes and instrumentation transitions were subtle. My goal was for these changes to be as least intrusive as possible. For example, my playlist is structured around a bell curve in terms of tempo in that the beginning pieces are slower (towards the low end of the tempo range). The selections get increasingly faster towards the middle of the playlist and then gradually slow down again towards the end. It is my hope that ultimately slowing down movement and breathing in this stage through decreasing tempo markings would facilitate a smoother transition to another method of coping such as using meditation or imagery (supported with even slower music). To the best of my ability I tried to match instrumentation by instrument or thickness/depth from the end of one piece to the beginning of another. I also considered the pitch height (and key) so that large pitch leaps were avoided when possible. The volume of each beginning and end was another important aspect that helped determine the best listening order.
I have listened to my selections and playlist several times and I do feel that it supports the designated goals for movement and breathing. Overall it provides motion through music and a feeling of moving forward which would hopefully be emotionally and psychologically encouraging in this selected stage of labor.
One challenge I experienced in creating this playlist was achieving a long enough list in terms of time. Perhaps it is related to the genre I chose in that most songs are less than 4 minutes long. I have 14 songs total and still have just barely over 50 minutes of music to offer. In the end I decided to keep the playlist at this length because it crossed my mind that continuous movement for too long may also become more tiresome than helpful!
Yes nice job using the bell curve idea of flowing the music by tempo. It is hard to find an hour of music to make a playlist! Keep in mind that when in labor there are breaks between the contractions (usually at least a few minutes) so movement is not continuous. Often if a mother is using the ball during labor she is resting between the contractions. Another thing to remember is that labor lasts for a long time for some women so it is important to make sure we have enough music. Sometimes it takes a long time to find the right pieces to create a complete playlists. : )
DeleteCan I first say that this was immensely enjoyable! Due to this being a totally made up practice playlist I loved how it was set up like a musical mad lib. I chose my music based on my choices at the beginning. I knew from the reading I needed 90-120 mpb for movement. I knew I needed fiddle instrumentation and folk genre because of my choices, but everything else was totally dependent on the other knowledge I had gathered through the readings and what I know about the nature of music.
ReplyDeleteI chose music with a grounded bass line; a steady unwavering tempo that could be recognized without strain. My playlist focused on elements such as driving beat pattern, emphasis on down beats, lilting accents. I wanted to make sure I was finding music that was motivating, empowering and yet not so upbeat it was frenzying or annoying.
I also had to consider the repetitive nature of fiddle/folk music. Was it too mundane, or vexingly repetitive, or did it have enough variety to distract from the discomfort. I thought it was interesting how many elements went into choosing a song. I found myself trying to walk, sway or rock to the music to see if it was a comfortable tempo. Did the song jump out from an already complied playlist making me smile or automatically start to move? I also tried to organize the playlist with transitions in mind and progressive tempo as well. I considered all these things in building my playlist.
Great! Please send me a link to your playlist. Thanks! Mary D
DeleteFor my Sound Birthing Playlist, I wanted to focus on relaxing during the active stage of labor, so I wanted chose music that would promote relaxation, but would also facilitate gentle, smooth movements if needed. I mainly chose pieces with piano and strings orchestrations because they have a wide range of abilities and possibilities. When choosing music, I focused on finding music that had smooth articulations and open chordal structures. All the pieces had a moving or flowing melody lines with many opportunities to breathe with the music. Another thing I considered was the order of the music. I began the playlist with lighter, simpler textures and slower tempi, then sped the tempi up towards the end and slowly added thicker textures and more intensity.
ReplyDeleteI started out with twice the number of songs I needed, but as I re-listened, I shuffled, cut, and exchanged many of the songs for something else, the list began to form itself. I lost track of the number of hours I put into this playlist, but I fully realize that it still needs a lot of work! Every time I listen to the list as a whole, I realize how something else doesn’t quite fit or could be swapped for something else, but I also realize we all have to start somewhere – so this is a start!
Yes the playlists are a work in progress! It is not easy to create an hour of programmed music that is continuous with minimal transitions. They can take quite a long time to create. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great brain challenge for me. I found myself having difficulties beginning this activity. I had too many song running through my mind. After some tips and talking to my pregnant co-worker, she gave me some of her favorite songs. This became my inspiration point. I went with Positive Focus: Soothing Male: My friend seem to enjoy male voices and gave me a variety of Country and Cont. Christian songs. I see where you could play with this song list for hours especially with the starting song and the ending song before finalizing the list.
ReplyDeleteI found I was intrigued with transitioning with male timbre and tempo gradually getting faster and then slowing back down. Trying to intermittently add her favorites and giving her a variety of new but similar as well.
I can also see where this could be quite addictive and making several playlist while riding down the road and trying to remember songs as I hear them and what playlist I would like to add them too.
It has also been interesting to listen to my husbands comments as I work on this at night and his input and point of view. Which brings Up the father- How much this is not just for the mother but the father also plays a critical role and bringing this experience to both of them in a positive manner. Keeping them both grounded and positive and relaxed.
I do think this is just a start and I have a lot to learn and practice with developing playlist and I can not wait to see where I am 4 years from now as I craft a new tool or instrument.
Aweome reflections Karla. Yes it is a challenge and you will listen to music in a whole new way from this point forward. In our Birth Music Consultation course we spend a good portion of our time talking about and reading about hwo we can best support fathers in this process. Yes the music supports mother, baby, and partner. And us too if we are present during the labor and birth. :)
DeleteYES! I always tell birth partner they should listen to the playlists too. The more they listens and learns the music (and learns to relax to it) the better for momma!
DeleteFor me, I couldn't have my husband in charge of the playlists though... that man has an itchy finger when it comes to song selection!
When using the Sound Birthing Method we use specific playlists selected by a music therapist and practice deep relaxation exercises with these playlists for weeks prior to birth The playlists should not be played out of order. Feeling of safety and expectancy are very important in helping to release the right biochemicals necessary for the birth process to unfold. The playlists are started from the beginning and not be played out of order. Our research shows that women who spent more time practicing the relaxation exercises prenatally with the playlists for weeks prior to birth have shorter labors, report less pain and are generally more satisfied with their birth experiences. The other factor that is most important is that support from the Music Therapist during the birth is equally as important.
DeleteWhen creating my lullaby playlist, the first thing I considered was beats per minute. Because the preceding playlist reaches up to 90 bpm and down to 72, I chose to use a bumper song (at about 75 bpm) to help smooth the transition. I then ordered the song in descending order to their bpm.
ReplyDeleteI tried to use songs that didn't have to much percussion, more specifically, sudden crashes, to avoid any startling disruptions.
I also chose to use mostly songs with a female voice because infants prefer female voices over males.
As for lyric content, I tried to use songs that helps mothers reflect and look at their sleeping baby and think "I did it, I made it, and look how beautiful!."
Sounds like you took a very systemic approach to creating the playlists!
DeleteAwesome thanks Patricia! Those are qualities I would think about when creating a lullaby playlist. Please post your link in the Google drive in the Week 2 folder so we can all listen to it. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI chose to make an active relaxation playlist with an emphasis on song order. I meant for this to be a transition playlist as the beginning includes a majority of songs with lyrics as well as more active pieces with faster tempos and more melodic movement.
ReplyDeleteThe readings emphasized preferred music, so I used the Ellie Goulding version of "Your song" to begin the playlist. It's a commonly known song and its lyric content as well as calming female voice were factors in its selection.
Two of my three vocal tracks were female voices. I chose the third, "Beautiful Boy," by Ben Harper for the lyric content "Close your eyes, have no fear," as well as the intentional singing of a father to a song to include the birth partner. I used a song in spanish to transition out of paying attention to lyrics (assuming the mother is an English speaker).
I concluded the playlist with "Arctique" by Rene Aubry and "Over the Ocean." Both are heavily programmatic and evoke images of calming and quiet arctic and oceanic landscapes. I know this is technically more imagery but the images invoked seemed to fit more into the relaxation section than the more active imagery section.
All of my pieces were chosen because they lacked heavy percussion and abrupt dynamic or tempo shifts.
I ended up redoing this playlist about six times, because I had so many different ideas about the way I wanted it to function.
Playlists are ever changing! What sounds good today to your ears might not tomorrow.
DeleteI don't think I have access at the moment to listen to your playlists, but I believe that with the relaxation playlists you are looking for strictly relaxation, and not too much evoking of imagery. As you said yourself, that is usually better suited for transition.
Yes they are definitely a work in progress! I listened to your playlist and I noticed that you had a lot of different styles and genres of music in 1 playlist. In music used during labor we want as little change as possible between songs. We need the music to hold the client in deep relaxation. Changes in musical style, meter, rhythms, etc. may alert the arousal system and interfere with the labor process. I liked the songs you chose- however they would probably be best as 4 different playlists, Positive focus with vocals, relaxation guitar, classical, and jazz relaxation; rather than all together on this one playlist. If you study the Sound Birthing Playlists and listen to them you will get the idea. :) and yes as Corinne said we do not need imagery and transition music on the relaxation playlist because this function is different.
DeleteI think I was too focused on the initial Functions one and was just confused when I listened to all the others. I think I just condensed it all instead of making one functional one, so what you're saying makes sense. I'll go back and separate them.
DeleteI too had some difficulties beginning this activity Karla,as I had so many ideas floating around in my head - I initially thought I would focus on Imagery, however I felt drawn to meditation as I remembered the times music and sound were most important for me and this was when I was trying to remain calm and relaxed. More specifically, because I love mantra meditation and kirtan, I decided to be influenced by them.
ReplyDeleteThe first track starts around 75 bpm as I wanted to be able to meet the mother closer to where she might be at emotionally and physically and then gradually bring her heartrate down as the tempo drops, allowing a place for deep relaxation.
Although there are vocals used in most of the tracks, there are a lot of elongated vowel sounds, vedic languages and of course repetitive mantras. Any lyrics used are positive in focus and many promote images of the ocean and waves - which I know many women often find a useful tool to visualise during labour. The songs gradually strip away use of instrumentation, until voice is the main focus in 'Ever so lonely', before moving into the 'Ohms'. I had to include this track, as I remember just how grounding the use of this sound was in my own labour and how much it helped to calm me. 'Breathing Space' is an opportunity to hold space for the 'ohm's' that have gone before and the music once again starts to slowly build, as if rising out of a deep wave. Although the tempi remains between 60-72 bpm, the tracks gradually build again in both tempo and instrumentation, giving the mother an opportunity to regain her strength and energy in preparation for the next stage.
Sounds like this playlist would lend itself well to a momma who practiced meditation, yoga, etc. throughout her life and pregnancy.
DeleteAbsolutely! And I think a MTACB would be something that would appeal to a lot of women who practice yoga etc.
DeleteSounds great! Post your playlist in the Google drive for Week 2 so I can have a listen. :) MD
ReplyDeleteSorry I sent it via email as I wasn't quite sure how to share with you via Spotify? Will have a go at google drive.
ReplyDeleteI chose to create a meditation playlist with an emphasis on breath. I chose New Age mostly electronically instrumental music that had a breathy timbre. I was mostly trying to imagine what I would enjoy to relax to! I also considered the potential clients I may be working with and went with a "yoga class" feel.
ReplyDeleteMost of the music I selected I couldn't even discern a tempo! Mary, is there a trick for this? The music I chose was also very peaceful with little change in instrumentation, mood, or dynamics. I bookended the playlist with more lush, dense, and slightly active pieces for coming in and out of deeper relaxation.
Meditation and breathing are such essential elements of labor especially during periods of rest. I am excited to listen to it and will send you some feedback. :) MD
DeleteI chose to create an imagery playlist, mostly with music in the electronic/post rock genre. I tried to choose music that evoked imagery of nature, peaceful settings and vistas I have seen, and allowed my brain to wander. Most of the music is very ethereal and slow, with some being more pulsating and with more of a driving beat.
ReplyDeleteSome of the artists are from Iceland, so it has a different kind of timbre than I am used to. However, I feel this kind of sound is very lush and rich and has lots of different kinds of sounds to focus on to let the brain wander.
Sounds great! Can't wait to listen to it. Please post your name here because you are coming up as unknown. That way I can send you some feedback. Mary D. :)
DeleteI chose to create a positive focus playlist for Early Labor to which the mother and partner could slow dance to and engage in movement. I wanted the playlist to portray tenderness and chose to use soul music (both new and old). I specifically chose to have only male vocalists, as well, hoping to create a supportive and nurturing atmosphere for the mother. What I also enjoyed about using this genre for the assignment is that the rhythmic sections of the pieces I chose always had that strong beat you could entrain and get lost in.
ReplyDeleteWhile picking the music, I attempted to keep it all at a relative dynamic level and pick songs with a duple meter. I found many songs to be in 6/8 but still have the duple feel. I found myself spending mass amounts of time on trying to find a sequence I found to flow best -- and the annoyance of having a song you want to use but just can't find that perfect spot in the playlist. At the beginning of the assignment, I didn't find myself paying as much attention to the keys of the pieces, which I later found while trying to sequence that I wished I did. The songs that I wanted to keep together I found were often in the same key.
As I put the playlist together, I put the faster tempo songs near the end as an easier transition to a playlist made possibly for more movement as labor progressed.
Great Kimber sounds like you did an awesome job and were very careful in your consideration of pieces. I will take a listen this afternoon and send you some feedback. :)
DeleteI enjoyed reading about your process in creating this playlist--very thoughtful! I think it's great to create a space early in labor for the mother and partner to connect with each other and prepare for what they are about to experience together. Music can do that so naturally through rhythm that encourages movement and flow, and it sounds like your playlist would be great for partner bonding.
DeletePutting together a playlist was more challenging than I anticipated, I probably started 4-5 different playlists. I am very picky when it comes to choosing music and I generally have to feel a sense of connection to the songs I use.
ReplyDeleteI decided to put together a playlist specifically for bonding. I chose songs that could potentially portray the love a mother feels after just giving birth. Each song can connect back to love, support, or are a song that was specifically written for their child (like Hey Jude). I decided to do a mixture of instrumental and original versions of songs. Since I chose 'bonding' I felt that I wanted to focus more on the meaning of each song versus the instrumentation. I went back and forth listening to multiple variations of each song before making my decisions.
I did not put my playlist in a specific order and I believe each song falls between 76-108 bpm.
I originally tried to use all instrumental songs but I found that some songs needed to be the original versions complete with the lyrics.
I also wanted to choose some songs that had a consistent rhythm throughout, so the mother (and father) had something they could grab on to.
Yes Jill all good ideas. Playlists often take a lot of work and refining. It definitely takes a lot of patience. :) MD
ReplyDeleteI noticed that there were only two MTACB playlists for G. Birth (Music for the moment of birth), so I chose that Category.
ReplyDeleteI learned in the handbook (p.91) that this music is very situation-dependent, and should be joyous. It may be replaced by the Womb Song or live music may be provided instead.
With that in mind, I selected music that featured instruments that were not heavily featured in many of the other playlists (bassoon, cello, and bass). My husband's primary instrument is bass, and mine is bassoon. If I was working with a client like myself who has a timbral preference, or was hoping to match a lower voice type (mom or dad), I might look to these pieces to be comforting and welcoming. They may be a little niche for clients that are not familiar with them, but I do think many are universally appealing given a little exposure.
I put tracks in order to have mostly related keys playing back to back. The tempi fall in the 72-108 range pretty nicely, but there is a mix of energies. Some are sweetly effervescent with lots of movement, while others are much more subdued. I'm not sure if this would be problematic. I think in a real birth experience, I would likely choose only a handful of these instead of playing all 10 in order.
Right usually we typically use just a few songs on the birth playlist. The music should be joyous yet gentle as the baby is experiencing music on the outside for the first time and is trying to process what is happening and find his mother. :)
DeleteI chose to do a meditation playlist. I have a friend weeks away from her first child and created a playlist based off her. I used piano instrumental that had cyclic bass lines and long ascending/descending structures that mimic deep breathing. They are also religious in nature, and music that she will quickly identify and know they words to. Therefore, I tried to choose hymns with uplifting messages and reminders for trust, peace, and spirituality throughout the process. At this stage, the mother should be reclining or in a tub, so the music reflects ethereal moods that might allow her to transcend pain and focus on the coming joy. In looking for cyclic pieces, I often was drawn to music that felt like a waltz or duple meter. This being the case, the tempo varied outside the parameters in order to compensate for down beat feeling stronger than the successive two beats. In listening, I ordered the playlist to reflect pacing, presence of mind and lyrics, and transitions.
ReplyDeleteLove the piano music and the arrangements are beautiful. I would caution about the opening piece because it is too fast and the last two are also on the fast side. One thing I am cautious about is using music that might evoke a movement response when someone is in the tub. :)
DeleteHannah, have you shared the playlist with your friend? If so, what was her feedback? Also, I would love to hear if she uses it during labor and how she felt about it. I haven't heard your playlist, but your description makes me feel like it might be a good playlist for walking during active labor.
DeleteI chose to do a relaxation/partner bonding playlist. I considered several things when creating this playlist. The first thing I asked myself was, “what is a song that I would want to hear if I were in labor?” So, naturally I used some of my own preferred music that I felt it along the guidelines specified. One of the first bands that came to mind to use was Sigur Ros because of their atmospheric sound and primarily instrumental recordings. I also love how uplifted their music makes me feel and the positive energy it brings. I started with “Sigur 3 (Untitled)” because I felt that it had a calming energy that would bring a mother comfort. After listening to a lot of the playlists, I heard a lot of piano or guitar based music, whether that be covers of songs or classical pieces. I felt that “Nocturne No. 2” and “River Flows in You,” both solo piano pieces, would fit well next to each other on the playlist, giving a nice flow to the experience. On the other end of the pieces, I put the other Sigur Ros song (one of my favorite songs of all time) as a song that evokes some calming, romantic reminiscence between a mother and her birthing partner.
ReplyDelete“Edelweiss” has always been a favorite of mine, and this calming guitar version seemed like a great addition to the playlist. It has a very comforting melody and has a romantic undertone in the movie. The next section of music moves to more jazzy tunes. “As Time Goes By” is a jazz standard that has been covered by Michael Bolton in this version. His voice is driving and strong and definitely smooth. It has a nice tempo and feel throughout the song. The next song, “Two Sleepy People” is another one that is a standard that has been covered by Seth McFarlane and Norah Jones. This is a very romantic song that will definitely have the effect of bonding mother and birthing partner. “Dream A Little Dream of Me” has the same effect. The last section of my playlists features a couple of indie/folk tunes, “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” and “Love and Some Verses.” These songs are both calming and romantic, with really lovely, poetry-like words that a couple can listen to and relate to their own relationship that has resulted in the conception of their beautiful child.
This is a great example of a personalized playlist that I would create for a birth mother from her own collection... helping her to flow music that is meaningful to her. This would be helpful in pregnancy and very early labor. As contractions become regular however even in early labor, music that is more similar in orchestration and genre is generally more supportive of the rhythm patterns of the contractions and relaxation.
DeleteI was surprised at how difficult I found it to focus my attention to just one category for this playlist assignment. I ended up making 3 playlists in different categories and chose the one I felt the most confident about. I chose a positive focus playlist because research shows that feelings of safety, freedom, and confidence contribute to the progression of labor. While I fully support the use of music throughout the labor and delivery experience, it seems to me that it is imperative to set the tone and space for birth in the early stages of labor as the mother prepares her body and mind.
ReplyDeleteI selected my own preferred music for the playlist and based my song choices on similar tempi, feeling, and genre while also taking great care in choosing simple instrumentation to support a feeling of ease. I wanted to the playlist to feel like a welcoming hug, a calm and steady presence, and a warm invitation into the birthing space.
I chose the order based on a rise and fall in tempi, giving ample opportunities for movement, partner bonding, connection with the baby, and focus. I ended the playlist with 3 songs that elicit imagery conducive to a transition to meditation. I also ended the playlist with the slowest of all of the songs to facilitate a change in breath and focus as the mother progresses.
I imagine that as I grow my playlist repertoire and memorize the playlists provided in the course, I would instinctively know when to move between playlists, or skip certain songs to support the needs and stages of the mother. With that in mind I tried to create a playlist that could work as a seamless sequence or could be played in pieces that would easily transition into other categories.
Very insightful and excellent job Jamie. :)
ReplyDeleteCreating my own playlist had to be one of the most fun yet challenging tasks!
ReplyDeleteI went with the bonding theme because that spoke to me, because I strongly feel and hope that giving birth should be an experience experienced with your partner if possible.
While choosing the music, I spent time contemplating what kind of music I would want to listen to while being held by my partner. For me, I like listening to music that is calming, uplifting and hopeful all at the same time. If the song includes lyrics, that the lyrics contain positive messages that aid me in the moment that I'm in. So for the bonding theme, I envisioned being in that moment of labor, about to give life, with my partner holding me and what music I wanted to hear; and out came out my playlist.
The order I chose had to do with the different instruments and intensity of the songs. I began with a strictly solo piano piece first. None of my solo piano solos that I had chosen where classical standards, but current creations from the last 10 years. I made this decision because for me, classical standards such as Mozart or Haydn can be extremely complex in its structure and music, and to me, I did not want to be focusing on the complexity of music, but the soothing simplicity and affect that it offers.
I switched the song from solo piano to vocals back to solo piano at times because I imagined that I would want to focus on lyrics every so often.
I also chose the vocal songs that I did because they evoked the imagery of love, support, comfort, and intimacy; all feelings that I believe should be present during "bonding" with one's partner.
HI Laura C.: I'm glad you had a good experience with the playlist assignment. This is a great example of a personalized playlist I would create for a client and partner to listen to during pregnancy or very early labor. This would fall into the Positive Focus category and would be great for setting the tone of labor. For Bonding playlists these are used after birth and are usually played after the birth and are generally more focused on the baby. :)
DeleteI was intrigued by the possibility of creating an Imagery playlist for the later stages of labor. Since verbal communication can be difficult during this intense phase of the birthing process, it seems that music can play a significant role in supporting the mother, helping her to stay relaxed, and keeping her focused. Knowing that many women are in an altered state at this point in labor, I felt some trepidation when choosing music. It is quite a responsibility to accompany someone through such an intense process. I’m grateful for the opportunity to practice, though, and thought it would be useful to get feedback on a playlist for the stage of birth that feels most intimidating to me.
ReplyDeleteI chose to start with two pieces from Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack to The Mission. I love using this music to facilitate imagery experiences, due to its simple instrumentation and clear melody. It is evocative, but not overwhelming, so it seemed like a good place to start. I tried to select music with similar instrumentation (strings and woodwinds) throughout, though I did choose pieces with a thicker texture as the playlist progressed. I wanted the music to gradually increase in intensity and fullness, supporting and reflecting the mother’s process in transition. I chose to use classical pieces with strong melodic lines, thinking that the harmonies would be rich and complex enough to support the mother’s imagery techniques, while the melodies would give her something to focus on and follow.
Arranging the playlist was challenging! Some pieces clearly seemed to belong together, but I rearranged others several times. I’m still not sure about some of the transitions, and will probably continue to play around with the order some more.
Nice job on this playlist Dorothy. I can see you put a lot of time and thought into it. It is a good idea to be mindful of the tempi so they pieces flow well and are not too fast. Dvorak 9 Largo is on the SB Imagery Support list and the Enigma Variations was on one of the original dissertation playlists so you are spot on with your musical choices for texture. Yes it is challenging to sequence them isn't it? It is definitely a work in progress. Keep us updated on your playlist as it develops and how it is received by your clients. I always like to hear feedback .
ReplyDelete