Music & Movement Foundations for Pre-Crawling Babies
Gain clarity and confidence to support your baby’s brain, body, and connection before crawling begins.
First Songs, First Moves is a 4-part workshop series that pairs purposeful musical play with developmentally supportive positioning, created in collaboration with a Pediatric Physical Therapist.
Who This Program Is For
This program is designed for:
Babies not yet crawling
Babies developing on their own timeline, including those born premature
Caregivers seeking informed, responsive guidance—not guesswork
Families who want to build meaningful routines at home
What Caregivers Will Learn
Across the series, caregivers will learn how to:
Choose foundational positions that support motor development
Use live singing intentionally to support early music development
Recognize baby cues and offer predictable, responsive interaction
Understand how babies learn music and process sound before words or imitation
Build simple, repeatable music-and-movement routines for daily use
Make confident, informed decisions instead of overstimulating or second-guessing
Led by Two Specialists
Jenie Song Gagne
Music Educator & Musician
MM in Music Education
GIML Certificate in Early Childhood Music
Erin Milano, PT, DPT
Pediatric Physical Therapist
Specializing in early motor foundations, positioning, and regulation
Together, Erin and Jenie bring a rare, interdisciplinary approach to early learning, helping caregivers understand what is happening developmentally and how to support their babies with clear principles and purposeful activities rather than guesswork.
Workshop Details
4 sessions held the first Saturday of each month (February to May)
9:00-9:45am
Pre-crawling babies | Limited to 8 babies
$160 — full series (recommended)
$45 — single session (only if space allows)
3 Brussels St. #224 Worcester, MA
A single pediatric physical therapy session often costs $150.
This series includes four expert-led sessions, caregiver education, and individualized guidance from both a pediatric physical therapist and an early childhood music specialist in a small group setting. It is educational in nature and does not replace physical therapy services.
Workshops will be recorded for educational purposes to support program development and caregiver learning. Caregivers enrolled in the full series will receive access to edited recordings and resources for at-home support.
Online Learning Component
Families enrolled in the full 4-workshop series will receive access to the online educational recordings as part of this founding cohort experience. These recordings offer a calm, on-demand way to revisit key music learning and motor developmental concepts, notice your baby’s responses over time, and thoughtfully apply the learning at home in a way that fits your family’s rhythm.
Why this stage matters
Long before vision and movement are fully organized, babies are continuously absorbing sound.
Before babies crawl, their brains are doing some of their most intensive work. The auditory processing network is the brain’s largest information-gathering system in infancy. Every sound they hear is shaping their sense of safety and connection. What they hear and feel form the neural pathways for regulation, attention, readiness for language, and music development. This shaping is invisible, but it is constant.
Babies are born with exceptional sensitivity to musical sound and pattern—but this sensitivity declines rapidly without rich, intentional musical input. Most caregivers never receive guidance on the kinds of musical experiences that truly support development or learn how to use live sound and movement intentionally during the newborn months.
First Songs, First Moves makes this invisible development visible—and actionable.
What Happens In Each Workshop
This musical foundation is paired with PT-informed positioning to support comfort, nervous system organization, and early motor readiness.
Each 45-minute session includes:
A structured sequence pairing specific infant positions with music activities
Live singing and chanting for daily routines (feeding, diapering, soothing, play)
Early postural organization (head, trunk, midline)
Guidance on when to initiate, pause, and observe
Time to notice babies’ responses, ask questions, and receive support
A calm, non-pressure environment where feeding, soothing, and rest are always welcome
Enrollment is limited to 8 babies so both specialists can work closely with every family.
About Erin
I am a physical therapist specializing in pediatrics. I graduated from Springfield College Doctor of Physical Therapy program in 2016 and have dedicated my career to working in pediatric settings. I have worked in Early Intervention, schools, pediatric hospitals and outpatient clinics specializing in care for children. I also spent time consulting a speciality clinic monitoring developmental milestones of babies who graduated from the NICU.
As a PT, we learn so much about developmental milestones being the foundation for movement across the lifespan. When you learn about it from a book and become a clinician it all seems simple in a way. However, when I became a mom myself in 2023, I realized it really isn't all that simple in the thick of motherhood.
When I met Jenie and brought my son to her class, I felt a tiny weight come off of my chest. My son and I love music and the whole class felt like we were doing something fun together, but little did I know, I was working on his development the whole time (thank you Jenie!!). And this is why I think the pairing of music and physical activity can be a beautiful blend. Tactfully adding developmental positioning within the music environment Jenie has created can make families feel like they are having fun AND working on multiple aspects of development at the same time.
I am so excited for the opportunity to join forces with Jenie and make movement more enjoyable for babies in our community!
Erin Milano, PT, DPT
Pediatric Physical Therapist