music, therapy, and me

I woke up about the usual time this morning, and then laid in bed for about 45 minutes, telling myself that I had plenty of time (which I did), and that the day did need to happen (which it does). Armed with the thought that next week would be a holiday week, I arose to get the day started. I am going to try (really hard) to get to work no earlier than 7:15 this entire week, so I have postponed my morning shower and am blogging in my currently funky mood and condition before I take myself in and finish my hygiene for the day. The cat has arrived for her daily dose of attention (interrupting my typing for some cuddling), so the morning is progressing in a routine manner.

Today, three out of my four groups will be experiencing the Aquarium and Animals with Long Ears movements of Carnival of the Animals. We are going to make a rain storm with the ocean drums, rainsticks, and mini rainsticks that I have both here at home and at work. (That reminds me, get my ocean drum and rainsticks and p…

I am four pages away from the end of my summer music therapy reading project. As you know, I've been re-reading the chapter in Music in therapy entitled "Processes in music therapy," written by William W. Sears. I've been through two sub-levels of the outline, and there is one left. The last one. "Experience in relating to others."

As I start to read this topic, my first thought is that this sub-level is more concerned with the behavior of so-called "normal"s than the person with an exceptionality. Music allows a person with an exceptionality to be accepted into a group of others with a role that permits him or her to participate simply as a member of the group rather than "the label of diagnosis."

In my experience, music doesn't really do this outside of a performing ensemble. I also know many ensembles where persons with exceptionalities are not welcome because of one such reason or another. To be fair, I also know of many ensembles …

I am working on a large project with a self-imposed deadline of August 1, 2017! The project? I am getting ready to launch my first ever independent CMTE course as a preapproved provider for the Certification Board for Music Therapists. I am very excited about this huge step towards realizing a dream I have had since 1996! Anyway, I am making progress at a slow, but steady pace. I want to have all my course information ready to go and awaiting CBMT approval by August 1, so I am spending time putting together my information and all the different pieces of this project.

This has not been a fast progress, but it is time to finish it.

At this point, I am spending time in coursework generation, video conversion, and website design. I am making all the decisions about things myself, and I am enjoying all the headaches, stress, and challenges that are coming with being the decision-maker. This is a project that is completely mine. Mine from conception through reality, and I am loving the entire…

When I am bored and needing to feel somewhat challenged, I sit down with some graph paper, and I design music therapy spaces. I pretend that money is absolutely no object, and I dream. I dream about spaces for large group therapy and individual therapy. I dream about observation rooms, conference areas, storage systems (boy, do I dream about storage systems!). I let my imagination go wild, and I always find myself thinking of new things to put into my dream clinic.

My designs have varied during the years. I've wanted space for a single therapist and space for multiple therapists. One of these days, I will look at all of these plans and compile them into my perfect music therapy clinic.

I know I will never achieve this type of perfection - I will never have the money - but it is fun to dream.

What types of things would you have in your perfect music therapy clinic?

Leave comments below!

My clinic includes built-in storage in all clinical areas, additional shared storage closets, lots of…

I'm in a mood to wax rhapsodical. Maybe it's because of the Solstice - I am on the side of the world where there is more sunlight today than darkness. Maybe it's because the cat is wandering around under my feet and meowing lots. I've already followed her into the craft room (which has been recently cleaned enough for me to use my sewing machine and to do several craft projects), but she does not seem to have a purpose. She sat at the sewing machine. Maybe she wants me to sew something (but that ain't happening on an early Wednesday morning!). She just wants more attention than I will devote to her at the moment. Maybe it's because it's Wednesday, I don't know, but the mood persists.

I will try my best to relate this to music therapy, but this may be one of those posts where I just spin off into a rant. If so, I will apologize in advance.

I have already written this post several times, and then deleted everything that I've written. What is coming out …