AMTA CONFERENCE 2009
I am in San Diego, on day 2 of the AMTA conference.
I love conferences as they are generally a time for me to reflect and celebrate the reasons that I became a music therapist and reinforce the dedication that I have to my job and vocation. I often find myself absolutely exhausted after the 6-day event, but I also tend to be renewed by the opportunity to share "war stories" with others who go through the same hassles, issues, joys, and musical collaboration that I go through. There is comfort in knowing that other music therapists experience the same kinds of things that I experience daily, whether it be the excitement that a client gets when they learn how to play their first chords on a guitar or the frustrations that can also occur when trying to explain or adapt that same set of guitar chords for a client who is having difficulty with the motor component of guitar playing.
The camaraderie and social aspects are wonderful, but there is lots of work to be done. I serve on one of the committees as a regional representative. My committee is comprised of regional representatives and a committee chairperson. We all share one specific music therapy experience in common, and that commonality is the reason why we are on this specific committee. Within that commonality, however, we have lots of variation and a wealth of experience. The midwestern rep (me) has a very different experience of music therapy than the rep from New England. These differences serve to enrich the committee and allow the members to really think about music therapy as a whole, rather than from our own skewed viewpoints.
I encourage anyone and everyone to become involved in the music therapy organization at any level - local, state, regional, and national. There are so many things that you miss if and when you refuse to be a member and then refuse to serve. The time commitment can be significant, but the rewards are often great.
The most difficult part for me is that my committee work starts well before the rest of the conference. By the time the opening session begins, my committee has been in meetings and training courses for two days and are often EXHAUSTED! This exhaustion sets in before the conference officially starts and keeps me from really wanting to participate in the rest of the concurrent sessions and social interactions. I often want to sleep as much as possible.
This is the official opening day of the conference. Music therapists from all over the world are converging on the San Diego area even as we speak. The excitement is building. Stay tuned for more details.
I love conferences as they are generally a time for me to reflect and celebrate the reasons that I became a music therapist and reinforce the dedication that I have to my job and vocation. I often find myself absolutely exhausted after the 6-day event, but I also tend to be renewed by the opportunity to share "war stories" with others who go through the same hassles, issues, joys, and musical collaboration that I go through. There is comfort in knowing that other music therapists experience the same kinds of things that I experience daily, whether it be the excitement that a client gets when they learn how to play their first chords on a guitar or the frustrations that can also occur when trying to explain or adapt that same set of guitar chords for a client who is having difficulty with the motor component of guitar playing.
The camaraderie and social aspects are wonderful, but there is lots of work to be done. I serve on one of the committees as a regional representative. My committee is comprised of regional representatives and a committee chairperson. We all share one specific music therapy experience in common, and that commonality is the reason why we are on this specific committee. Within that commonality, however, we have lots of variation and a wealth of experience. The midwestern rep (me) has a very different experience of music therapy than the rep from New England. These differences serve to enrich the committee and allow the members to really think about music therapy as a whole, rather than from our own skewed viewpoints.
I encourage anyone and everyone to become involved in the music therapy organization at any level - local, state, regional, and national. There are so many things that you miss if and when you refuse to be a member and then refuse to serve. The time commitment can be significant, but the rewards are often great.
The most difficult part for me is that my committee work starts well before the rest of the conference. By the time the opening session begins, my committee has been in meetings and training courses for two days and are often EXHAUSTED! This exhaustion sets in before the conference officially starts and keeps me from really wanting to participate in the rest of the concurrent sessions and social interactions. I often want to sleep as much as possible.
This is the official opening day of the conference. Music therapists from all over the world are converging on the San Diego area even as we speak. The excitement is building. Stay tuned for more details.
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