Disappearing...but Just for a Time

Well, I set off for the AMTA National Conference in Jacksonville, Florida, fully intending to blog about my experiences daily, but...

As you can see, I did not do so at all! Now, after a day of walking around in a semi-hysterical fog, I feel like I am starting to recover from the activity that happened this past week. It's now time to start thinking about what I did and what I learned during this conference! So, here we go!

The best thing about this conference was talking - to groups of people and to individuals - ESPECIALLY the individuals! I had a good discussion with my former professor on the plane to Jacksonville - we were assigned seats next to each other and spoke about anything and everything - music therapy, retirement, professional career development, AMTA membership - lots of information in a 45-minute discussion! I spent some time with a therapist who was introduced to me last conference and who has become a good friend. We talked about board certification and our own challenging situations. I spoke to my conference roommate, but not as much as usual since we were both very busy! I talked to internship directors, students, interns, professors, AMTA board members, committee members, and people in all levels of their exploration about music therapy. It was a wonderful week, full of thinking about music therapy and my own unique position in this wonderful profession!

Coming out of the post-conference haze, I am thinking several things...

1. I don't understand why folks don't pay their AMTA membership dues. I know it's a large expense, but there is so much that is accessible to me after I've paid those dues that it is more than worth it to me! (I blame professors Alicia Clair and Alice-Ann Darrow for making AMTA membership and Board Certification an expectation rather than an option - hmm, professional models and the stated and inferred requirement that professionals ARE part of their national organization?? What a novel concept! My mom also figures into this expectation - she remained a member of AOTA even when she was not practicing Occupational Therapy! Darn those excellent role models! - complete snark and sarcasm here, folks!!)
2. I think, even though we are often very argumentative about how we do what we do, all music therapists have core beliefs about music and its role on human beings.
3. There is a generational shift occurring in the music therapy leadership right now.
4. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is forcing lots of changes in our profession - most of them by individual facility interpretations.
5. National Roster internships are still going strong!

There are so many thoughts dashing around my brain today that I can barely pin anything down! Tomorrow I will spend some time organizing my notes, figuring out my tasks, and getting things ready out there for some announcements about my chosen role in the music therapy profession! It is time.

I hope everyone had a great week, and I hope all of you Americans are getting ready for a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!


More soon - I promise!