music, therapy, and me

I was interested in this Leap Day thing, so I went over to Wikipedia and found lots of information. (I know, there are lots of academic-types out there screaming, "Wikipedia is not a dedicated source!! Why would you look there for any type of information!!! Aaargh!," but I always start with Wikipedia to get an idea of what else to look at. Sorry, professors!) You can find the link I started with here .  Did you know that some calendars add an additional MONTH during leap years? I am very glad that the Gregorian calendar doesn't add an entire month.  I am fascinated by our planetary journey around our sun, our sun around the galaxy, and our galaxy around the universe. I always have been fascinated by such things. Leap Day reminds me to think a bit more deeply about these concepts and events. This day is a day when some traditions allow women to propose marriage and a fine be paid to any woman who is refused by the man of her choosing. Leaplings get to celebrate a lon

Sundays are the days that I write about visual aids; things that I have made to supplement my music therapy experiences for my clients. I got into this habit because there really isn't anyone else talking about visual aids and music therapy, and I like making things for my clients. It occurs to me that my writing about these things may indicate a skewed view of what I do with my clients. NOTE: I do not believe that every music therapy experience has to have a visual aid or a prop. In fact, I believe just the opposite!! I think a good therapeutic music experience has to be sound without a fancy picture in order for it to be considered "good." There HAS to be some logical and music-based reasoning behind the idea first and foremost. A pretty visual aid will not make a crap TME a great TME. Please don't think that everything I do with my clients has visual aids. Most are done without visual stimulation... I just write about these things on Sundays...   I ofte

This week's intern webinar was Self-Care for the Music Therapist. We talked about the importance of taking care of yourself. All of this discussion was happening as I was running a temperature, coughing, and settling into a laryngitis, bronchitis, possibly pneumonia funk. It's kinda ironic that I was leading a discussion about trying to avoid illness and burnout and compassion fatigue while showing that I wasn't able to do those things at this point right now. I was being an example of what NOT TO DO! I go through something like this every winter. I'm not sure what starts it up or what makes it keep going, but it starts like an allergy attack and then mutates into a bacterial infection. I know that this happens during each winter, but I cannot avoid it. It is inevitable. Usually, I take a couple of sick days off in order to get over the worst of this involvement, but I can't take time this year. My time is gone, so I went to work yesterday and quarantined myself

I think this quotation encompasses many of the things I want to do and see in this world. It doesn't take much time to be kind when dealing with other people, but it does require a bit of empathy. To be kind, you have to be aware of how the other person may interpret your interaction and change how you are interacting to support their responses and emotions. I was recently in a situation where the other person pretty much presented an idea that I didn't agree with, and I was told that I would do this without question if I wanted to continue to have a particular role. The expectations were not revealed until I had made a commitment to the role. Then, it was "Okay, but you know you are going have to do this, this, and this if you want to stay. Oh, by the way, I talked to this person and this person about this situation, and they are SO excited about how this is going to happen." I walked away. During and after that interaction, I felt that the other person really

I had a bit of a fitful night last night. I fell asleep before I turned off the light so slept in the full light of my room. I woke up several times for unknown reasons (probably having to do with the light on), but was able to flip over and fall asleep again without too many problems. I did wake up convinced it was Thursday and getting my Thursday routine started in my head. I think this was influenced by one of my anxiety, medication dreams that seems to be something about how I forgot an intern webinar (which I have only done partially once, but which I NEVER want to do again) on self-care. I was relieved when I awoke that it wasn't Friday (that would mean I had missed the webinar), so started thinking it was actually Thursday. Here's a sample of my script. "Take a shower. Write a Thoughtful Thursday post. Check over the powerpoint for the intern webinar tonight. Make a post-it reminder for the intern webinar. Do your stretches. Take water to work. Finish session plan

I occasionally have clients who are working on body awareness, coordinated movements, and completion of one-step directions. How to address these things? Voila! Write a song!! (Of course, writing an original song is my answer to almost every thing - that's one of the things I love about music therapy! Don't have a song that prompts every thing your client needs? WRITE YOUR OWN!!) Therapeutic Music Experience The Passing Song Mary Jane Landaker, MME, MT-BC   Purpose : To promote motor planning; to provide opportunities to practice motor skills; to address palmar grasp development; social interaction; completion of one-step directives Source : Original song. © 6-13-2012 by Mary Jane Landaker, MME, MT-BC. Materials : small handheld instrument or object for each group member (bean bag, shaker egg, squishy ball); OPTIONAL: guitar Environment : Group members sitting in a circle to facilitate passing. Therapist or song leader outside of the circle to as

I am working on intentionally using research to influence/inform my clinical practice. This is a marathon of a process, not a sprint, so I am moving slowly into this as a way of thinking about music therapy and what I do with my clients. Right now, I am struggling with what to call my process - should it be research-influenced or research-informed music therapy? I think that I am leaning towards informed, but I have been using both terms in my thinking and writing processes. What's the difference (are you thinking like I've been thinking lately)? That's what I want to write about today. Dictionary.com uses this definition of "Influence." in flu ence [ in -floo- uh ns] Synonyms Examples Word Origin noun 1. the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others: He used family influence to ge