Synthesis Sunday: The Online Conference for Music Therapy

I took a two-day blogging break this weekend because I was doing something I love - The Online Conference for Music Therapy. If you've never heard of this experience, I am so sorry since I obviously haven't been speaking of it as often as I should be!

This is a 24-hour, interactive and recorded, international conference of music therapists. It happens the first weekend in February and is attended from the convenience of my home. I get a chance to hear from lots of music therapists that I would never interact with otherwise, AND I can do it all from my couch!

Have I mentioned that I love this conference?

It has been almost 12 hours since the end of the conference. I am still recovering from another bout of the flu, so I begged off at 3:30 after my 12 hour shift. I am just now at a point where I am able to remember most of what I heard during the conference. It's time to start synthesizing.

When I get to the end of this conference every year, I spend time thinking about what happens with music therapy around the world. I heard therapists who work in Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, Germany, Australia, Canada, and the States talk about what they are doing with clients everywhere. Did you know that there are no formal educational programs for music therapy training in Russia, but there are people who are starting them? Did you know that music therapy, while still a bit of a new concept in Thailand, fits in with many of the cultural and spiritual elements already present? I always have my eyes opened to the state of music therapy around the world, and I leave the conference with a greater appreciation for the music therapists who established this profession here in the States way before I arrived on the scene. I also come out of the conference with a hope for the future of music therapy - the students really inspire me with their questions and ideas. The particulars of what was said come later - after I've had a chance to watch recordings, take notes, and think deeply about things.

Happy Sunday, all!

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