Beginnings...
One of the things I like to know about music therapists is how they found out about music therapy in the beginning. Here's mine.
My story starts with my mother, the Occupational Therapist. I knew what OT was and who OT's worked with and I liked the idea of being in a helping profession. I was always the kid that kids with special needs sought out - classmates, strangers, you name it, if there was a diagnosis involved, the kid would find me and quickly be my best friend. I also enjoyed singing and playing the trumpet. The singing is what eventually led me to music therapy. I went to a Girl Scout Wider Opportunity in 1984. The Wider Opportunity program offered professional experiences for older scouts. Mine was in Evansville, Indiana at the University of Evansville and was a fine and performing arts seminar. I spent two weeks in Indiana with 104 other scouts from around the country. I was a vocalist and in addition to master classes and choir rehearsal, we also attended lectures on "Careers in Music." The last lecture was led by a professor in the Music Education department of the University. I listened (I had thought about being a music teacher). At the end of the lecture, the professor casually stated, "Oh, there is another degree offered here. The music therapy professor couldn't be here, but she left some information for you." I went over and picked up a poor replica of the NAMT propaganda of the mid-80's - a brief definition of MT and a list of the schools that offered degrees. Something in my head clicked and I knew that I would be a music therapist. After that, all of my choices were based on the certainty that I would be a music therapist. Nothing else felt right. I thought I would get an additional degree in another field (to increase my marketability, of course), but I realized that I would be wasting my time in another field. All I really want to do is music therapy.
If there are other MTs who stumble upon this blog, please send me a comment describing your entry into MT - I am really interested!
One of the things I like to know about music therapists is how they found out about music therapy in the beginning. Here's mine.
My story starts with my mother, the Occupational Therapist. I knew what OT was and who OT's worked with and I liked the idea of being in a helping profession. I was always the kid that kids with special needs sought out - classmates, strangers, you name it, if there was a diagnosis involved, the kid would find me and quickly be my best friend. I also enjoyed singing and playing the trumpet. The singing is what eventually led me to music therapy. I went to a Girl Scout Wider Opportunity in 1984. The Wider Opportunity program offered professional experiences for older scouts. Mine was in Evansville, Indiana at the University of Evansville and was a fine and performing arts seminar. I spent two weeks in Indiana with 104 other scouts from around the country. I was a vocalist and in addition to master classes and choir rehearsal, we also attended lectures on "Careers in Music." The last lecture was led by a professor in the Music Education department of the University. I listened (I had thought about being a music teacher). At the end of the lecture, the professor casually stated, "Oh, there is another degree offered here. The music therapy professor couldn't be here, but she left some information for you." I went over and picked up a poor replica of the NAMT propaganda of the mid-80's - a brief definition of MT and a list of the schools that offered degrees. Something in my head clicked and I knew that I would be a music therapist. After that, all of my choices were based on the certainty that I would be a music therapist. Nothing else felt right. I thought I would get an additional degree in another field (to increase my marketability, of course), but I realized that I would be wasting my time in another field. All I really want to do is music therapy.
If there are other MTs who stumble upon this blog, please send me a comment describing your entry into MT - I am really interested!
Comments
Post a Comment