Dear AMTA

We Evolve or We Die

There has recently been lots of controversy in some music therapy circles about how things are not being done the way that the circles would like to see. This is generally in the form of complaints about the national association and includes discussions about advocacy, protection of perceived professional "rights," and the "Us vs. Them" mentality that still figures in the now united, formally split association. One of the things that struck me as interesting was the perception that the association should drop everything to address my needs on my schedule. If I have a complaint, it needs to be addressed immediately!

This has started me thinking, which is never a good sign. I wonder if it is possible for any professional organization to be all things to all people. I know that it is impossible for any person to be all things to all people. Why do we expect our association to be able to cater to our every whim? Having said this, I find that the association itself is not always what I wish it would be.

MY major criticisms are these.

• There are too few people trying to do to much work at the association office.


• When approached by committees for changes, promises are made, but not kept.


• When committee members ask to take on additional responsibilities, members of the association do not allow that information to pass on to the ones willing to do the job.


• Our public face - website - is confusing and difficult to navigate in.


• The fees are outrageous for membership as well as for conferences.


• Conferences have a skew towards the researchers rather than the clinicians.

There. That's my tirade. Now...

Here's what I think we can do about it.

1. Restructure the website so it is easily navigated - get someone who is willing to format the website in trade for registration or membership fees. I'd do it!
2. Move conferences from big locations to less gigantic places. What's wrong with Wichita, Kansas? Or Ontario, California? Or other places where there are sufficient places for therapists to stay, a convenient airport, and limited attraction for other conferences - people in those places would be willing to give us discounts so we would show up. I think it would work.
3. Ensure that clinical proposals have equal representation at conferences.
4. Restructure the committee formats - give committees more responsibilities. Give committees tasks that will alleviate some of the work burden on the national office staff members. These could be as simple as sending paperwork to the committee chairs directly. It could also involve maintenance of some website resources by others outside of the office.

Tirade over.