Favorite Thing Friday - Favorite Responses to the Inevitable Question...
One question that I never seem to escape is, "What do you do for a living?"
Now, that question is not really all that unusual. I ask others that question as well since it is a natural conversation starter among those of us who are of working ages. It's the next question that always makes me cringe.
Most of the time, I answer that I am a music therapist, though I do have to acknowledge that I don't always do so. (There are some times when I really don't want to engage in conversation with the other person any longer, so I use a more easily understood answer of "I work in education." A bit of a cop-out? You betcha, but there are just times when I can't go down this road.) It's the next part of the conversation that I find to be the inevitable question.
"What do you do for a living?"
"I'm a music therapist."
"Oh, that's interesting."
Three seconds of silence.
"So, what is music therapy anyway?" or the variant "So, what is musical therapy anyway?"
In 22 years of being a therapist, I've had this conversation thousands upon thousands of times. I always toe the advocacy line and answer honestly when asked about music or musical therapy. I start with the AMTA definition and then move into my own easy definition, "I use music to help people accomplish their personal goals."
There are, however, times when I wish I could answer in a bit more flippant manner.
"I sing through every interaction that I have with all people, so I can bring a little bit of music into every life." (Sung in full operatic soprano voice, of course!)
"Everything that a talk therapist does, I do, but with full orchestral accompaniment."
I enjoy it when people start to contribute to the conversation as well.
"Oh, my niece does that. She plays new age music to her cats to help them calm down when it's storming."
Well, that's not exactly the same as what I do, but at least we have a common place to start the conversation.
"You are such a special person."
Well, no, not really. If I were a special person, I'd go and work with my clients without taking any payment, but I'm not special. I do my job. If anything, I'm lucky. I get to do what I love, what I'm good at, and what I was born to do. That makes me luckier than many.
Happy Friday, and off we go into the world to be both music and musical therapists. Sing pretty, all!
Now, that question is not really all that unusual. I ask others that question as well since it is a natural conversation starter among those of us who are of working ages. It's the next question that always makes me cringe.
Most of the time, I answer that I am a music therapist, though I do have to acknowledge that I don't always do so. (There are some times when I really don't want to engage in conversation with the other person any longer, so I use a more easily understood answer of "I work in education." A bit of a cop-out? You betcha, but there are just times when I can't go down this road.) It's the next part of the conversation that I find to be the inevitable question.
"What do you do for a living?"
"I'm a music therapist."
"Oh, that's interesting."
Three seconds of silence.
"So, what is music therapy anyway?" or the variant "So, what is musical therapy anyway?"
In 22 years of being a therapist, I've had this conversation thousands upon thousands of times. I always toe the advocacy line and answer honestly when asked about music or musical therapy. I start with the AMTA definition and then move into my own easy definition, "I use music to help people accomplish their personal goals."
There are, however, times when I wish I could answer in a bit more flippant manner.
"I sing through every interaction that I have with all people, so I can bring a little bit of music into every life." (Sung in full operatic soprano voice, of course!)
"Everything that a talk therapist does, I do, but with full orchestral accompaniment."
I enjoy it when people start to contribute to the conversation as well.
"Oh, my niece does that. She plays new age music to her cats to help them calm down when it's storming."
Well, that's not exactly the same as what I do, but at least we have a common place to start the conversation.
"You are such a special person."
Well, no, not really. If I were a special person, I'd go and work with my clients without taking any payment, but I'm not special. I do my job. If anything, I'm lucky. I get to do what I love, what I'm good at, and what I was born to do. That makes me luckier than many.
Happy Friday, and off we go into the world to be both music and musical therapists. Sing pretty, all!
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