Dreams
During my internship, way way back ago, I participated in what I was told was the first ever Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in Phoenix, Arizona. At the time, the holiday hadn't been recognized as a state holiday, even though it was a federal holiday in 1983. After the citizens of Arizona voted against recognizing MLK Jr Day in 1990, the state lost the Super Bowl. So, in 1992, (when I was a young intern in the state) voters again addressed the question and finally recognized Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a state holiday as well. So, I got to go to the first parade.
At the time, it wasn't a big deal to me. I didn't realize that some states marked the holiday and others did not. My main states, California and Kansas, did. The state where I was working as an intern, Arizona, had not until that year, 1993. I have spent most of my life learning about Dr. King and his famous I Have a Dream speech, so there wasn't anything new for me to experience, but the people in Phoenix certainly did have something to celebrate!
I now know that this parade was the first official recognition of the Civil Rights movement from the 60's and of this man in particular.
I don't have many clear memories of what was happening on that day, but I do remember the mild weather of Phoenix, lots of things that make up a parade, and expressions of joy from the people who lined the streets of downtown to sing, whoop, and applaud for those in the parade. It was the culmination of someone's dream, and it has become pretty meaningful to me as a memory and an experience.
What type of dreams do you have as a person? As a therapist? As a music therapist?
My dreams are simple. I dream of a day when music therapy no longer needs to be "proved" to have educational merit for students, but it is an automatic referral. (Look, I said the dreams are simple - not necessarily how to get to the culmination of said dreams!) I dream of a day when iPod listening programs are simply what we do when we cannot get a music therapist to arrive soon enough. I dream of a day when we no longer have to explain what music therapy is to every single stranger. (Believe it or not, that day is coming much faster than I ever thought it would.) I dream of a music therapy world where we can agree to disagree on all ideas and topics, and proceed to disagree with a modicum of sensitivity and respect for all ideas and viewpoints.
Someday.
Interested in more about how Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a holiday? Here you go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr._Day
At the time, it wasn't a big deal to me. I didn't realize that some states marked the holiday and others did not. My main states, California and Kansas, did. The state where I was working as an intern, Arizona, had not until that year, 1993. I have spent most of my life learning about Dr. King and his famous I Have a Dream speech, so there wasn't anything new for me to experience, but the people in Phoenix certainly did have something to celebrate!
I now know that this parade was the first official recognition of the Civil Rights movement from the 60's and of this man in particular.
I don't have many clear memories of what was happening on that day, but I do remember the mild weather of Phoenix, lots of things that make up a parade, and expressions of joy from the people who lined the streets of downtown to sing, whoop, and applaud for those in the parade. It was the culmination of someone's dream, and it has become pretty meaningful to me as a memory and an experience.
What type of dreams do you have as a person? As a therapist? As a music therapist?
My dreams are simple. I dream of a day when music therapy no longer needs to be "proved" to have educational merit for students, but it is an automatic referral. (Look, I said the dreams are simple - not necessarily how to get to the culmination of said dreams!) I dream of a day when iPod listening programs are simply what we do when we cannot get a music therapist to arrive soon enough. I dream of a day when we no longer have to explain what music therapy is to every single stranger. (Believe it or not, that day is coming much faster than I ever thought it would.) I dream of a music therapy world where we can agree to disagree on all ideas and topics, and proceed to disagree with a modicum of sensitivity and respect for all ideas and viewpoints.
Someday.
Interested in more about how Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a holiday? Here you go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr._Day
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