The Follies of Friday

I woke up this morning with a really good idea for a blog post that made me think, "I need to get this down as soon as possible." Of course, by the time I actually got myself to the computer to write, the idea had just... gone.

So, you are stuck with this blog post instead. Maybe the other one will eventually materialize, but that's just the breaks. (That's why I have super sticky post-it notes on my desk and in the car. You never know when good ideas will strike - don't let them go away!!)

I have today off. We get a random day off in the middle of April just because. Today is that day. I have an early morning Skype date with a friend of mine (we're working on a project, but just like to talk to each other as well) and then I think I'll go grocery shopping. It's also payday, so I can afford to buy ANYTHING I WANT! Speaking of that, I should probably eat before I go shopping - otherwise I will buy ANYTHING I WANT - that's never a good thing. Then, I want to finish my last several AMTA presentation proposals to submit before the deadline next Monday.

Today is the 15th, my "What will I do next" planning day for the website and my professional life. On the 15th of every month, I spend some time thinking about stuff. Sometimes I get good ideas, sometimes I don't. We'll see what happens today. 

I am currently watching Bunheads on Freeform, and there is a recurring commercial about stopping smoking so that cats will live. The premise appears to be that smokers cause cancer in cats due to the secondhand smoke thing. The commercial tries to use the idea that if people smoke, all the cats will die, and then there will be no more cat videos. I wonder why someone thought that would be a good idea for a commercial.

Sorry for the random nature of this post - it's what happens when I lose the good idea that I had in the wee hours of the morning. 

It may be time for some fresh air...

It's time to move into this day, to plan, to shop, to eat Chinese food, to talk to my friend, and to spend time getting my home environment straightened up a bit.

Have a wonderful day, music therapists! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dear AMTA

Dear American Music Therapy Association: I am debating long and hard about remaining in this relationship. I have been in this relationship since college, and this is not a decision that I am taking lightly or without great cost.  I am not happy with what you are bringing to this relationship. Now, I have been a selfish partner over the past several years - mainly because I am not feeling like we share a common mission anymore. It is easy for me to place the blame on you, but I know that this is not all on me. I have tried to be invested in communication and support and understanding, but everyone comes to a time where enough is enough. I am trying very hard to decide if the benefits that you provide to me are worth the feelings that I have about where I think you and I are going. I am not sure that our destination is the same anymore, and this makes me sad. To be completely honest, I am only in this relationship these days for the music therapy interns. I don't think that is a hea...
Read more

Songwriting Sunday: Repetition

Image
One of the things that I find to be helpful with my client population (children, adolescents, and young adults with dual diagnoses) is repetition of phrases, lyrics, and music. As a result of 30+ years of working with this population in various iterations, I have found that my clients respond the most to songs with three repeated phrases to prime their responses with a different phrase to communicate the important part of the experience. DISCLAIMER: This is not a definite way to write music for clinical interactions. This is what seems to work well with my particular group of human beings. Don't go to your supervisors and tell them that I told you that this is the ONLY way to write music - It is NOT! You have to find what works for your clients and for their clinical goals. Since my clients respond well to this type of song, I tend to write songs in this format more than any other. What I have found is that my clients remember these songs more than the ones that I do in different f...
Read more

Being An Internship Director: On Hiatus

Image
It has been long enough since I have had an intern that I am seriously feeling like I have little to say on the subject. At the same time, I am currently writing Chapter 5 of my general internship handbook, so I am able to write about being an intern and what types of things to think about during this important time in our professional development. It is a strange place to be in, and it is one that is a bit challenging for me. Right now, I have had three vacant internship positions since the beginning of the calendar year. I will have a vacant position next month and that will be an entire year of rejected offers. In the past nine months, I have offered positions to three applicants who have declined. It is interesting how people complain that there aren't enough internship programs, but programs like mine are empty. I guess there aren't enough internship programs that pay large stipends (which mine cannot) out there. I get it. It is interesting to me how we have moved from an ...
Read more