Synthesis Sunday: Finally Getting Back Into the Swing of Reading for Knowledge

Okay, okay. I know that I haven't really been as dedicated to this type of blogging situation as I would have liked recently, but there have been lots of things going on. No more excuses. The only thing that will interfere with all of my blogging will be the continued snow days (that was Friday's excuse) and my dependence on medication (Saturday's excuse!).

My article for this time around is entitled, Music Therapy in the Special Education Setting written by John Pelliteri in 2000 and published in the Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, edition 11(3&4), pages 379-391. There you go. I found it on Google Scholar in pdf format.

This is less of a research paper as it is a persuasive piece written for a group of people who are not music therapists but who may act as referral points. I like the opportunity to read pieces that demonstrate music therapy to those who have limited information about our profession. It is always interesting to see how folks outside of our professional bubble perceive what we do - "happy children making happy sounds" comes to mind when I read these types of articles.

The article is arranged in a typical format - "What is Music Therapy?" and "Applications of Music Therapy in Special Education," and ending with "Music Therapist as Consultant." This is an excellent article to describe what I do in my setting, and I think I may keep it on hand to give to folks who are interested in music therapy as a related service for specific students. It is written for a professional audience, so it isn't really a good resource for other audiences, but school psychologists or other therapists would appreciate the common language between our professions. There does seem to be a focus on group sessions as the most cost effective use of music therapy in the special education setting, but that's my reality, so I understand why the author took that stance. There is just enough information about how music works that it would pique the interest of a fellow therapist but still doesn't give too much away about music and how it benefits learners. There are also examples from several different clinical situations and goals. Overall, I'm glad I came across this article. It will be a good addition to my interest pieces that I use in marketing packets.

That brings this edition of Synthesis Sunday to a close. Next week I will be back out on Google Scholar, searching for my next foray into the world of research.

Any suggestions??