music, therapy, and me

I had quite a bit of energy this past weekend and got lots of things started, including throwing out a drafting table that I bought for my very first apartment and haven't really used since I moved to this home place. I've been getting myself prepared for this removal for a long time and finally set it out by the dumpster with an old CD player, and my very first TV (that I bought when I went off to college and made my mother EXTREMELY angry). I did a bit of the Marie Kondo routine - in that I mourned the loss and then sent the things off into the world for their next iterations. Someone took the table frame and the CD player first, leaving the TV (understandable since it is ancient) and the table top. Everything was gone when I woke up yesterday morning. Removing those things helped me to think about how I want my craft room to work. Right now, things are just scattered everywhere. I am craving some organization (like always), and I am thinking that crafting zones are the way t...

  Hi, there. I've been avoiding this blog for a bit because all I felt that I was doing with it was complaining about things rather than doing what I want to be doing with it which is communicating with music therapists out there about music therapy things and topics that interest us because we share an interest in music as a therapeutic medium. I've also been stuck in a "poor me" mode for a bit, and every single thing that I was writing was permeated with that attitude. I was sinking into an abyss and my usual ways of getting out were not helping...hence, the silence for a bit. I don't know if I am back to writing something daily or not, but we will see where this current mood takes me... At this very moment, I am sitting here, thinking about all the things that I need to do in the next four hours before I head off to my church job - oh! That has been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride lately, but things are coming together so I'm not going to dwell. I ...

Here we go. I am trying out several different cameras, times of day, lighting set-ups, and other stuff as I am getting ready for a new project at one of my part-time jobs. Here's vlog post #2 - what can I do for you??

I'm going to try video logging for a bit. Yesterday's entry was filmed immediately after work. You can find more videos on my YouTube Channel . Thanks...while you are there, please consider subscribing to my channel. Every click helps!! "See" you tomorrow.

In these current days of constant bombardment of pandemic stuff, political manipulation, and everything else happening right now, I am trying to find some fun. Fun has been a bit scarce these days. The things that I like to do, like go to the movies, stop by the Dollar Tree for some frivolous spending, and go to the library, are not allowed due to the restrictions of my job. The things I love to do here require the use of two hands, and I only have one that works right now. I am stuck in a pity party for one. So, to try to combat all these feelings, I am going to try to envision a day full of fun. Step one - wake up, before dawn, to the sound of a rainstorm outside my open window. Step two - be able to doze a bit while listening to the rain. Step three - have breakfast, in a restaurant, with a couple of good friends. Step four - go shopping for absolutely nothing, but with a solid bank account balance to support a bit of a splurge. Find things for friends and family as well as things t...

Does anyone out there besides me know the music of Man of La Mancha ? I only ask because there is a song going through my head right now. (It's below, by the way!) I'm not sure why this song is sticking except that I am having to paste such a countenance on my face quite often these days. I am tired of having to wear such a countenance. I really am, but it is somewhat difficult to find other expressions to wear these days. So, add my voice to those of the world who are tired of the restrictions that we have to bear these days. I am tired of it all, but I will still abide by it all. Perhaps that is what being an adult is all about - not liking something, but realizing that it is important, so doing it anyway. I am identifying with this song a bit more than usual. It interests me that the song is meant to be a celebration of the deeds of this woeful person. It offers this sad man some recognition of what he has had to do and he seems to be uplifted by that same recognition. Is th...

March 13, 2018 I am not really in the mood to be writing a therapeutic music experience today, so here is another one of my resources. I think better when I have a visual aid rather than just words, so I use one of my programs to make visuals for concepts that I find either difficult or very important. This is one of the important ones. How I figure out how to use songs. Copyright by Mary Jane Landaker, MME, MT-BC. All rights reserved. I'm often asked where I get my ideas for therapeutic music experiences. This is a decision tree that demonstrates where I get some of my ideas. It starts with a song. Any song. When I find a song that I want to use for therapy for some reason or another, I go through a process of looking at the lyrics and thinking about my client. Thinking about both of these things helps me to decide what to do next with the song as a therapeutic music experience. Just so you know, my thoughts about the song don't stop there. I tak...

So, here is the story as I have it so far. I'm adding and tweaking things as needed to make the story work. Please note that this story is not based on real life events and exists only in my own mind.   Meet Persephone. She/Her/Hers is a 22 year old future music therapy student in the year 2049. She has spent most of her education learning about music and human systems, including some work in sociology, anthropology, psychology, biology, anatomy, neurology, and all of these courses again focused through a musical lens. She has spent little time in the actual presence of her classmate cohort and her professors. She spends most of her learning time in front of her hologram - it's similar to what her grandparents talk about when they describe "school," but it is not the same. She has finally finished the first part of her studies, is getting a degree in Music Psychology, and will be starting an in-person graduate training at one of three university progra...