Entitlement Vs. Reality - There Seems to Be a Disconnect Between the Two

There are two sides to every argument. Know that from the beginning of this post. Also know that I am not involved in any part of this particular discourse because I am neither a brand new music therapist nor a music therapy employer. Some of what I write sounds somewhat curmudgeonly because I am an old music therapist. I have three months before I reach my 30 year anniversary of my move from intern to professional music therapist. I have been an employee of several facilities, and I did spend some time as a music therapy contractor back in the mid-90's. Some things have changed dramatically while other things have remained exactly the same. I can take a simultaneously futuristic glance and a historical view on several things that happen in this profession.

(Can you tell that I am embracing my role as music therapy crone now? Might as well.)

I started my music therapy professional life in 1993. By the middle of 1994, I had my first full-time job as a music therapist for the state of California. Until that time, I worked in several related positions but none of those jobs were music therapy. I worked for the state in a "temporary" position and then decided that I wanted to go back to graduate school. So, I moved myself back to my undergraduate university to start graduate school. Since I am my only source of financial support, I had to find a job (the teaching assistant position that I was counting on fell through). I started as a recreation therapist and transitioned into the music therapy position at my current facility shortly after I moved back here. 

I have been involved in all aspects of the music therapy community in my almost 30 years. I have dabbled in higher education, I have a VERY small music therapy business, and I am a full-time employee. I have worked in a couple of volunteer positions at AMTA, and I have been a critic of AMTA. I train interns at my facility. I also try to figure out challenges that we, as music therapists, will face in the future through futuristic means.

I am opinionated. I use this blog to work through different ideas and situations that I am privy to in the music therapy world. I am also protective of my attitudes and interactions with others, so I do not end up on many music therapy social media groups or tracks or hashtags or whatever. I removed myself from the fallacious situation that is Music Therapists Unite many years ago. 

All of this introduction and discussion about who I am is simply to lead up to a conversation that we need to discuss in this profession. I wrote about a social media post about this on Wednesday. Here's the link to that post. I continue to think about the situation shared a couple of days ago.

There were several themes that came up in the conversation started by the original poster. The first theme was the reality of music therapy salaries in this economy. The second theme was unrealistic expectations of brand-new graduates when it comes to entry-level salaries. The third theme was along the lines of "AMTA needs to do more about such and such." I have strong feelings about all of these themes, and this is my place to share my opinions about things.

Just so you know, I did not share my opinions on the original post because I am not really sure what I can contribute to the situation as someone who does not employ others. So, this is my forum - my blog.

So, topic one.

Music therapists are not highly paid. We will never be paid the same way that SLPs, OTs, and PTs are paid. There are not enough of us out there, and we have not made ourselves as necessary in the world of medicine as those professions have. Our salaries often go along with the salaries of local public school teachers in the area where we live rather than the other therapy professionals that are out there.

There are all sorts of theories out there that contribute to the fact that we are not highly sought after or paid like the other allied health therapists that we may work with in our jobs. Mine (again, opinion) is that we missed an opportunity way back when we were a brand new educational training program - I have heard that we were invited to be part of the umbrella of occupational therapy way back when - a sort of specialization within the greater field of occupational therapy.

When my mother was in her OT undergraduate program, she spent much of her education in arts, crafts, and science coursework. She learned how to do all sorts of fine arts to assist future clients in gaining use of their upper extremities. Her training, back in the sixties, was more similar to what art therapists may learn now than what OT students learn at this point. She has always felt that music therapy was an excellent addition to OT. We've had discussions about this over the past 35 years. She still jokes that I am really an OT who just went the wrong way but will turn around eventually and see the OT light! I have done some informal co-treatment with her clients over the years, and she has seen that the addition of music therapy constructs can shift her treatment and engage clients in ways that they will not engage without the addition of music elements.

Another reason that we are not paid what others are paid is the youth of our professionals. Did you know that music therapy attrition is high? It is getting better than it was 30 years ago, but many music therapy clinicians go back to school to get a degree in a related field in order to gain a livable salary starting point. Can you blame them? We are also a female-dominated field which has been a disadvantage in the past. There are many issues out there that contribute to the salary levels that we maintain. Another thing is that our capitalistic system encourages getting more for less at every opportunity. There are therapists who will take music therapy volunteer positions in the hopes that those positions will turn into paid positions. They rarely do because who wants to pay for something that they can get for free? If we are truly honest with ourselves as people in this system, then we can recognize that we also want things for free. There you go.

(Just so you know, the other therapies out there have these conversations as well. "Why aren't we paid like doctors are paid?" We are not alone as a profession in wanting greater monetary recognition for our education, work experience, and benefits to clients.)

The second theme here, unrealistic expectations of brand-new therapists demanding more money than experienced therapists, also has roots in our profession and outside in the bigger society at large.

What sources are people using to base their salary demands? Don't use the AMTA Sourcebook - it is highly skewed and only includes information from the people who respond. I rarely respond to salary questions. I feel that it no one's business about my salary, and people can figure out who gets what in smaller states. This is a problem - lack of respondents and inaccurate reporting. I contribute to that. Don't use any of the popular job search websites either. Monster often reports that music therapy INTERNS earn $50,000. That is REALLY not true.

What do you say when someone asks you about job prospects in this profession? I start by saying that I earn the equivalent of a public school teacher before my side hustles. I also state that there are plenty of jobs, if you are able to go where the jobs are located. If you are tied to one location, then your opportunities have more limitations.

I feel strongly that music therapy students should take a semester less of music theory in favor of an introduction to business class. Changing the required curriculum of a music therapy major, though, is extremely complicated due to the rules and structures of higher education. So, I may make this statement right now, but it would take a minimum of 7 years before ANY educational program would be able to implement the course change. That timeline is only applicable if I can step back into my role as Music Therapy Goddess and make sure that AMTA goes with the course recommendation without argument, all university councils, committees, and senates get on board immediately, and schools of business are able to accommodate new students into their highly impacted programs. So, if we are realistic, this is a process that would take more like 21 years to get through. Our educational systems are not put together in a way that accommodates the demands of business or real-life. That is not something that AMTA has any control over.

The last theme, that of AMTA not doing enough to fix situations, is one that makes me want to run at a wall. AMTA is not in charge of how much money people make. AMTA makes recommendations, collects information, and lobbies on our behalf in the national arena. AMTA sets aspects of the course curriculum, but universities have full control over that part of our experience. AMTA cannot tell businesses what music therapists will earn. Period.

Moving forward, we need to get better at talking about realities and expectations about what a national organization of music therapists can do for us as members.

Today, I am going to renew my membership in AMTA and complete the member survey. I may not answer the information about salary (to be honest, I'm not sure how much I make...), but I will answer everything else. It is almost the new year, so be prepared for a word of the year reveal coming up soon. 

Happy New Year's Eve Eve, everyone.