Systems in Music Therapy: The Elevator Speech

Oooh, boy.

You know the speech I mean. You are sitting next to a stranger who insists on talking to you and THAT question comes up.

"So, what do you do for a living?"

There are many different variants of this question, but it all boils down to the same thing - what are you going to share with this stranger about a profession that everyone seems to know about but doesn't really understand? How far do you want to talk to someone about this profession and the things that go along with it?

When I first started my career as a music therapist, people were often confused by the title, "MUSIC THERAPIST." It got to the point where I could predict when they would ask the follow-up question, "So, what is MUSICAL THERAPY, anyway?" It was a three second processing latency for everyone who asked me about my job. Three seconds to go through the mental database and then ask for more information. I would then launch into my elevator speech - the first little bit of information about what I do and what this profession is all about without trying to overwhelm the listener with all the stuff that I do as part of my job!

Nowadays, it is easier to have those conversations because more people know a bit about music therapy. Almost everyone, now, has either seen news or social media about us, and that makes the elevator speech so much more fun! I no longer have to start with the AMTA approved definition - people already have a baseline knowledge that I can build on.

I consider my elevator speech a "system" because it is a constant part of my life as a music therapist. I wonder if other therapists have to explain what they do to everyone or is it just us? I know that occupational therapists have to explain that they are a bit different from physical therapists... Anyway, I have a script that I follow these days.

Them: So, what do you do?

Me: I'm a music therapist.

Them: Oh, my mom had music therapy before she passed away. She had dementia, but she could sing and dance when she had music therapy. After her time with the therapist, she would talk to me about different things. It was wonderful for her!

Me: It is amazing how music can enrich lives of all sorts of people. I work with children and adolescents and young adults.

Them: So, what do you do with them?

Me: Well, I help them use music to accomplish their goals. They might need help expressing their emotions, so we might make a playlist for them to listen to when they are feeling a certain way, or we might use drums to express our anger in a safe manner.

Them: Oh. My mother had an iPod that she would use after dinner to help her sleep. The music therapist had us make lists of the songs we remembered her singing when we were little, and then she put them on the iPod. Mom would start off being loud and yelling, but she would be able to relax when she heard her songs.

Me: That is such a great example of some of the things that I do with my clients. We also use playlists to help our clients calm down at night, but there are so many more things that music does.

Them: Like what?

Me: Music is a great way to help with memory. Hearing a commercial jingle is a great example of this type of memory. It also can help with learning new information. Making music also has many benefits - it helps us move, it gives us chances to be around others, and the vibrations of the sounds and instruments has an effect on our bodies as well...

Usually, around this point, we are finished, but there are times when the conversation continues for much longer.

I was privy to a conversation that my father had with someone once about my profession, and it was wonderful to hear him explain what I do in his own words. Now, Dad was very supportive about my choice of profession - to a point. I think both he and my mother worried a bit that I would never find a job to support myself at the beginning of my studies, but I was able to find jobs pretty easily. He understood a little bit about therapy because he was married to my Mom, an occupational therapist, but he was still a bit confused about what I did all day. So, the conversation that I overheard was pretty eye opening. He was able to repeat many of the things that I had told him about this profession, and then expanded on his initial information with relevant and accurate descriptions! This conversation made me feel like music therapy had become something in the mainstream consciousness of our world. Do you know what I mean by that?

I find that my elevator speech has a couple of consistent points. First, I start with a simplified definition of what we do. "I help my client achieve their goals using music as the primary interaction and medium." If someone contributes examples of how they use music in their life or how a family member has engaged in musicking, then I have another way to interact, so I add more details to my conversation. Eventually, we get to a point where they have exhausted their curiosity about our profession, so I finish up the conversation with some information about how to contact a music therapist in their area, and we disconnect.

What is your elevator speech like? Do you have a script? Do you just wing it every single time someone asks you what you do for a living?? I am always curious about how we interact with those who don't know what we do and how we do it.

Happy Friday!