music, therapy, and me

One of the things that I did quite a bit ago was teach an Introduction to Music Therapy course for non-majors. To introduce the concept of using music to convey specific emotions, tasks, use of music for non-musical outcomes, I compiled a bunch of clips from various movies from my own movie library. Here they are... Get Over It  - The use of music to convey emotion - I enjoy the juxtaposition of this upbeat song that describes how love is stronger than any other force on earth, used to illustrate the despair of losing a love that you think is your destiny. Evolution - The use of music to attract attention - Okay, so it's a prehistoric-type mutant, but he uses his singing to direct attention to him in order to save the girl . The Muppet Movie (the original one) - The use of music to convey emotion, again. Gonzo sings about his origins. Gigi - The use of music to spur memories - I love this song and love that they remember things very differently. Stop, Look, ...

It's that time again - time for the fourth blog challenge from Julie Palmieri and Serenade Designs . This one is going to be a challenge for me, one that I continue to struggle with even after 22 years of being a professional and continuous practice on this task. Here's the task: This week’s challenge is to pick a current research article or chapter of a book that is closely related to your target audience and summarize it. If you read this blog on a regular basis, first of all, THANK YOU! Secondly, you may have noticed that I try to do something like this on Sundays. But, for some reason, research has always been a bit of a disconnect for me. I know how to read it, how to interpret it, but it doesn't really connect with my day-to-day interactions with clients. As a result, I don't spend lots of time reading research in order to make my music therapy practice more strong, I read theoretical texts to strengthen my relationship with music and to become a better music the...

This is week three of the #MusicTherapyBlogger challenge, and this time we were asked to share an quote that we find inspirational. Here's mine. "Structures are restraints - a way of limiting. What you can build within restraints and structures is almost limitless." - Corita Kent This quotation has been part of my office area and creative space since I first heard it way, way back! It expresses my attitude about the need for structure as well as the freedom that is available within that structure. It's been something that I try to practice on a regular basis - finding the creative way to function within the restraints that are placed upon me and that I place upon myself. This year, however, I learned a bit more about Ms. Kent. I was driving from work, listening to All Things Considered , when I heard the magic words, "Corita Kent." I turned the radio up and paid close attention. Here's the link to the NPR article .  Ms. Kent was actu...

I have an "Always" bag... or box... or shelf... or drawer... within reach of every session that I run. In my "Always" place, I keep the essential tools that I always want, need, and can use without much active thinking. This "Always" place has changed over the years, but the essential elements remain the same. Here are the contents of my "Always" toolkit... A pen and pencil velcroed to the box/bag/shelf - you never know when you need one and who wants to waste time looking for a pen when you need one? The iPod - this tool is wonderful! It has replaced the small book of CDs that I used to carry around with me in my toolkit. Shaker eggs and/or rhythm sticks - a full classroom set of instruments along with my collection of ideas on how to use them. Marketing materials - business cards, information sheets, schedules, rates for services, and AMTA materials  - perfect for supporting "elevator speeches." Index cards - for jotting down...

My work is centered around serving children and adolescents with developmental and psychiatric diagnoses, so the types of questions that I field on a regular basis are not your typical elevator conversation - they are often strange, off-topic, and intriguing. Here are some of the questions that I hear and attempt to answer... You can't make me do music. (With an implied "Do you want to try?) - I don't ever challenge this statement. I don't want to force someone to participate in music therapy. I really want them to engage of their own free will and to be a partner in the therapeutic triad rather than be forced to be part of treatment. The kids make these statements and ask this question, most of the time, when they first arrive at the facility. Being in music therapy is something that they do have to do as part of their treatment, but participating is their choice. It's my job to convince them to want to participate. Sometimes I'm good of it, sometimes not s...