music, therapy, and me

I think I may have come to the end of this particular series of Sunday posts. At this point (and for a couple of weeks now), I have tried to come up with something new to talk about, but it has been a struggle. I am thinking it might be time to shift to another type of topic and discussion in this music therapy life of mine. But, what? I like to have a bit of structure to what I write and when I write it. Over the years that I have been writing, I have come into a type of routine. That routine has changed over the years, but I like having a bit of an expectation about what I am going to write each week. It helps to have some structure in my writing life. Without it, I tend to just ramble and babble about things that are not exactly about music or therapy - just about me! So, I want to think a bit about what my Sunday topic will be. I like alliteration, so I think it will be something that starts with an S. Song, sing, strategy, systems, somnolence, so many nice S words. I haven't r...

I am waffling these days about blogging. Not about whether I blog or not, but more about what is important to write about. I am always interested in my readers. Who are you? What sort of things are challenging to you, as humans, as music therapists, (as my sister,) and as professionals? I just reupped my membership in the American Music Therapy Association. This is an essential part of my job and my professional life. It always has been and always will be. I cannot imagine being a music therapist without being a member of my national organization. I know that there are problems with this group, but there are problems with every single institution that is out there in the world of humanity. There are always things that we can do to become better for each other. I find that it is easier to get things changed from within than from without, so I am member. I am also a member of AMTA because I am an internship director and supervising music therapist. I cannot train interns without being a ...

I have finished the first week (and first chapter) of John Pellitteri's Emotional Processes in Music Therapy book, written in 2009, and published by Barcelona Publishing. I am enjoying this perspective about therapeutic relationship and how emotion plays a part in all that we do and perceive. I am actually excited about what I am being challenged to consider, and it is only the end of the first chapter! I started off with the table of contents as well as the "About the Author" portion of the book. I like getting a bit of perspective about what I will be reading about and who ends up writing books like these. I know another person named Pellitteri, so I admit to wondering if there is a link between the Pellitteri I know and this one - I have no clue, but it is interesting to think about... ANYWAY... The author started off by discussing the relevance of emotion research to music therapy and why we need to know about it all. The author makes a point to indicate that the the...

It's that time again - time for my students to go back to school tomorrow, so rather than come up with a TME to share, I thought I would challenge you all to use a specific song and make it into a TME.   FULL DISCLOSURE: I will use your ideas in my music therapy interactions with my clients, but I will NEVER share them outside of my own clinic without explicit permission from you, and I will make sure that you are listed as the source of the TME idea in my TME file for perpetuity. I will NEVER profit from your idea in any way. Someone stole one of my songs and TMEs once - I don't want anyone else to ever have to go through what I've gone through. So, here's the deal. I have a song that could have so many different uses in a music therapy session, and I'd like to know what you all think and how you would use it. This is a participation deal. Please comment below. In your comment, tell me if you want me to publish it so lots of folks can see you...