music, therapy, and me

"My creativity is back." This was a comment that I heard yesterday which just warmed my heart immensely. Creativity is such a part of being a music therapist that it is so heartening when it flourishes in our brains and our professional practices. The lack of creativity might lead to feelings of inadequacy, or stagnation, or failure. It is amazing how much a spark can help. I live through ups and downs in my own creative mood and abilities. They are not uncommon for me any more - the dips and waves of creativity are things that I have learned to expect, respect, and work through. When I heard that comment yesterday, I felt less alone in my own process of being a music therapist. It's amazing how much validation we can find when we hear that others experience the same sort of things that we go through. One of the things that I like the best about being a music therapist is the creativity that goes along with presenting music to other people. I take it a couple of steps bey...

One of the most popular Therapeutic Music Experiences (TMEs) at my facility is a children's game, "Doggie, Doggie, Where's Your Bone?" I am not sure why it is so popular, but it really is, so we end up playing it more often than any other game TME. It is requested by my long-term clients. The "I'm too cool for school" kids even play it and request it. It is an interesting phenomenon for me to see how this particular game makes the list of the top 10 TMEs at my facility - hands down! To play this game, we sit in a circle, and I get out one of my wrist bells. One person is selected as "Doggie." That person turns around and puts their hands near their eyes so they cannot see. One person is chosen as "Thief" and has to sneak up, take the bells, and then return to their seat. The bells get hidden behind the back of the "thief" and then everyone gets into the action. We put on our best guilty or innocent faces and start the chant ...

This is one of my favorite weeks of the year. It is Star Wars Day tomorrow (May the Fourth, you know), so I am taking one of my favorite things in the world to work - my R2-D2 robot! He is voice-activated and stubborn as all get out, which I absolutely LOVE! We do some experimentation with offering commands and waiting for responses and then we let him do his thing all over the music therapy room. He is a great tool for some discussion about listening, about conflict, and about how it feels when people do not listen to you. In addition to playing with R2, we are going to use some mini flashlights that I bought from Oriental Trading Co a long time ago - they have constellations on them! We are also going to listen to John Williams' music. There is nothing that I disapprove of this week! I love it all! This is a good way to start the last month of our regular schedule. I get to let my nerdy, fan-girl side out and still justify all this as a therapeutic event! So, this week's sess...

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...