music, therapy, and me

I am trying to be a bit more intentional in my writing this week, so here is a topic that I hope you all will like - the books that have influenced my music therapy practice over the past "ahem" MANY years. Some of these books are music therapy texts, others are not. There have been many different books that have made me think a bit more about who I am and what I do with my clients. Here they are, in no particular order... Music In Therapy , edited by E. Thayer Gaston, published in 1968. You can find a copy at this link here . The influential part of this book, for me at least, Chapter Two, Processes in Music Therapy by William W. Sears. This was one of the first things that I really understood when I encountered it as an undergraduate, and it still has deep meaning for me. I am lucky enough to own a physical copy of this book, and I am meaning to reread this chapter. It reminds me that there is so much more that music does than just fill the brain with stimuli. I think I wou...

If you have read this blog around this time of year for the past several years (at least, since Disney took over the Star Wars franchise), then you know that I am a HUGE fan! I have now seen the last movie, The Rise of Skywalker, twice, and I will be going back for some more once I get back to my own home. Looking forward to watching this movie the third time will get me through some cold, wintery, gloomy days, I am more than sure! I promise, I will not reveal any spoilers about the plot, the ending, or anything OTHER THAN... My FAVORITE composer of all time has a cameo! There. That's the only thing that I will reveal. Mr. John Williams is my favorite composer. There is no one else who even compares in my musical universe, though Michael Giacchino is gaining on some of my other favorites right now. Mr. Williams, however, is at the pinnacle that all others are compared to and must strive to achieve! My love affair with the music of Mr. Williams started with my first inter...