music, therapy, and me

It is the first day of the "regular" school year, so this is my New Year. I tend to be a bit more likely to establish quests and the like at this time of year than I do in January. This may be my last school year start - I know it will be my last at this school - so my quests are a bit more nostalgic than anything else. Here are my quests for the 2025-2026 school year: Bring lunches to work Move more Enjoy the year Read 200 books Make 12 book units Bring my things home from work Rip CDs to the computer I have not counted any reading before this time, so the book I read yesterday does not count, but any other reading from now on does count. I have started the CD project already and have been through one large CD case for about 90+ CDs into my computer. I am using Windows Media Player because iTunes just stopped working. I really do not like iThings, and they do not like me, either. I will make a lunch today, and I intend on getting into a Sunday routine of making lunch parts f...

It is the end of this calendar year, and I always become nostalgic when it comes to changing the year from one to the next. This year has been full of challenges and ups and downs, and I feel the need to talk about where I am in this moment right here, right now. I took my cat's leftover consumables to the vet yesterday to give the resources to cats who will be able to use them. I have closed the door to her bathroom and haven't cleaned out her litter box yet. I know that it is silly not to clean up, but I just can't do it yet. I am allowing myself the opportunity to grieve the way I need to grieve. I will know when it is time to say that final goodbye. I also went to my Occupational Therapist for my second appointment. I increased my range of motion in all joints but am not to full mobility or range yet. She told me to start playing the piano and to attempt the guitar again. I also have these wonderful straps to "help" me stretch. Doesn't that look like fun? ...

'Tis the season for making goals and having good intentions to follow through, making ourselves healthier, wealthier, and wiser, right? I set my goals for each year in August when the new school year begins, so I am about halfway through with my intentions - I'm not doing too badly, but there is always room for improvement (check out this blog post if you want to know more about my intentions for 2018-2019). So, because I am already finished with my self-reflection for this upcoming year, please indulge me as I make some resolutions for our profession - all of us who are music therapists... (NOTE: These opinions are completely my own and are in no way meant to be interpreted as fact by anyone. They are OPINIONS, and, since this is my blog, I get to spout those opinions as much as I want. I do not receive any financial compensation or benefits or perks based on the things that I write here. If you find that you do not like my opinions, feel free to comment below [note that I ...

It's that time of year again. The television shows constant weight-loss program advertisements, fitness centers are advertising New Year's specials, and all work-out apparel and equipment are on ridiculous sales!! Many people are thinking about their New Year's resolutions, and I've decided to check up on my New (School) Year resolutions. These are my personal resolutions. I have another list of professional resolutions, but they are pretty boring - continue to develop the internship program, continue to provide music therapy services, etc. Yawn! So, here are my personal resolutions and intentions. I always start my intentions at the beginning of the new school year because that is my major checkpoint. January is simply the middle of the school year for me, so I've found that resolutions made in January are not nearly as effective for me as the ones that I make in August. So, here is an update on my goals from August. The original text is in black type and the ...

Today is the day. The 2018-2019 school year starts for me today. In about two and a half hours, I am going to be heading into a new school year. There are 201 work days left of this contract year (my actual contract starts on July 1, but this is really the start of the new school year - it's confusing, but makes total sense to my brain, really...I'm trying to convince myself of this...). As is my tradition for the new school year, it is time to set my resolutions and get started on my program of self-awareness for this new year. I've been thinking about my intentions this year, and I think I've come up with some good ones. The best resolutions are the ones that you can stick with, so I've been trying to focus on getting things finished. I made a list (no surprise there!), and I've attached it to my bullet journal. It has a convenient flip-out feature so I can see these goals when I am trying to figure out what to do every day. I even had a chance to color...

I am currently in a creative rush and a writing rut. Interesting how those things seem to go hand-in-hand around here. I've written three songs this morning, but I've also deleted lots of blog posts for this blog. For some reason, finding things to write about has been tough this morning. I'm going to give it another go. I guess I am a bit exhausted after playing host to my Mom. Things were different around here, as the cat continues to remind me - having a new person in the living space means that some things get done while others do not. We went lots of new places this week, and I am grateful for the opportunity to explore more of this area, but I don't usually do much of that during vacation, so my napping has really suffered! I plan to rectify some of that today. I'm tired, and that comes out as complaining on this forum. I try not to do too much of that, but there are times when it just has to happen. Through my post-visit haze, I have been able to comp...

I have three days left of my Fall Break before we start the Fall semester at my facility. As I have said before, the beginning of the school year is the time that I tend to make (and keep) most of my New Year's Resolutions. This year is no different. The beginning of the school year has always been a good time for me. I was one of those kids who loved school and got bored over the summer without the stimulation of classes. I never quit learning, even during the summer, but the difference in routine always affected me.  My mother, wise woman, never let us watch television during the summer months. We were outside. We would go to Girl Scout camps (day camps and overnights). We always helped out at Vacation Bible School. We made many trips to the library to participate in summer reading programs. We would go to the evening concerts in Memorial Park. We would ride our bikes around and around the cul-de-sac. We traveled the length of our big back yards playing Little House on the Pr...

It's the mid-point of my Fall break, and I am starting to think lots about my new year's resolutions.  I know, it is not officially the start of a new calendar year, but it is the start of my school year, so I tend to make resolutions more this time of the year than in January. So, as I approach the end of my break, I tend to start making my resolutions. Some of my resolutions are already set. I am working on my first ever continuing music therapy education course offered through my own approved provider status. I am going to work on course content later today, moving closer to the end of that goal. I have already launched my quarterly newsletter. You can sign up on my website on the Contact Us page, if you are interested in getting it every three months. I do have some other thoughts about resolutions for the 2017-2018 school year. I want to make this blog something a bit more relevant to the lives of other music therapists out there in the world. I'm not qui...

Well, actually, it is not the official last day of summer - that happens with the autumnal equinox in September, but it is the last day of my summer. School inservices start tomorrow and kids start school on Monday. For me, the summer is over after today. I am thinking that this is going to be a difficult transition. I haven't finished my jet-lag yet, and I am sleeping late still. This is not good for tomorrow's 4-5am alarm requirement. I simply cannot go to sleep at night and then I need to sleep more in the early morning hours. This is not like me at all. I don't even have a good excuse like watching the Olympics. (Because I'm not watching the Olympics - I keep up via social media outlets.) I'm just going through my regular at-home routine; laundry, dishes, cooking, reading, working on things, projects, and tools for music therapists, cleaning things, and eating. My school year routine starts tonight when I go back to my part-time job as a director of music ...

Earlier, I posted a TME about making New Year's Resolutions with my clients. It's called I Resolve To , and I used it with clients this week. It was an interesting experience to see who understood the concept of personal goals. Some of the goals were "I want a new Nintendo." Others were "I am going to be more helpful," or "I'm going to do what I have to do to get out of here." (Have I ever mentioned that I work with adolescents in residential and day treatment?) I shared some of my own resolutions for this year. Most of my friends aren't making resolutions but are focusing on something, but I still make resolutions. My resolutions? To eat more vegetables, stay healthier, and save money in this new year. Those are the ones I shared. The ones I didn't share were the others. To give away one box or bag of stuff per month. To go to one event out of the house per month (not a solitary movie, but some event where I am around other people). ...

We are 4 hours and 23 minutes into the new year right now. 2016 is here. I've noticed that resolutions seem to be "out" among my friends. Instead of making "resolutions," friends seem to prefer making "acclimations" or "statements" about what they will do in this new year. It all seems the same to me, but whatever. Me, I'm old-fashioned and perfectly happy to make resolutions. I made mine about two weeks ago and printed them off so I can see them everyday. This year, I will give away one box or bag of stuff every month. I will attend one event out of my house per month. I will do one home improvement per month as well - the first is to figure out how to incorporate my new R2-D2 towels into my bathroom. I am looking at some free classes at Michaels for my "event out of my house" and am starting to look for things that others might use for the "box or bag of stuff." Welcome to 2016, music therapy friends. I hope it...

I got into a spirited debate with my Father regarding the incident that happened in San Bernardino, California last week. This incident was literally close to home as the Inland Regional Center is about 30 minutes away from my parent's house and about 15 minutes away from my sister's house. I used to work with case workers from the Regional Center in my former life as a QMRP/Administrator. The shooting that happened struck really close to home and has shaken my family in different ways. Things like this tend to send my Dad into political pronouncements that are directly contrary to my own views. So, we debate. Now, for the purposes of this post, it is not important to know which side of any issue my Dad and I end up on, but let me just say that many topics lead us into conflict - education, politics, human services, budgetary topics - are just some of the topics that we agree to disagree about. We are both strongly opinionated people and have learned to discuss things in a ...

Today's Therapeutic Music Experience (TME) is an idea that I've used now several times. It's interesting how some of my students can complete this and others just simply do not understand what I am asking them to do. I'll sing the song for Song Switch Sunday, and I'll put the sheet music on the website today so you can see it. (The hyperlink here leads to the Ideas and Experiences page on my website!) Purpose : To engage group members in personal goal setting; executive function; creative expression; emotional awareness; fine motor (if writing) skill development; social interaction Source : Words, music, and therapeutic procedure © August 11, 2014, by Mary Jane Landaker, MME, MT-BC. Materials : OPTIONAL: dry erase board and marker or prepared lyric sheets and writing utensils for group members to use to write their responses Environment : All group members within hearing distance of the leader; provide writing surfaces if needed. S...