music, therapy, and me

Today's past post comes to us from March 20, 2017 . Post #1478 was the second post in a series. I am often surprised by things that I have written - this is one of those things. I do not remember these posts, but they challenge my way of thinking at the moment - this is a good thing, and it amazes me that these thoughts were my thoughts! This post happened after my attendance at a super regional conference in Colorado. It was a good conference - one where I had the opportunity to share my interests with others in ways that I find most relevant to me - we created some art, we watched videos, we talked about burnout, we talked about research in clinical practice. It was a good conference for me, and one of the last ones that I attended in person - I think there was one more regional conference in 2018 that I attended because it was at home. I was able to save on hotel fees while getting some time with my parents and siblings. I came home to write this series of posts. For some reaso...

Hand-drawn monkeys - soon to be on TPT! I admit, when I get thinking about something, I just do not stop until the thought is thunk. (Interestingly, my spell-check does not object to the word "thunk.") So, I am still stuck on the idea of thematic programming and how music therapists can (and already do) use this programming in their clinical interactions. I thought about this all the way to work yesterday and for the first 20 minutes of my clinical day, and I decided to continue to develop this idea into a second post because I always do better once I've written something down for others to see and think about (AND comment on!! Tell me if you think this is right or completely wrong!!). Here are my thoughts about thematic programming - Day Two (if you are interested in reading my thoughts on day one, here's the link ). First of all, I believe that we all do thematic programming in our music therapy clinics. Oooh, I can hear people saying, "What? I don'...

This will be the last in this series of posts (at least, for the current moment). I've enjoyed the thought experiment of making this analogy, and it seems to make sense to me as a way to think of music therapists and the differences we have between us with an eye to the similarities that are also present. I went to an educational program that was steeped in the tradition of one specific theoretical practice of music therapy, but we were introduced to the themes of all of the other ideas out there in the world. We were never told that our way of doing things was the right way of doing things. We were told that the client was the focus and that the way of approaching therapy with the client should change to accommodate differences in clients. Nothing was off-limits, but our professors recognized their own clinical skills and only felt comfortable teaching us what they knew and believed. Over the years, I've been accosted by people who were taught one and only one theme. They ...

This is part three of a series on Themes and Variations. (If you want to read part one, click h ere . If you want to read part two, click here .) This is a concept that I am currently thinking through, inspired by experiences at the WRMWAMTA super regional conference that occurred last weekend in Colorado, but it has been influenced by many years of theoretical exploration and clinical practice. Today's focus? The client. For me, the most important element of any music therapy session has to be the client. After all, without the client, there would only be a therapist sitting there, playing music for reasons that have nothing to do with therapy, just entertainment of self. (There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with making music for yourself, but I contend that without the client, you cannot be doing music therapy!) So, we've thought about our greater themes - those which shape how we approach the things we do with clients during sessions. We've spoken about our variation...

Some of you may have already read part one of this discussion, but in case you haven't click here for the first part of this analogy. I propose the concept that we, as music therapists, work within a common musical construct - that of the theme and variations. Our primary structure is that of a specific pitch center and construct. (Now, I am going to be making some assumptions about what we believe here - these ideas are simply my own, but I think I can make these statements pretty confidently. If not, please feel free to contact me through the comments here on this blog.) We all believe that music can affect change in the lives of human beings. We believe that, when musical elements are applied by someone who is trained in the concepts and processes of the effect of music on human beings, that music can affect exponential change in the lives of consumers. For me, this is our foundation. This is our pitch center. The pitch offers the first level of structure - before even ...

I have recently returned to my home from the super regional conference between the Western region and the Midwestern region of the American Music Therapy Association. It was a good trip - lots of time in the car to myself, a hotel room, and two presentations that were well received. A friend of mine got an award that she wasn't ready for, and I saw some of you there. (Thanks for reading and for talking to me about the blog, by the way!) All in all, it was a good way to start my spring break and get my mind turned towards my quest for a deeper understanding of this profession. I wish I could have been there for the second day of sessions, but life often has other plans, and I had to make it back here for worship leadership this morning (I can't begrudge the pastor his own study leave!). So, I skipped out a day early. I like attending conferences because they always remind me about why I love being a music therapist. There is something so reaffirming about being with a group ...