music, therapy, and me

I blame it on Niamh Arthur and Rochelle Norman, but I am now in the practice of making videos for my neglected YouTube channel. I made two this weekend - one that I'll share tomorrow for TME Tuesday, and one for today. Here's a Music Therapy Morsel - I still haven't found my camera, so I don't have the cool bumpers that I am envisioning for this particular video series yet, but it will happen - I AM DETERMINED! The first version of this that I posted did not include the nifty keen front and back cards that I made up, so now I've updated that and will try this entire process again. I am currently trying a new way to upload videos, so I'm sitting here, waiting and waiting to see what happens... Here's the idea behind all these recent videos - there are times when we are told to do things in our music therapy education that have no real clear purpose behind them. Now, there is always a purpose, but that purpose is not often explained to us all. I'm goi...

I have come to the end of my most recent synthesis textbook, and I am at a loss for what to do next. I know that there are many articles out there and lots of other textbooks, but I am kinda tired of reading things and searching for clinical meaning. So, this is where I am - searching for something to do to organize my Sunday offerings to this particular blog - I also REALLY like alliteration, so it has to be something that starts with the letter S to go along with Sunday. Hmm. Over the years, I've done some Just a Song Sundays, Song Lyric Sundays, Song Switch Sundays, and Supplemental Sundays in addition to my Synthesis Sundays. (See what I mean about my intense like of alliteration!!) I don't have any ideas or even inclinations towards anything at this time. That's why I like having a target for myself - a prompt, as it were. It makes my thought process a bit more focused than it is on days without a prompt. I could do something with taking a song and transforming it ...

So, I wrote about my current fun thing in my life - stationery subscription boxes - and a thought that I had about doing one for music therapists - and BAM! Someone announced a box subscription for music therapists - YESTERDAY! I know that this type of stuff happens all the time, but I also find it really coincidental that I announce an idea and then someone else manifests it immediately. Does this mean that I am omniscient? I can see what is going to happen before it happens?? Am I a music therapy goddess? I think I'm going to go with that particular interpretation as it makes me seem to be a beneficent music therapy muse who inspires others to bigger and better things while I am content to be the spark. (I'm not quite there...yet.) So, I am again looking for something to do with the music therapy world that brings a bit of joy to myself and to others. I'm not going to share it this time, though, because I don't want someone else to announce the same idea two mi...

So, if you are not a regular reader of this blog, you may not know that I am currently engaged in bullet journaling as a form of self-care and scheduling and something creative to do when I am in need of a spark. This engagement in a style of time management is becoming more than just "the way I do things." It is rapidly becoming a big part of my life. I watch planning videos to help me fall asleep at night - watching other people draw and paint is very relaxing to me. I enjoy seeing how people take some watercolors and make beautiful things in their journals. I don't do that. I've finally found a way to do this that works for me - no watercoloring or pretty pictures - just function for me. ANYWAY, one of the other things that has happened recently, bullet journal related of course, is that I now receive three stationery boxes every month. There is a picture of my latest box above. In these boxes, I get fancy pens and pencils, washi tape, cards, notepads, (excit...

Ever have an idea that just sits on the edges of your brain, not really moving on or out? I am in that particular situation right now. Let me explain. So, I am currently involved in a songswap challenge run by the good folks at Music Therapy Kids . Our first challenge was to share a song that addresses communication - I shared one that I use quite often, but it started my composition process going. I have an idea for a song that incorporates articulation drills with Halloween, but it hasn't really solidified for me yet. I know most of the words that I want. I can hear the harmonic progression in my head and can put it onto the guitar, but the melody has not firmed up yet. It probably won't become reality until I take some time to sit down at the piano and make an effort. This is a common situation in my music therapy journey. I will get ideas, write them down, work on them a bit, find that they just don't gel for me, and then leave for a while. I keep all of my sc...

Today is an anniversary, of sorts! I've written two thousand, eighteen posts as of today!!! I am astounded that I am still writing these daily thoughts, twelve years after I started this entire blog. I initially started a blog because I could and because it seemed to be a good medium for me to figure out music therapy thoughts and problems. My first year was not a very productive year. If you go back, you'll see that there was only one back in 2006 - a very innocuous post about the weather in Kansas at the moment. The next years brought some more thoughts, but I didn't really figure out what I wanted this blog to be until about 2014. I now write about 338 posts per year, about several different music therapy topics, and about lots of "me" topics! Now, I know that this is a TME Tuesday, so I am going to share a YouTube video that I recently shared in a songswap challenge on Facebook. I am going to make videos a priority when it comes to my next stuff to do, so ...

One of the challenging things about being an internship supervisor is that my role with my clients has to change as part of the training program. I have become "observer" with some of my clients rather than "therapist." This is a difficult step as my interns become more competent and comfortable and need to have the safety net that I provide go away. I become a shadowy figure sitting in my office rather than an active part of music therapy. It is something that I struggle with on a regular basis. Then there are days like today... One of my interns is sick. She is not coming in to the program today, so I am going to be stepping into her role as "therapist" until she is better. Some of my clients will ask about her, express that they want her to feel better soon, and then settle into my way of doing music therapy. Others will not know who I am AT ALL. They will view me with suspicion as I pick up my guitar and start to make music with and for them. My ...