Perceptions

If you are a music therapist, likely you understand the above paradox. People's perceptions are all different about what "music therapy is".  Hence why we need a “elevator ride” length pitch on music therapy in our back pocket at any moment in time. Starting a new position I have been asked to explain what music therapy is multiple times in the past week alone. AND if you have any experience as a MT (even as a student or intern) you may have already encountered some preconceived notions and well... to be honest... annoying comments/assumptions/generalizations that people may make. For example: My first day out in the field with my new colleague we were greeted at a facility by their front desk personnel with a cheerful,

“Oh great! The entertainment is here!” I kind of assumed that my fellow MT might brush it off and go on her way, but instead she politely corrected the lady across the desk with a short, simple, and non-judgmental educational statement on what she was actually there to do. The employee's eyes widened slightly, you could see the wheels turning in her head as she understood just a bit more about “what music therapy is”. She was genuinely interested and impressed. I had that old familiar PSA theme running through my mind, "The More You Know"...

We all have that cousin, or friend of a friend, or neighbor that at some point says to us, “You paid all that money to go to school and learn to be a music therapist! I'm a (enter other non-music therapy related credentials here) and I just sing to/play a CD for my patients/kids/dog!”

I have a basset hound but she wont sing with me. I've tried. Maybe I'm NOT a music therapist...

Well, that's fantastic that you sing to them. Really. It is. Music is a fantastic and powerful part of care giving. HOWEVER! When I drag a guitar, computer, industrial sized hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, song books, paddle drums/xylophone/electric keyboard/ocean drum/thunder tube up to a patient's bedside it is not a grand entrance for the “Annie Walljasper Music Hour”. I'm on a mission. I've taken time to plan and prepare. I've created goals to work on for each client. I've checked up on, studied, and planned out the best way to serve their diagnosis. I do more than sing. I do more than play the guitar. I watch every little action and reaction. I change my approach on a dime. I create goals for patients, I develop ways to achieve those goals. I collect data and prove to doctors, nurses, social workers, as well as insurance companies and the government that what I am doing is clinical, beneficial, and appropriate. It's a clinical and evidence-based way to assist others in order to help them accomplish social, emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual goals. In order to reach those goals, I use music intervention. It's THERAPY, and I use music to do it. 

Furthermore, in order to "do music therapy" you must be a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. Music therapists take courses in everything from biology, anatomy, and psychology to acting,

There are many fantastic colleges and universities who offer
music therapy education... the University of Iowa is just one of them

conducting, orchestration, and movement to voice lessons, music research, music theory, and music appreciation. Not to mention specific courses such as "Music Therapy in Special Education" or "Music Therapy and Older Adults". After completing coursework and studying hard, our young budding music therapist goes on to a six month internship. They must apply, interview, and successful secure and internship and then work (normally 40 hours a week) more often than not without pay. Interns gain real world experience and truly get a taste for what it is like to be a full time employed MT - at least I did.

AFTER you complete all 1,080 hours of your internship it's time to start studying up. There's a big old certification exam. The CBMT Board Certification examination consists of a 150 question multiple-choice test, you are allotted 3 hours to complete it, and it costs a pretty penny (if I do say so myself). Now, some of you may ask "Why? Why get certified?" The credential MT-BC is to provide an objective national standard that can be used as a measure of professionalism. Basically having the credential allows the public to identify qualified practitioners who have passed a national exam measuring the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to competently practice in the field of music therapy for the given year. So, they KNOW that they are getting someone who knows what they are doing and are doing it with intent... not just playing a CD. Also, it's a way to hold me accountable for my actions. If I am not working within my scope of practice (meaning if I am pretending to know how to do something I don't know how to do) or if I am doing something unethical or illegal, there is a certification board who will hold me to higher standards or will revoke my credentials. When you finally take the test, you find out right away as to whether or not you passed. Thank God, because just waiting for the results to print off was a torturous wait itself. If you passed, you then get mailed an official certificate that looks like this:

Isn't it beautiful? I think so. So, then you frame it and hang it in your office... or in your car if you work for hospice. I might put mine on a chain and just wear it around. I'm the Flava Flav of music therapy,

"Yeah boooiiii!"

And then? Well, then you GET A JOB! Oh an every 5 years you either have to have continuing education credits or you have to retake the test... darn that whole keeping you accountable thing. ;)

Whew, I'm tired just thinking about all that work! But you know what, it's totally worth it. Everyday I am honored to share some of the more intimat

Support for this blog is brought to you by...

Today is mine and Mr. Bean's anniversary. We have been married 2 whole years. And all you professionals out there are probably wondering why in the world I am writing about my saucy love life on my professional blog but there's a reason. And I'm getting to it.

He doesn't always WEAR his glasses and for some reason feels
the need to be clean shaven at times but you get the idea.

I have to give credit to Mr. Bean. This man allowed his crazy bride to start school to become a music therapist a mere 3 weeks before getting married. This man supported the notion that not only could I go to the University of Iowa (with a 2 hour commute), continue to work a full time job, and pull off what was sure to be the wedding of the century. He listened to me stress over seating arrangements, stress over homework, and stress over planning a youth ministry program (that was my former area of employment). He took on the financial burden of a wedding and then said "Sure why not" to the burden of paying for school out of pocket (no loans = yay, no financial aid = boo). He worked multiple jobs to support not only his business, but my dream, and to provide for us. AND THEN! When I wanted to intern at Seasons Hospice, he moved with me and started a new career.

Why? Because he believes in and supports my dreams. He has proofread papers, bounced around session plan ideas, and helped compose songs that assist children in hearing and pronouncing the difference between "p" and "b". He who has been playing the guitar for years, who has more patience in his little toe than I have at all, calmly teaches me music and silently listens as I figure things out. He went to extracurricular lectures with me, got excited when he'd hear my professor on Iowa Public Radio or listen to a podcast talking about music therapy, and listens to be me babble about my days at Seasons. He is genuinely interested in everything I am doing and learning. He pushes me to be the best I can be. And for that I owe him an incredible amount of thanks... and it just so happens that I can't help also giving him all of my heart.

So my dear readers... the question today is:

Who inspires and supports you? Who is accompanying you on your walk to be a great music therapist? There are tons of people in my life who are helping me grow and become the best ME, but today is the day I celebrate marrying my #1 fan. I am so blessed... lucky... undeserving. I am eternally grateful.

Be prepared!!

The past few days I have been out an about visiting patients with MTs, interns, and CNAs. Tomorrow I will go out with another intern, Next week I will go out with a social worker, two more MTs and a RN. All in all, it is FANTASTIC. Not only am I learning a ton by watching them but I am really getting a feel for the population I will be serving. It has been shocking at times. There have been moments where I was glad that I was just there observing and moments where I wished I could jump in with a song I knew. There have been families I wanted to stay and get to know more.

One big lesson I want to highlight with two stories:

BUILD YOUR REPERTOIRE!

1. Monday I went out with a MT intern who is just about to wrap up her time with Seasons. July 1 will be her last day and I wish her all the best. She is a great MT. Monday we met downtown and visited a few patients. Then she got a phone call and we needed to head over to Rush to be with an actively dying patient and their family. The patient was Hispanic. "How's your Spanish?" She asked me, "Do you know any Spanish songs?" **GULP** The only song I could think of was a song about "La Llorona" or the Weeping Woman, a sad and kind of scary tale about a ghost searching for children (and possibly killing them). It's from a play I was in. It's probably not the best choice to sing to a person dying OR their family. I kept my thought to myself and instead watched her mind race as we drove to the hospital. A

After parking and walking and going up elevators and signing in and getting lost and walking/wandering some more we arrived at the patient's hospital room. She talked a bit with the family, talked with the patient (who was not responsive), and started playing. A few spiritual songs, a little instrumental here and there, and three songs in Spanish. How awesome was that!? Right there on the spot she pulled out a few songs and was singing beautiful Spanish.

2. Today I went out with my supervisor to see a bunch of people. Our first stop was at a facility where we saw three patients. Two of the patients who had diagnosis of ADRD were uninterested in having music therapy for the day either sleeping or wanted to be left alone, but the third (with a diagnosis of COPD) we found up, alert, and ready for music. After the first song, for some reason, the client mentioned that he had recently been to Iowa to hear a music program. Of course my supervisor asks, "What town was it?" After a while of thinking he finally managed to say "Iowa City". And thus began my first real interaction with a client.
"I went to the University of Iowa in Iowa City," I said.
"I was born in Iowa," He said.
"So are you a Hawkeye fan or a Cyclone fan?" I asked.
"Hawkeyes!" He answered breathlessly.
"Is there a Hawkeye fight song you could sing?" piped up my supervisor.
Oh dear I thought, "Yes...If I remember all the words." There had been a competition each semester to see who knew all the words. Last semester I even used the fight song in one of my practicum sessions. But I had only been a Hawkeye for 2 years and I have YET to go to a game...

But, I sung it. And in the middle of a quiet facility in a small suburb of Chicago about 4 hours away from Iowa City, two Hawkeyes bonded. It ended up being a great session for life review and reminiscence. When we were about finished with our visit it was such a blessing to hear this man who had played Iowa basketball, who had loved the ladies in high school, and who had served his country say, "It was some life. I could live that life over and over and over..."

I guess there are actually two lessons here:
1. Be prepared. Learn and remember songs. A variety of songs. You never know when you'll need them. Whether you need to know a song in a foreign language, country music, Frank Sinatra, the Red Hot Chile Peppers, or heavy metal (all of which I have seen since I've been here) - you can never be TOO prepared.

and...

2. Live a life that in old age you can look back and say, "That was some life."

I am certain that my rendition was not nearly as cute.

Prelude

prel·ude

  –noun

1.

a preliminary to an action, event, condition, or work ofbroader scope and higher importance.

2.

any action, event, comment, etc. that precedes somethingelse.

3.

Music 

a.

a relatively short, independent instrumental composition,free in form and resembling an improvisation.

b.

a piece that precedes a more important movement.

c.

the overture to an opera.

d.

an independent piece, of moderate length, sometimesused as an introduction to a fugue.

e.

music opening a church service; an introductory voluntary.

A new beginning.

Two years ago, on an exceptionally rainy day I drove the hour treck through cornfield to the University of Iowa. Having lived in the Quad Cities for three years I was ready for something new… and I was about to start that adventure. On that rainy day I met a fantastic woman, Dr. Mary Adamek. Former president of the American Music Therapy Association, Director of the University of Iowa Music Therapy Program, and a wonderful mentor. She immediately put me on the right track to completing the music therapy equivalency program (I had previously majored in Music:Vocal Performance at Monmouth College – graduating in 2006). That fall I started classes at the University and within days knew that this was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Fast forward to last November, just after attending the National Convention in Cleveland, OH I set out on my first internship interview. Before convention I talked with supervisors and teaching assistants. I set up mock interviews and rehearsed answers to ensure controlling my impulse to get flustered. While at convention I talked with every professional in Hospice that I could and went to session after session on Hospice care. Friends of mine had interviews scheduled during conference and I picked their brains. My dear friend Lindsay practiced my interview piano piece with me and in my spare time went back to the hotel room to practice my guitar.

So, after conference I returned to Chicago and headed out on my first interview. Things went well… well, except for getting a little lost going there. And the sight singing. And the one exceptionally intimidating interviewer. I felt great about the interview (statements like “Oh! We didn’t expect you to have your pieces memorized” were a boost to my confidence that I had impressed) and at the same time I cried in the parking lot before even driving away. I flip flopped, cried, and prayed for most of the drive home. I wanted this so bad…

“On behalf of all of the music therapists at Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care of Illinois, I would like to offer you a position to intern here starting in June 2011.  Please let me know if you have decided to accept the position.  It was a pleasure meeting you today, and I look forward to hearing from you.”

~ time stamped four hours after my interview

Of course my generally paranoid attitude took this as a “great they don’t have anyone else and have to settle for me”… but in my heart I know I did a great job interviewing and I knew this was where I was supposed to be.

A few months, multiple trips with my car packed to the gills, sweat, tears, worried, and excitement later… I started my internship at Seasons Hospice in Chicago, IL.

This blog is my story… so that if anyone cares to read it might find hope, direction, lessons (on what not to do) or guidance. Or maybe they’ll read about my (mis)adventures and think “thank God that didn’t happen to me” or “that girl is crazy”. But also so that in 20 years when I’m a cranky old MT, cynical and worn down, I can go back and read about this exhilarating time. Just like the beginning of the opera, or the musical… when the lights dim, the audience falls silent in anticipation, and the conductor takes the stand. This time in my life when the prelude begins and the story starts to unfold. While my eyes are still twinkling and my heart is ready to burst with excitement.