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February 2013

There are many different forms of support. Support can come from people, pets, or things.

As for me the area I receive the most support from is my parents. Throughout my life they have supported me in all my endeavors. When I first decided to play the viola my parents didn’t hesitate to buy one for me and to start me in lessons. And then in high school, when I decided to pursue music therapy I was not talked out of it or swayed from that degree choice. My parents said, “Ok what can we do for you?” Looking back I’m realizing how loving and caring my parents truly are. When so many other young adults are steered away from a music degree my parents accepted this and did not question if I would be able to make any money, be able to support myself, or if I could even find a job in my degree field.

I do not only receive support from my parents, but also my internship supervisors and all the staff at the Music Therapy Center of California. They are all helping to mold me into a future music therapist one intervention at a time. I have already learned so much from working with them.

Here is just a taste

What is the goal?…Is it functional?…Flexion/inflexion…driving down beat…a compliment…popcorn…wh questions…metronome…TIMP…PSE…memorize…who has the instrument bag?…printing…copying…community helpers…singing…singing…singing

To end this blog I wanted give some of the best support you can get out there. Here’s a shout out to the over the shoulder boulder holder! Have a great day!

Thanks everyone for all your support and care, I may not show it, but you are appreciated and loved!

Beth

As a music therapy intern, I see about 70 different clients and staff a week. Now, think of all the germs floating in the air- runny noses, uncovered sneezes and coughs. Being a music therapist is a real test for your immune system! During my first 3 months here, I caught 2 colds and lost my voice twice. Emergen-C and Echinacea have become my best friend- I try to drink a cup of Echinacea tea about 4 nights a week, and take Emegen-C any time I’m feeling extra tired or feel the first sign of sickness. I also keep a small dropper bottle of Echinacea to drop in any drinks or to add to my Emergen-C mix. I try to take Elderberry capsules daily and I also sometimes get a shot of wheat grass from Jamba Juice when I’m feeling icky.

After losing my voice the second time around, I talked to one of my college roommates, who is going to grad school for vocal health. She told me that it helps to speak in a higher voice when you feel the beginning of a hoarse voice- it takes the strain off of the vocal cords by utilizing a more resonant tone. I took her advice the next time I thought I was going to lose it- and by golly it works!

Being in the fifth month of internship is beginning to take its toll on my stress levels- I have many more responsibilities and projects to work on than two months ago, and I’m starting to feel overwhelmed. Pulling this word of the week was a nice reminder that if we don’t take care of ourselves, we most likely won’t do our best. When I’m working on something for a long period of time and start to feel stressed out, I try to take a 10-20 minute break- a short walk outside, or just veg out watching YouTube or TV for a little bit.

These are just a couple tricks that I’ve learned are helpful for my well-being. Self-care is a very important part of life for anyone, and music therapists are no exception!

-Marjie

I consider my family a very important part of my life, without them I would not be who I am today. To give a little background information, my parents met on a blind date in Nebraska, got married and had three lovely children, but the loveliest was their youngest. (That would be me) My siblings and I are all two years apart. I have one brother and sister, my brother is the oldest. We had a normal childhood with all the practical jokes, temper tantrums, and bickering. I have so many amazing memories of my childhood; it is hard to pick the best ones to share with you.

Here are some quick facts about my family, we were never able to finish a game of monopoly (fighting always ensued first), Phase 10 is a cut throat game that could bring one to tears, we grew up without cable, my brother, sister, and I use to dance like Jack and Rose when they are at the party where Rose stands up on her toes, my dad use to pull my sister and I out of the tub by saying he was going fishing, he also told us awesome bed times stores about Hank and Carla a cat and dog who went on some wacky adventures, my mom is the best cuddler if you are having a crappy day and need to snuggle, she is also one of the best cooks/bakers I know (SERIOSULY it’s amazing food), I still hold my mom’s hand in public, my dad can bring me to tears just by saying he is disappointed in me, and I wouldn’t change any part of my childhood.

Basically I would not be the person I am without the influence of my parents and siblings. Which is true for everyone in the world… so the question is, how to make this personal, how can I express how awesome my family really is??

I guess the answer I am searching for is to say that my family is pretty normal, we have our fights and our quarrels, but at the end of the day they are my family and I love them more than anything, would do anything for them, and will always be there for them. Isn’t there a saying that goes something like, I can say as much crap about my family as I want, but the second someone else has something bad to say I will become like the mob and end you. (Figuratively speaking of course) Family is important. They come in all different ways, just remember to hold on to the ones you love and let them know every once in a while that you care.

Beth

This week’s word is SCIENCE. When I think of the word “science”, I immediately think of when I was in 4th grade and our class would watch an episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy every Friday. I hope you folks are ready for a throwback to the 90’s with this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx4HdbTiksY

Brings back some good memories 🙂 Now for my rocky segue into how it relates to music therapy.

The music therapists at MTCCA are NMTs (Neurologic Music Therapists), which means that they are trained on the specific areas of the brain that react to certain things, like motor movement, language, and cognition. We use music therapy techniques that are specific to the certain areas of the brain. Bill Nye discusses memory at about 5:36 in the above video. In retirement homes and older adult settings, I like to use “name that tune” to stimulate long-term memory in clients. The melodies from their favorite songs are stored in the brain, and when they hear the familiar tune, the memory comes back.

Children with Autism often have delayed speech development due to the way their brain is wired. Speech is processed in specific parts of the brain, but the great thing about music is that it is processed in the ENTIRE brain. Think about it a pianist: when someone plays piano, they are accessing fine motor movement (moving the fingers), tracking (reading the music), auditory processing (listening to themselves play), and much more! In children with autism, the neural firing networks do not work the same as the typical functioning brain. By using melodic prompting and left-hand tapping, we can help a child with autism form a sentence. The brain is such an amazing thing! I will leave you with another Bill Nye gem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMoRrIc-BPA

-Marjie

I find this word very fitting for my point in life right now. I have just moved from Oklahoma to California, have finished all my “classroom” classes for my Bachelors degree, and started my internship here at the Music Therapy Center of California. The past three weeks have been somewhat of a whirlwind, not that I don’t mind. I seem to have found myself twenty different projects to work on. One of the big projects I have put upon myself is creating a binder of session plans and another for visuals to use during sessions. Through this endeavor I have found myself obsessing over a cube, the cube is used for certain interventions that can be implemented. I have kept thinking of new ways and themes that I want to use this cube. The sad part is, the cube is not even mine. My internship director is going to have to keep her eye on it. (have to do a LOTR reference now, my precious) This is how invested music therapy interns become. Or maybe just me and that cube…

As a music therapy student and intern, I am constantly learning how to defend and validate the profession. In his book, Rhythm, Music, and the Brain: Scientific Foundations and Clinical Applications, Michael Thaut discusses the Transformational Design Model (TDM). This model is a way for music therapists to validate the interventions planned, by looking at the specific clinical function. Thaut mentions the two main mistakes music therapists often make when planning interventions: creating an activity-based approach where generic musical activities are adapted for different populations, and therapeutic music techniques applied to reach broad, general goals. Beginning with a diagnostic assessment of the client’s needs and goals, the TDM uses an “upside-down pyramid” technique, with each consecutive step becoming more specific. By utilizing the TDM, music therapists can more effectively treat their clients by gaining a better understanding of each intervention’s specific function. I hope to make it a habit to regularly use the TDM in my intervention planning!

-Marjie