7 Thoughts of an Advocacy “In-between-er”

A few weeks ago, I shared an advocacy video for my profession’s social media advocacy month. My goal was twofold: 1. to illustrate how a music therapist might use music as a vehicle to present information, and 2. to state that by persisting as a team, combined with individual work, music therapists can help push forward as our profession grows.
Today, I wanted to elaborate on some points that I’ve found helpful when it comes to advocacy:
I wouldn’t consider myself an advocacy “ace”; however, I wouldn’t say I’m quite an amateur advocate, either. I feel comfortable and fairly confident at my current position in the middle- able to share what I’ve learned this far and appreciative of what I can absorb from others. Whether you’re an ace, amateur, or an in-between-er, I welcome you to explore my thoughts about what I’ve personally found to work.  These can easily apply to non-music therapists.


1. No discrimination. Just like the uniqueness of humanity, advocacy and being an advocate comes in all shapes and sizes.  I feel as though this is a point that's been shared throughout our advocacy project...yay- we're on the same page!  Whatever your comfort level, there’s a way for you be involved. If you’re not a fan of public speaking or you’d rather be the one in front and in charge, you can tailor your involvement to fit your preferences. Consider working within a team setting versus individually. You can gain insights, experience, and have a built-in support system!
2. Be and do. “Advocate” is both a noun and a verb. Be an advocate. Advocate for your passion, whatever it may be. My professional passion is utilizing the power of music to help others achieve important, meaningful skills in their lives. I have begun to think of advocacy as an obligation, rather than simply something I’m “able” to do. We as music therapists possess knowledge that others without our training don’t have. And from therapist to therapist we differ. It almost feels like an injustice not to share our smarts!
3. Stray outside of your profession. I’ve been told by mentors- music therapists and non-music therapists- that it’s easiest to start public speaking when you’re presenting to those who aren’t of the same career. This gives you a great opportunity of spreading your message without anxiety of being scrutinized by fellow therapists/ doctors/ educators/ builders/ bakers, etc. The first presentation I gave was to related service professionals (physical therapists, early intervention therapists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists). Some were familiar with my line of work, but many had never been introduced to the topic. It was a great way to advocate, educate, and share- with an only slightly elevated heart rate. I was the expert!
4. Be social. Social media has given us lots of (free) ways to connect, while being states, countries, or continents apart. Through Linked-In, I met a speech-language pathologist from Florida. In her 11 years of practicing, she had never met a music therapist in her area. She was intrigued by my job, and asked me to write an article about it for her blog. Advocacy. Done. And it was started by just clicking “accept” on a virtual invitation. Likewise, there are in-person opportunities to connect with a wide variety of professionals in your community: your local chamber of commerce or business networking groups (BNI is one such organization.) On the flip side…
5. Birds of a feather flock together. While it’s important to educate those who aren’t music therapy majors, keeping up with the latest happenings in the world of music therapy, meeting new colleagues, and collaborating will only help us help each other.
6. In the famous words of the Nike brand- “just do it.” Like any new seemingly daunting task, it will get, if even minisculely so, easier as you become more used to and practice the idea. Looking back to beginning my collegiate career, (in my pre-MT major days, at a 35,000+ Big 10 university), I thought “How in the world am I going to meet new people in this environment?” Turns out, I just did it. I began to initiate conversations, introduce myself, and never looked back. To this day, this experience takes credit for my ability to be comfortable in new social settings. Now, as a small-business owner, it’s completely up to me to advocate for and well-represent my company and my profession, and I feel comfortable doing so. I do this when I: engage in public speaking, attend a resource fair, host shadowing opportunities for high school and college students who are interested in music therapy, begin a new music therapy program, write a blog post that someone may happen to “happen upon”…and so continues the many ways! Take a deep breath and jump in…there will always be someone around to assist you, if need be.
7. Carpe articulum. Seize the moment. Music therapists are, generally, used to elaborating on their job descriptions when asked “So- what do you do?” Use this opportunity to advocate and educate. Think about the many scenarios when this may unfold. Create a succinct speech that you can recite or share an anecdote that will share information to those without the knowledge- and who can in turn walk away with an introduction to music therapy.

When I shared the “a-d-v-o-c-a-t-e” video two weeks ago, I was nervous. It was my first musical offering on the Web when I was both heard and seen. But I did it. Maybe someone was introduced to the subject of music therapy that day- who knows?
It’s been great to read and listen to all of the contributions from my fellow therapists during the past few weeks. I know this project has lit a fire for me to consistently keep up with advocacy efforts, and I suspect that our profession will continue to make headway and burn brightly, too.

Week 3 Wrap-Up

Music therapists have been b.u.s.y cranking out more advocacy articles!  It's been really interesting and enjoyable to hear what fellow colleagues have to say, and sort of get a little taste of everyone's personality through his/her writing.  You can explore all of the contributions that have been published this far quickly and efficiently, by visiting the list compiled here as well as here.

Hooray for the ease in which we're able to share all of this great information! : )

a-d-v-o-c-a-t-e...on YouTube

As promised, I'd like to share part of my contribution to the 2012 Music Therapy Social Media Advocacy Month with you...by way of my first YouTube video!
This actually came before my article...(half truth- I had a pretty solid rough draft, but then the song 'happened' and changed my course of thinking).  I was driving home at the end of my work day- with the days' songs + ideas of writing for the project swirling in my mind- and this came to be in a very short period of time.  Thank goodness for voice memo apps!

I often find that individuals who are not familiar with music therapy can really benefit from experiental examples- active or passive... I'm hoping that the new Music Matters YouTube channel will allow for future educate-by-example advocacy opportunities.

And the word of the month is...

Advocacy!  To digress just a minute or so...when I was young, I had the (good/ strange- I'm not quite sure) opportunity to watch "Pee-wee's Playhouse" as part of my lineup of Saturday morning cartoons.  Did you?  I distinctly remember the 'word of the day' segment at the beginning; anytime one of the characters uttered the word during the episode, it was followed by the instructed 'aaaaugh'- scream really loud.

In the world of music therapy, we're using our word- advocacy- throughout the month of January.  Music therapy bloggers (including yours truly) and podcasters from around the country will be expressing their thoughts on the topic and our profession- why it's important, how to be an advocate, ideas, and tips. A complied list of contributions can be found on the Music Therapy Maven's website.  If you're a Twitter user, you can also follow the #mtadvocacy hashtag.

I'm looking forward to each week's articles and podcasts, as well as sharing my own with you toward the end of the month...no screaming at the word necessary  : ).

...and a Happy New Year!

My sincere wishes to you all for a happy, healthy, harmonious 2012!
I've had this song as my ringtone for the past few days, and find myself humming it even when my phone doesn't ring.  Straight No Chaser is one of my faves, and I love their take on this tune...I hope you enjoy as I do : )

In case you're interested- here's a link to a Washington Post search on the history of the topic; in my opinion, they present the most information/ best story. You can sign up free to read the first article, "Who Gets Credit for 'Auld Lang Syne'"? 

A Whole New Decade

So, friends...yesterday I turned 30.  3-0! No longer a 20-something.  I  have been told multiple times [because, honestly, I'm not thrilled about this change yet], that age is a state of mind, not a number...which I am thankful to be reminded of, because I still feel like an early twenty-year-old, even though I have a brand new first number to get used to! 

With this, I thought that I would give you a present for my birthday.  A few of my kiddos have been working hard on numbers, specifically counting by different intervals:  2's, 5's, and 10's.  Since I'm at a new 10-year mark, I'm sharing a "Count by 10's" little ditty with you.  You can hop over to my Bandcamp page and download the mp3, sans charge.  Celebrate!

I am proud of and, again, thankful for all that I have accomplished and been presented in during my last decade [see- that just sounds weird!]...and although I'm not taking this change quite in stride yet, am very excited to see what the next 10 years brings-  and I look forward to sharing it with you : )

 

Whaddaya know?: Facelift, awareness, and networking

Unfortunately, I do know that it's been waaaay too long since I've typed words into this space!  How have you been?  With a lot of days passed, today may be sort of a "catchall!"  I'm not usually one for New Year's resolutions, but...a).  as a blog reader, I want pages to be kept up with- so if I want that from others, I must expect that from myself!  b). this is a great, free, way to communicate with other therapists, professionals, families, and community members  and c).  advocacy!

I also know that there have been a lot of changes since I've been in last- one that (hopefully) jumps out rather quickly, if you had been familiar with Music Matters.  My friend Keli at Colette Paperie gave Music Matters a lovely makeover, from the website to my business card to the blog.  I'm really very pleased with the new look, and believe it's one that the company will be able to grow forward with.  Speaking of the company- I'm going to start using "MM" in type here when I refer to Music Matters' name (sorry, no chocolate-covered candies that melt in your mouth : )

In addition to changes within my small world, my larger professional world of music therapy has surely seen an outpouring of attention in the media:  therapists are blogging and social-networking away, ABC news (among others) has highlighted the field in relation to Congresswoman Gabby Giffords remarkable journey and experience with music therapy, Ben Folds attended our national conference last month (cool!)-  just to name a few.  It's been awesome to see the focus on music therapy this year, and I think that social media has been a great catalyst to push more and more awareness to the public.  Therapists have been advocating for quite some time, but the ease with which technology allows us to communicate- in my opinion- really gives us an advantage.
Case-in-point:  I met Lucy, a speech-language pathologist at A Love for Language, via LinkedIn.  In her work, Lucy said she'd never met a music therapist and asked if I would be interested in submitting an article for her website.  Yes, please!  In the next few days, the article- giving an introductory overview of our profession- will be published, potentially reaching other who have never had experience with music therapy...all because we joined each other's online "professional network."

It's nice to be back.  I hope you have a terrific week! (I'll be spending my last few days as a 20-something before my 30's hit on Wednesday!)

words of wisdom

My grandpa would often tell me, "It's all about who you know, Kate." Especially during my college years and beyond, I've thought of his words on many an occasion. It may not all be about connections, but it's definitely extremely helpful to have "go-to" people, both professionally and personally. I attended a business networking meeting where I also heard someone refer to your "starting lineup" or "starting five" people...those you consider extremely valuable assets as connections and can rely on to assist with information-gathering, brainstorming, advertising, etc. Someone you may consider an expert. Personally, it's a great way to think about and organize those who you work or connect with often.
Who would you choose to be your resident experts?

updates + a new class!

It came to my attention this week that, unknowingly, I had made a boo-boo and didn't renew my website hosting. Oops! Actually, a big OOPS! I've been planning a re-design of the site, and wanted to keep hosting, domain registration, etc. with one service, versus multiple companies. It was in making that switch that I must have forgotten to include the hosting! A misstep, but one that will work out alright. I'm so excited to have a very creative mind helping with a new design and know that the layout will be terrific! So for now, information can be found here, as well as on Facebook. Speaking of...
I announced this evening that Music Matters is now offering a new class- Baby Sing & Sign. After completion of training, I became certified, and am finishing up the first Cincinnati group! This program combines equal parts music, play, and sign language to teach young ones a meaningful way of communicating basic wants and needs before vocal mechanisms are developed enough for verbal output. In this way, it can help reduce frustration of both the child and parent/caregiver. I really love that this class is beneficial for kiddos with and without special needs. And, families are provided with written + audio materials to use at home. Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming classes, as well as the debut of the new website! If you have questions or would like to inquire about forming a Sing & Sign group, contact me : )

a little tap'll do it

I don't know about you, but having a three-day weekend was such a great treat! And though many of us will feel disoriented, and repeatedly remind ourselves that today is Tuesday- not Monday!- we can look forward to a shortened work week. So, not to be confused- it's music on a faux Monday today!
Last week, I introduced today's shared song to one of my kiddos...and was thrilled that after our session, as I was taking data and writing my "note", he put into practice the content of the song! The topic is interrupting...or not doing so, and what can be done instead. Can you think of any other alternatives that could be added to the lyrics?



A TAP ON THE SHOULDER
I’ll tap you on the shoulder,
[Tap, tap, tap]
When there’s something I need
Or have to say
I’ll tap you on the shoulder,
[Tap, tap, tap]
But if you’re busy, I’ll back away.
And wait.

I’ll say excuse me
["Excuse me"]
When there’s something I need
Or have to say
I’ll say excuse me
["Excuse me"]
But if you’re busy, I’ll back away.
And wait.

If I see you're talking
With someone else,
I won’t interrupt; it’s not polite
I’ll keep to myself.
Waiting for my turn is hard,
But it’s the right thing to do,
So when you’re not busy
Then it’s my turn to speak to you…

I’ll tap you on the shoulder,
Tap/ “Excuse me”
When there’s something I need
Or have to say
I’ll tap you on the shoulder,
Tap/ “Excuse me”
But if you’re busy, I’ll back away.
But if you’re busy, I’ll back away.
But if you’re busy, I’ll back away.
A-a-and wait.