Picture It!: A Visual of Music Therapy Advocacy

January = MT Social Media Advocacy Month!

 

Introduction: Advocacy --> Recognition --> Access

Since 2005, the American Music Therapy Association and the Certification Board for Music Therapists have collaborated on a State Recognition Operational Plan. The primary purpose of this plan is to get music therapy and our MT-BC credential recognized by individual states so that citizens can more easily access our services. The AMTA Government Relations staff and CBMT Regulatory Affairs staff provide guidance and technical support to state task forces throughout the country as they work towards state recognition. To date, their work has resulted in over 35 active state task forces, 2 licensure bills passed in 2011, 1 licensure bill passed in 2012, and an estimated 7 bills being filed in 2013 that seek to create either title protection or a licensure for music therapy. This month, our focus is on YOU and on getting you excited about advocacy.

What is the State Recognition Operational Plan and

why is it important to music therapy?

The State Recognition Operational Plan is a national initiative being implemented jointly by CBMT and AMTA to obtain state recognition of music therapy and the MT-BC credential. This collaborative effort between AMTA Government Relations staff and CBMT Regulatory Affairs staff provides guidance and technical support to state task forces throughout the country as groups of music therapists work toward recognition as defined by their particular state.

The plan involves increasing awareness of the music therapy profession and of what it means to be board-certified. The ultimate goal is that, in all situations, the MT-BC be a minimum requirement as a service provision in every work setting.

 

Picture It!

 

Last year, I shared an original song, "a-d-v-o-c-a-t-e".   In 2013, the theme for our SM Advocacy Month is "CONNECT With Music Therapy." I asked greater Cincinnati clients, families, and fellow colleagues to share with me three words that came to mind when they thought of their experiences regarding music therapy. [some responses I received were so touching...in paragraphs, nontheless!] The plan was to see how these words literally connected with each other, as you can see below:

 

Some of the words included were embedded by yours truly [I wanted people to know that MT is researched, scientific, goal-driven)] but I love that so many of the responses that came in [especially from families whose homes I visit] were very subjective and emotional... lots of folks displayed a very visceral reaction when talking about music therapy. And while each person's view of MT is different--- even therapists practicing across our country have different notions of how they approach our profession--- there seemed to be common threads running thoughout here: positive effects of self-esteem; happiness; accomplishments; using a medium that is music to achieve AMAZING outcomes.

My thanks to all who participated in helping me make a rockin' visual- your words are SO important! As we continue our work together, and music therapists across the country do the same, we strive for others' recognition that music therapy is capable of awesome results.

Other MTs, professionals, families, clients...do you see words above that you'd  use to describe music therapy?  What else would you add to the list?

music therapy on the radio

I'm really excited about an opportunity I have this evening:  tonight, from 6-6:30pm EST, I'll be a guest on the radio program Dr. On Call.  It airs on WSCH 99.3 The Eagle out of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and is hosted by Dr. Marcus Cobb of Spine and Neuromuscular Associates of SEI.  If you're unable to receive the signal, you can listen live online here.  An audio recording of the show will be made available in the coming weeks, as well. 
During the half hour, I'll be explaining the profession of music therapy, hitting on three main points: What music therapy is, Who a music therapist is, and How services may be made available and beneficial to those receiving the service.  Based upon my experience, the special needs population will be highlighted.  There may also be a live example or two thrown in!  Hope you're able to tune in : )

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  : ).