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 : )

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  : ).

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!)

be aware!

May 8th marked the beginning of the second annual Williams Syndrome awareness week. There are events being held all around the country during this time.
Taken from the association's website, "Williams syndrome is a genetic condition that is present at birth and can affect anyone. It is characterized by medical problems, including cardiovascular disease, developmental delays, and learning disabilities. These occur side by side with striking verbal abilities, highly social personalities and an affinity for music." You can read more about music therapy and WS here.

april brings...

yes, the sometimes needed (and sometimes not needed) showers. It also brings Autism Awareness month, which begins today. To learn more, visit the Autism Society of America.

tune in!

This coming Sunday, April 3rd, the 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will feature a special performance by Darius Rucker (Hootie!) and 25 members of ACM's Lifting Lives camp. The music camp for individuals with Williams Syndrome, autism, and other developmental disabilities, has been hosted by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for the last six years, until it was sponsorted by ACM last year. Lifting Lives works year round to improve lives through the power of music by funding nationwide programs offering music therapy and music education. Very, VERY cool!

MT Functioning in Rehab: in the news

Many of you may follow the progress, or are aware, of Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who suffered a brain injury when shot during an event in Tuscon on January 8th of this year. Frequent updates on her condition and progress are made available through a variety of media outlets, with some mentioning (however briefly) music therapy as one of the therapies Giffords is participating in. I have watched several videos as well as read articles, and thus far, I have enjoyed the video posted by ABC News online the most. You can watch it here (the timeframe 1:41 is when MT is mentioned : ). This documentation has done the best job as of yet (in my opinion) of any source reporting on this incident to articulate how MT is able to assist in neurorehabilitation. In another article I read, Gifford's mother stated that music therapy "really flipped the switch" for her daughter.
Considering the nature of her injury and placement in the rehabilitation unit (TIRR) of Memorial Hermann Hospital, Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) techniques seem a likely canditate to facilitate the (music) therapeutic process. Neurologic music therapists are trained in specific, researched techniques that apply music to cognitive, motor, and sensory areas of need, due to a disease or dysfunction of the nervous system. TBI (traumatic brain injury), such as that suffered by Rep. Giffords, fits in here. You can read a bit more about NMT here (click on the "Training Instutites" tab), as well as descriptions of therapeutic techniques used here (click on the "definitions" tab).
If you have other recommended sources that mention MT in this case, please do share!

Another Reason iLove iTunes

Fellow music therapist, Betsey Nuseibeh at Melodic Connections recommended an e-newsletter, the CEC SmartBrief. This is sent daily by the Council for Exceptional Children and includes news articles, briefs, and updates within this community, from cities across the country. It's tag line is "News for special education professionals."
An edition from last week included a link to an article about Special Education products in Apple's App Store. There is a section devoted to tools to assist with learning, and includes 85 apps total for iPhone, iPod, and iPad, and covers areas such as communication, emotional development, and life skills. Follow this link to the artice; then click on the blue "Special Education" link, which will take you to the same-named section in iTunes.
I think it's a terrific idea on Apple's part; a ton of individuals I work with really enjoy technology. Have you had experiences with or do you use any of these apps? Please share your thoughts!

Awareness at 2010 Emmy Awards

HBO's biopic (a biographical motion picture) "Temple Grandin" won 5 out of its 7 nominated categories at the 2010 Emmy Awards, including: outstanding music composition for a miniseries, movie, or a special; outstanding made for television movie; as well as nods to the director, supporting actor and actess, and lead actress.
You can read a bit here or watch a red carpet interview with Temple Grandin on YouTube.

The Climb

The Cincinnati Enquirer published a recent article featuring Matt Brennan and his family. I provide music therapy services to children at the Cincinnati Center for Autism 4 days each week. Without the Brennans, however, I may not have the opportunity to do so...you see, the Brennans founded CCA.
Please take a moment to read the story; you'll see how the Brennans are climbing in more way than one. It's a terrific example of the love, determination, and genersity of a great family, and hopefully it will also be an inspiration to others.

It's also been run just in time to coincide with CCA's annual fundraising event, The Night of the Stars. This is the 6th year of the gala, which raises money for the Center's scholarship program to help famillies pay for services.

What to know before you go:
Date: Thursday, April 22, 2010
Time: Cocktails @ 6:00 / Dinner @ 7:00
Location: Oasis Golf Club & Conference Center / 902 Loveland Miamiville Road / Loveland, OH
Cost: $75.00/ ticket- may be purchased at the door
Other: Business attire / silent auction items / chance to win $10,000 if you're name is drawn & you can put a hole-in-one!
Contact: info@cincinnaticenterforautism.com or 513. 874. 6789

Proud to be an Ace!

That's the mascot of my alma mater, the University of Evansville. I didn't start my collegiate studies at UE, however. After beginning my studies in a non-musical field at IU in Bloomington, I realized that music needed to be a part of my career. I researched music therapy after a tip from a family friend and then found UE. While transferring from a school with roughly 35,000 students to a student population maybe a tenth of that- and leaving friends to knowing one person!- was a drastic change, I settled in quite well. Music therapy is a perfect fit for me, and I'm so thankful that I was pointed in this direction.

I had wonderful instruction at UE's music department, thanks to wonderful professors. Dr. Mary Ellen Wylie heads the music therapy department, and I'm so excited to announce that she was just voted as AMTA's (American Music Therapy Association) newest President-elect. Congratulations, Dr. Wylie! I know that many UE students, past and present, are proud of you.

Thanks and Sharing

Thanks to my great-uncle, who was kind enough to think of me last week. He's been spending some time down in lovely Florida ( lucky! ), came across an article in a local newspaper, and mailed it to me, along with a lovely note.

The article begins in an ordinary manner, about an 18-year-old boy who has joined his high school's marching band. After reading just a bit, you learn that this young man is diagnosed with autism, Williams Syndrome, and a rare neurodevelopmental disorder.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about this student's love of music and success among his peers...I hope you will too! You can read more here.