It’s easy to feel alone as a music therapist, especially if you are the only MT in your area. We are constantly advocating for ourselves and facing challenges. It’s important to surround yourself with people and resources that support you and what you do.
I don’t know about you, but I really wish spring would arrive! Here in Springfield, we have had glimpses of warmer weather, but it is quickly overturned as winter reminds us it is still here. I’m definitely having the winter blues.
Transitions are something we address often. In our Listen & Learn classes and music therapy sessions, we often start with a hello song and end with goodbye to help with these transitions. We also make spaces in between songs short and sweet as we quickly move on to the next thing. But what about the time spent getting to and from the session/class room?
If you are like me, learning new repertoire can sometimes be difficult. Whether you have a lack of energy or you’re not in the right mindset, sitting down to learn new music can seem like a big task. I’ve found that my number one reason for procrastinating is by telling myself that I don’t have the time because I have other “more important” things that also need to get done.
There are times that I need to learn 20+ songs in a week due to Listen & Learn classes starting back up, coupled with requests made by students and clients. I used to struggle with this greatly. There are so many songs to learn in what feels like such a short period of time. To try and combat this “lack of time”, I have figured out a routine that works well for me to learn new music quickly and efficiently.
Music Therapy Connections provides so many unique opportunities for their students: the chance to learn more than one instrument during their lesson, 2 studio-wide recital days each year, and mini-recitals throughout the year. One of my favorite events, the Adult Recital, occurred last week!
MTC welcomes people of all ages through our doors for lessons and music therapy services. Yes, this includes adults! I applaud all of our adult students who choose to learn a new instrument or refine their pre-existing skills. It’s definitely not easy!