by Lillian Schierbrock | Dec 16, 2021 | Intern's Corner
One of my biggest musical inspirations and influences for a majority life has been Taylor Swift. This week is Taylor Swift’s birthday and my 13th blog post. I thought it would be fun to reflect on the influence Taylor Swift and her music have had on me as a person and a future music therapist.
My Swiftie Origin Story
As a child I listened mainly to country music. Country music is very male-heavy, which, while I enjoyed it, didn’t resonate with me as a 9-year-old girl. I think this is why Taylor Swift’s music stood out to me. Her music was country, but held a similarity to the music in other media I was consuming, like Disney Channel. Taylor Swift’s debut album was one of the first CDs I owned and I was hooked from there.
Inspiration to Learn
As a child, seeing videos of Taylor Swift playing the guitar excited me. I wanted to play the guitar like Taylor Swift. I received a guitar for Christmas when I was in the 6th grade and I attempted to learn to play it for years to come. Taylor Swift’s songs were a helpful tool for me while I was learning how to play the guitar, ukulele and the piano. I used songs like “Mean” and “Stay Stay Stay” to learn and become comfortable with bar chords on the guitar. When I did my guitar and piano competencies in college, I used the songs “New Years Day” and “Stay Stay Stay.”
Soundtrack to My Life
Taylor Swift’s songs have a reputation for being about relationships and breakups. However, there are many songs that I was able to relate to as a child and then teenager listening to her music. Using Taylor Swift’s music, I learned how to emotionally relate and identify with songs. Additionally, I have many memories associated with the songs and albums of Taylor Swift.
- “I’m Only Me When I’m With You” makes me think of my elementary school friendships.
- “Mean” got me through the ups and downs of middle school.
- Her album, 1989, brings me back to driving around my hometown as a teenager with old friends.
- Her album, Lover, brings me back to driving around Macomb, Il with my friends in college.
- Her albums, Folklore and Evermore were bright spots to an otherwise dark year, 2020.
- “This is Me Trying” was a support for me during the stressful times in my senior year of college.
A Uniting Factor
Taylor Swift’s songs have been a uniting factor in my life. I bonded with people in college who later became my friends because of Taylor Swift songs. Additionally, I have bonded over Taylor Swift songs with professors and supervisors. Since Taylor Swift is a very widely beloved singer, discussing and using Taylor Swift songs helped me build rapport with clients and patients who are Taylor Swift fans.
Without a doubt, I wouldn’t be the person and musician I am today without Taylor Swift and her music. I am incredibly grateful for her music and am so excited about what she is going to do next.
Happy Taylor Swift Day!!!
Lillian
by Lillian Schierbrock | Dec 9, 2021 | Intern's Corner
Many music therapists make use of song rewrites of familiar songs with clients. In honor of the Holiday season and my 12th blog post, I decided to do a rewrite of the 12 Days of Christmas based on my internship experience. I give you: The 12 Days of Christmas at MTC!
On the first day of Christmas at MTC…
I Practiced One Piano Piece
I have been working on my piano skills lately, particularly practicing Silent Night.
I Read Two Singable Stories
We make use of singable stories during Listen and Learn sessions and our sessions at the Hope School.
I Talked with Three Supervisors
I work directly with three music therapists at MTC: Katey, Molly and Emma.
I Went to Four Contract Site
With the MTC music therapists, I go to four contract sites to conduct music therapy sessions: St. John’s Children’s Hospital, The Hope School, SPARC and Concordia Senior Services.
I Wrote Five Session Notes
After each session, we write sessions notes based on what happened during the session and the client’s goals and objectives.
I Strummed Six Guitar Strings
The guitar is the instrument that I use the most on a daily basis when working with clients.
I Sang Seven Listen and Learn Song
I have learned many Listen and Learn songs that I use during Listen and Learn sessions, at the Hope School and with patients at St, John’s Children’s Hospital.
I Played Eight Colorful Chimes
We use a set of eight chimes with one of the clients we see at MTC and many of the patients at St. John’s Children’s Hospital.
I Made Nine Garageband Songs
As an intern, I am required to do weekly assignments. For these weekly assignments I have written nine songs and made recordings of them on Garageband.
I Shook Ten Egg Shakers
I’ve found that giving clients instruments, particularly shakers are a great way to encourage participation!
I Lead Eleven Interventions
I’m not quite leading full sessions yet, but I lead many music therapy interventions a week with our clients during sessions.
I Wrote Twelve Blog Posts
Another one of my internship assignments is creating weekly blog posts. I have now written 12 Intern’s Corner blog posts!
I hope you enjoyed The 12 Days of Christmas at MTC!
by Lillian Schierbrock | Nov 29, 2021 | Intern's Corner
Thanksgiving has sadly come and gone. The silver lining to Thanksgiving being over is that it’s now officially the Christmas/holiday season! I am so excited for all of the baking and Hallmark movies that the next month has in store. I have always had a love for Christmas music, so I’m going to ring in the season by sharing some of my favorite Christmas/Holiday songs!
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
I have known this song since I was a young child. However, it didn’t become one of my favorites until I was in the 5th grade. I was a member of a traveling choir at my school, which O Come O Come Emmanuel was a part of our Christmas set that year. Ever since then this song has had a special place in my heart.
My favorite lyric: “Rejoice, Rejoice Emmanuel.”
City of Silver Dreams and Gold and Green
When I was a child, my mom LOVED the band, Sugarland. One year she bought Sugarland’s Christmas album: Gold and Green. I spent many Christmases listening to this album and still give it a listen at least once during the Christmas season. Out of the songs on this album the songs City of Silver Dreams and Gold and Green are my favorites. They are both very pretty ballads that bring about a feeling of nostalgia for me.
My favorite lyric from City of Silver Dreams: “Snowy night, catch the light, shimmer bright, Angels sing.” My favorite lyric from Gold and Green: “And everything looks better in gold and green, The lights on the trees in the eyes of our children, Are the prettiest I’ve ever seen.”
The 12 Days of Christmas
The 12 Days of Christmas is a song that I have always found to be really fun! It’s a long song, but easy to sing along with and the imagery is so fun to me. The music therapy adaptations for this song are really fun too! The song is a good template for song rewrites and adaptations. Additionally it is a great song to reinforce academic skills, particularly counting up and back. Since it is a well known song it is also a great song to encourage participation by having clients sing along and fill in words.
My Favorite Lyric: “On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: 12 Drummers Drumming.”
Christmas Tree Farm
Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a BIG fan of Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift had released a short Christmas album in 2007 that I didn’t enjoy, I have held onto hope she would release new Christmas music at some point. Two years ago, Taylor Swift unexpectedly dropped a Christmas song, which was everything I could have wanted from a Taylor Swift song and a Christmas song. Christmas Tree Farm is an upbeat bop that feels so Christmassy to me! Taylor Swift has recently released a jazzy version of Christmas Tree Farm, which I love so much too.
Favorite Lyric: “In my heart is a Christmas tree farm where the people would come to dance under sparkling lights.”
O Holy Night
During my freshman year of college, I was going to take part in a Christmas concert at a student center that I was actively involved in. On a whim I chose to sing O Holy Night as my solo for this concert. Not many people attended this concert, but I felt really good about the performance I gave. The beginning of my freshman year of college was a very stressful time for me, but singing this song really helped raise my self esteem. Ever since then, this song has held a special place in my heart
Favorite Lyric: “Fall on your knees and hear the angels voices.”
Happy beginning to the Christmas/Holiday season! I’m excited to get to sing and play our clients favorite Christmas/Holiday songs with them. Hope you all get the opportunity to sing and hear your favorite Christmas/Holiday songs this year!
by Lillian Schierbrock | Nov 24, 2021 | Intern's Corner
Happy Thanksgiving week all! As it is the week of thanksgiving, I wanted to recognize the music therapists who I am thankful for. These music therapists have inspired and impacted my music therapy journey greatly.
Music Therapists Who Piqued my Interest
When I was in 8th grade I made the decision that I wanted to go into music. My mom started telling me about a daughter of a friend of hers, Hannah. My mom told me that Hannah was a music therapist and encouraged me to look into music therapy as a career. I have not gotten to meet Hannah, but I hope someday I will get to meet and thank her!
I am thankful for Hannah because without her I wouldn’t have discovered the music therapy profession.
When I was a sophomore in high school I was telling everyone that I was planning on studying music therapy, but I wasn’t quite sold yet. At this time, an acquaintance of mine was sharing pictures of their young cousin’s cancer journey on social media. This acquaintance shared a photo of a music therapist working with their cousin at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. I can pinpoint seeing that picture was what really solidified in me that music therapy is what I wanted my career to be. Prior to starting internship I decided to look on social media to see if I could find that picture. Upon finding that picture, I recognized that music therapist to be Amy Love, the music therapist at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
I am thankful for Amy Love, because seeing just a glimpse of her work solidified in me that music therapy was what I wanted to pursue.
The Western Illinois University Music Therapy Staff
The Western University music therapy department has been incredibly influential on me as a music therapist in training. I auditioned for three schools, but I am beyond grateful that I chose WIU. I am especially grateful because I had the opportunity to meet and work with the music therapy staff at WIU.
- I am thankful for Dr. Garwood, who introduced me to the profession of music therapy during Introduction to Music Therapy.
- I am thankful for Mr. Holbrook, who was my first music therapy practicum supervisor.
- I am thankful for Mrs. Coovert, who always pushed me to be my best as my practicum supervisor for two semesters.
- I am thankful for Mrs. Sevcik, who I learned so much from from as a teacher and a supervisor.
- I am thankful for Dr. Jones, who helped me so much as a teacher, advisor, supervisor, and mentor.
Overall, I am thankful to the WIU Music Therapy staff for giving me solid foundation for my music therapy journey.
The Music Therapy Connections Staff
The Music Therapy Connections staff are the newest music therapists to come into my life, but that doesn’t decrease how thankful I am for them! The staff at MTC has introduced me to many different populations, ways of thoughts and techniques.
- I am thankful for Katey, who has introduced me to the pediatric medical setting and has been a great person to talk through many of my anxieties as an intern.
- I am thankful for Molly, who I have learned so much from about working with groups and giving piano lessons.
- I am thankful for Emma, who I have learned much from about working in schools and has challenged me to go outside my comfort zone.
- I am thankful for Rachel, who I learned so much from about being a business owner and the music therapy community.
- I am thankful for Cicely, who has been my friend for 4 years now and whose friendship I highly value.
Overall, I am thankful that I have the opportunity to complete my internship at MTC and learn under all of these wonderful music therapists.
My Friends and Peers
Finally, I am so thankful for all of my peers and friends that I learned with during my four years at WIU. I am thankful for all of the wonderful learning experiences I have had with my peers. Additionally, I am thankful for all of the wonderful memories of working and learning with all of them.
- I am thankful for my fellow 2021 graduates, I’m fortunate that had the opportunity to learn and work with you all.
- I am thankful for the other WIU music therapy students I had the opportunity to meet and work with.
- I am thankful for Rebecca, who was the best roommate/friend I could have asked for and I whose collaborations I highly value.
Overall, I am thankful to have them as a part of my music therapy journeys and to have been apart of their music therapy journeys, as well.
There are so many other people in the music therapy community that I am thankful for. I am so thankful for the for all of the music therapists and music therapy students I have encountered on my music therapy journey. Additionally, I am thankful to you for reading! Happy Thanksgiving All!!!
Lillian
by Lillian Schierbrock | Nov 17, 2021 | Intern's Corner
A phrase that has come to my mind a lot this past week is “one step forward, three steps back.” Other than this being an incredibly catchy Olivia Rodrigo song, “one step forward and threes steps back” is a commonly used phrase about progress. According to Google, this phrase means:
“You make progress but then experience events that cause you to be further behind than you were when you made the progress.”
I have related to this phrase often during my internship. I constantly have this feeling I’m progressing in some ways, then finding other places I have deficits in. This puts me in an often stressful place that feels like I’m back to where I started or even behind where I should be. The following topics are things that I have realized about growth and learning during my internship.
Learning Never Stops
When I started as a student, I perceived that college is where a music therapist learns everything. Then internship is where that knowledge is put into practice. This isn’t reality; there is so much to be learned during internship and beyond. I am learning so much during my time in internship. I am learning more about myself as a therapist, musician and person. The more I learn, the more I realize there is to learn. Learning and growth is never ending.
Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome adds to this feel of going one step forward and three steps back. According to Google imposters syndrome is “feelings of self-doubt and personal incompetence that persist despite your education, experience, and accomplishments.” I have accomplished a lot and went to college for music therapy for 4 years. Even with this, I feel imposter syndrome almost every day. It seems at times as soon as I am feeling comfortable with one area, I find another area that I am not comfortable with. These two ideas feed each other, leading to stress, anxiety and feelings of inadequacy.
Finding New Places for Growth
I worked very hard on my musical skills throughout my life. However, performing music for new people brings up nerves and stress that can affect how I play. Additionally, my supervisors have different musical techniques that I didn’t learn when I was in college. I came into internship feeling like a fairly confident musician, but I’ve quickly seen areas where I can still grow. I’ve had to learn that it’s not a bad thing to find new areas in which I can grow.
From talking with my supervisors I have learned that feeling like you’re continually going one step forward and three steps back is a shared feeling that stays with you your whole life. I am still in my schooling and in a transition period in my life during internship. Right now the feeling of stepping back can feel so huge and the steps forward so small sometimes.
The idea of going one step forward and two steps back can seem like a negative thing, but I’m realizing that there are positives to it. It helps me remember that I can’t be perfect and there are always places for me to grow. It helps to remind me that I can celebrate my steps forward, but give myself kindness for the perceived steps back. Even with the positives, this feeling can bring anxiety and lower my confidence. I just keep reminding myself that each step, not matter how big or small it feels, is taking me closer and closer to my goals.
Lillian
