Hello, everyone! My name is Emma Kovachevich and I will be Music Therapy Connection’s Intern starting at the end of May. I am so excited to start this new adventure in my life and am very grateful for the chance to intern at MTC.
I
have been following Music Therapy Connections on social media for the last four
years. It is crazy for me to think that I have been given the opportunity to
study and learn under Rachel, Katey, and the rest of the MTC team. This is
truly my dream internship and I can’t wait to share my journey with all of you
in my weekly blog posts.
Since I will be writing to you each week after I begin my internship, I suppose you may like to know a little about me! I am from Huntley, IL, which is a western suburb of Chicago.
My family is made up of talented musicians, so I was surrounded by all types of music at a very young age. I started taking voice lessons at 5 years old and quickly learned that it was something I loved to do. I also have participated in choir since grade school. I played the oboe in my grade school and high school band. I have not had the opportunity to play oboe recently, but have picked up guitar, piano, and ukulele.
I am currently a student at Western Illinois University and will walk in commencement in May 2019. At Western I have been a member in multiple ensembles including University Singers, Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and Concert Choir. I am also a member of the WIU Music Therapy Association, Sigma Alpha Iota, and Lutheran Student Fellowship.
I will miss WIU, but I look forward to all the new experiences and knowledge I will gain at Music Therapy Connections.
My
next big adventure will be traveling to Cincinnati, Ohio for the GLR Music
Therapy Conference! If you see me there, please don’t hesitate to say hi!
This week, the Chicago Tribune published an article highlighting the benefits of music therapy for individuals with dementia. In the article, McCoppin (2018), not only provided an overview of music’s effectiveness with individuals affected by Alzheimer’s Disease, but...
That’s one of the questions I get asked the most when I tell people that I’m a music therapist. I usually list off my instruments and the conversation continues.
You’d think I’d get tired of answering this question. Instead, it’s the opposite.
I’m always glad when someone asks because it gives me an opportunity to reflect on each instrument I’ve learned, the relationship I’ve had with each instrument, the season in my life during which I was learning, and where it has brought me today.
Given the sheer amount of time, financial investment, practicing, and personal growth that is associated with learning instruments, choosing an instrument and sticking with it is a big deal!
For me, the musical journey began at age five, when I started taking piano lessons with my sisters.
Was it fun all the time? No.
Did my parents have to shuttle four kids to their lessons every week? Yes.
Did I have to practice over and over? Yes.
Was it worth it? Yes.
To name everything I have gained as a result of taking piano lessons would take a long time. Therefore, I will share just a few:
Learning discipline (i.e. “doing the things that are good for me even when I don’t feel it)
Finding a creative outlet
Building confidence and competence to grow in a new skill
Gaining opportunities to share music with others (joining the praise team at my church or accompanying friends who love to sing)
One of the best things about the piano was that it served as a foundation to the other instruments that I learned.
I began the French horn at age 11.
While I never had any previous experience with the horn, my dad played the trumpet and instilled within his kids a deep love for brass instruments. I loved how the French horn looked, sounded, and also the fact that you could turn it all around and spit would come out! All in all, music was enjoyable to me, but I did’t become serious about it until I started to think about college and what I would major in.
My senior year in high school presented a series of new challenges including auditioning for an honors orchestra, understanding the role of principal horn, and eventually, committing to audition for colleges as a prospective performance major.
It was a stressful time in my life, but the feeling of working so hard towards my goals and meeting them gave me the fuel and confidence to continue my music journey in college as a horn performance major.
While at college, I immersed myself in learning repertoire, technique, and fundamentals. All of which deepened my skills and forced me to take ownership of my own growth as a musician.
My confidence as a performer was lacking, however. I struggled with feelings of inadequacy and fear of failure. It came to a point where I no longer felt confident as a musician and I wanted to desperately find the joy and confidence I had felt when I first started to fall in love with music as a young piano student.
Long story short, I found my way from the field of performance to music therapy, where my love of music was not stolen by a drive for perfection, but was able to be expressed in helping others.
Over time, I began to learn guitar and pursued voice lessons. By the end of my college career, the list of instruments had grown, confidence was regained, and my joy for music continues to fuel everything I do.
One day I entered the doors of Music Therapy Connections as a music therapy intern, and the next (after passing my board certification), I entered as music therapist. The entire building looked and felt different. Though I was nervous and still a bit unsure, I knew that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. It was easy for me to fall in love with what we do here.
I love that I have the opportunity to serve everyone from birth through adulthood and all of life. I have the pleasure of working with people in the lesson setting, group setting, and individual therapeutic setting.
I love that I am able to serve people of all ages and all abilities within these walls. Everyone needs a safe place to experience something meaningful, create a sense of purpose, and even just be heard. Providing that safe place is the heartbeat of what we do here.
For many of our students and clients, their Music Therapy Connections experience begins in ourListen & Learn for Little Ones class where children ages 0-3 explore music with their parents, grandparents, and loved ones. We focus on supporting their precious development and creating bonding opportunities for every family.
When our students are 3 years old and ready for the move, they often graduate to our Listen & Learn a Little More class! This class is still developmentally supportive, but we also continue to work on social skills, reading, counting and so much more! Plus, Listen & Learn a Little More is for children only. Parents can relax and listen to our preschoolers laughing and singing from the comfort of our waiting area.
And, of course, when you feel that your 4 or 5 year old is ready, they can graduate yet again to our pre-lessons class Listen and Learn Into Lessons. This course was made for our very active 4-7 year olds who want to learn a new instrument but aren’t quite ready to sit for a 30 minute lesson. Students will learn piano basics, rhythmic counting, musical genres, terms and application in a fun and interactive environment with peers.
Finally, when your young learner is ready, they can register for their very own individual lessons with one of our teachers specializing in a variety of styles and instruments. Students can learn to play ukulele, guitar, piano, or sing!
Keep in mind, our lessons are individualized. Whether you are an adult or fresh out of our Listen & Learn Into Lessons course, we will create an environment to facilitate your success, growth, and love of music.
To register for lessons, click on the link below. If you would like to learn more about Music Therapy Connections, what we do, and our various services, we welcome you to our Open House on Sunday, May 6th between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm for refreshments, fun activities, a drumming experience, and a giveaway you don’t want to miss!
Psst…Do you have a loved one, child, or friend who enjoys music? Are you a teacher, administrator or other professional interested in additional community resources?
Come join us on Sunday, May 6th for an open house at Music Therapy Connections! We love sharing with you on the blog every week, but we’d love to connect in person even more.
That sounds awesome, but I have a packed schedule and I’m not sure if I can make it.
We completely understand that your weekend might be busy. No worries! Stop by anytime between 10am – 4pm. At 1 pm, we hope you can participate in an all-ages drumming experience for the chance to win our big giveaway!
What should I expect when I come?
There will be opportunities to enjoy refreshments, make your own instrument, explore our facility, and talk face to face with our music therapists to learn how we can best serve your needs — whether you are a parent, community member, teacher, or administrator. We can’t wait to meet you!
What can Music Therapy Connections do for me?
We are a team of music therapists and music educators who have a heart to serve all ages in our community. We love working together with schools, day cares, senior care facilities, and local families to design music programs that fit the needs of whoever may benefit from music therapy, music lessons, or adaptive music lessons.
Know someone in your life who might be interested? Bring your family, a friend, or colleague. Spread the word! All are welcome, and we’d love for you to join us!
