The Music Therapy Show

This week I'll be sharing all the great information I received at the Southwestern Region of the American Music Therapy Association (SWAMTA) conference in Waco, TX. I'll also share what I learned at the Online Conference for Music Therapy a few weeks ago. If you've attended a conference recently and would like to share your experiences, you can call the show at 646-652-2850 on Friday, April 1, 2011 at 11:00 am Central Daylight Time. Once you've dialed in, press 1 to let me know you want to talk, or just listen in through your phone.

This week my guest is Marlon Sobol, a music therapist in New York who created a CD for caregivers to interact with people who have Alzheimer's.

Establishing a strong connection between an individual and their caregiver, recreation therapist or creative arts therapist—one that makes them eager to participate in activities--has gotten easier thanks to Keep On Moving – Music for Therapeutic Rhythmic Activities, the newly released CD by board certified music therapist, accomplished musician and Manager of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function at Schnurmacher Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, Marlon Sobol. Accompanied by reggae, hip hop, and jazz influenced band Shem’s Disciples, jazz music icon David Amram, and an all-star line-up of special guest musicians, Sobol has taken American pop standards and infused them with a Caribbean beat, feel and flavor.

The very first guest on my show was Louise Montello back in May of 2008. She spoke about Performance Wellness. Today she will be my guest again! We will get updates on the Performance Wellness program and discuss Essential Musical Intelligence.

Since last Friday, I've been working on advocating for music therapy in Texas after learning that the Department of Aging and Disability Services recommended to the House Appropriations Committee that specialized therapies (under which music therapy is provided) be eliminated from a medicaid waiver program.

On the show this week I'll share what I've learned through this process about advocacy.

This weekend I'm also participating in the Online Music Therapy Conference, so I'll share about that, too.

This week I am pleased to discuss the Music Therapy and Disorders of Consciousness seminar that I attended last Friday. This was a fantastic seminar and I have the organizers of the seminar as guests this week: Jennifer Townsend, Kristen O'Grady, and James Maxson. The one-day event featured prominent therapists and professional speakers who accepted Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center’s invitation to participate in the one-day event and to share their views and experience on a variety of topics related to the care of people in low awareness states.

To learn more about the music therapy program at Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center please go to our website at www.musictherapy-setonpediatric.org You can also learn about the pediatric center by going to www.setonpediatric.org.

The Music Therapy Show is celebrating the second anniversary of the Music Therapy Tween, and the 31st birthday of Michelle Erfurt, MT-BC. This week, we welcome Michelle as our guest to talk about her blogging and music therapy adventures.

Michelle provides music therapy services at Treasure Coast Hospice through her private practice: Erfurt Music Therapy, Inc. She also writes for the blog MusicTherapyTween.com - a blog that shares tips and thoughts for the traveling professional AND maintains the

ErfurtMusicResource.com - a resource of music related services, products and information.

Michelle has been involved in the development of Wade Richards book: Richards Modified

Tuning for Adapted Guitar and Rachel Rambach’s first Listen & Learn Songbook.

Today I'm going to talk about some successes I've had with a few clients this week, some motivation issues and solutions, and the new Ethics requirement for continuing education for music therapists.

I had a client who wanted to write a song about one of his hobbies this week, so I'll describe the process I used and how I challenged myself to use the piano more in therapy. Piano is not my major instrument and I experienced "piano trauma" in college. So this was a big challenge.

I saw another client this week who was stumbling through spelling a word, so I wrote another song on the spot to help with that task. I'll sing a little for you and let you know how that turned out.

In the third segment, I took a distance-learning Ethics course that fulfills the CBMT requirement for Ethics credits. I'll give a review of the course.

Visit my blog at themusictherapyshow.blogspot.com

Happy New Year! I hope your New Year's Resolutions are off to a good start. I also hope that one of them is to advocate for music therapy! On today's show, my guests are Judy Simpson and Kimberly Sena Moore who, along with Dena Register, work on the State Recognition Operational Plan. Through this Plan, a national initiative being implemented jointly by CBMT and AMTA, Judy, Dena, and Kimberly provide guidance and technical support to State task forces as they work to obtain State recognition of music therapy and the MT-BC credential.

Learn how YOU can help music therapy gain State recognition and create greater access to music therapy for members of your community.

Music Therapy Students and Prospective Music Therapy Students may become members of the American Music Therapy Association Students (AMTAS).

AMTAS are undergraduate and graduate student members of the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). The goal of the student organization is to increase awareness, involvement, and knowledge of music therapy students by fostering communication and growth in preparation for a professional career.

The Student Affairs Advisory Board (SAAB) is one of the boards of the American Music Therapy Association. Its purpose is to establish and strengthen a positive and productive relationship between students and professionals of the organization, consult and advise students regarding any concerns brought to attention by students or concerning students, and to encourage and support students’ professional involvement and growth within AMTAS and eventually AMTA.

This week, I'm please to invite Dr. Petra Kern back to the show, along with past and current members of the SAAB, to talk about music therapy students and how they are helping the field of music therapy develop.

You are worth taking care of. Be good to yourself this week.