The Music Therapy Show

This week, I'll be broadcasting live from the Erfurt Music Therapy Resource booth in the exhibit hall at the American Music Therapy Association conference in Cleveland, OH. I'm not sure if I'll be able to take callers, but if you'd like to listen live, call 646-652-2850 or listen online on Friday, November 19, at 1:30 EST, 12:30 CST, 11:30 MST, or 10:30 PST.

If you miss the live show, all shows are archived as a podcast about 15 minutes after the show ends. Or subscribe to The Music Therapy Show on iTunes.

I work with a lot of clients who would be considered "low functioning" in clinical terms. However, they all are capable of communication, and it's up to me and others around them to honor their communication. This week I'll talk about what that means and how to do it.

Jennifer Haskins, the Music Therapy Department Manager and Internship Director at Big Bend Hospice, is a board certified music therapist and has been serving hospice patients and families for over 5 years. Upon graduation from Florida State University, Jennifer completed Internship working with older adults at Sunshine Terrace Foundation in Logan, Utah. She began working at Big Bend Hospice in March, 2005 and was assigned to the hospice in-patient unit where she gained experience in helping terminally ill patients and their families with acute care needs. Jennifer has also served on the facilities hospice team, and multiple home based hospice teams. In the last two years, Jennifer has collaborated with the Bereavement department, serving children and teen bereavement groups, adult groups and individuals. She is currently leading two bereavement groups in the community, serving individuals in residential court-ordered substance rehab facilities. Above all, the focus of Jennifer's career is to continue to push forward and explore and learn as much as possible.

I am excited to have Michelle Erfurt as my guest this week. Michelle currently provides music therapy at Treasure Coast Hospice and in private practice. She has experience working with a variety of individuals of all ages diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders, motor function problems, intellectual delays, communication disorders, medical problems and social skill needs. Michelle has provided music therapy services at the Orlando campus of Florida Hospital and in private practice before relocating to Florida’s Treasure Coast. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Therapy from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania as well as nationally recognized Board Certification. Michelle has also completed specialized certifications in Neurologic Music Therapy and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Music Therapy. She serves as the Membership Committee Chairperson and Student Advisor for the Southeastern Regional chapter of the American Music Therapy Association.

Michelle also maintains The Erfurt Music Resource, a collection of individuals working to promote items and information related to music and music therapy. And she is one of the members of the Music Therapy Roundtable, along with Kimberly Sena Moore and Rachel Rambach.

My guest this week is John Lawrence, a music therapist practicing in Edmonton, AB Canada. He graduated from Temple University in 1995 with a Master's degree in music therapy and has been in private practice since that time. His specialty area has been geriatrics, especially those with Alzheimer's type dementia and more recently, veterans of multiple conflict zones. He has continually been interested in the use of technology, as it can be utlized to enhance clinical knowledge and skills, and has incorporated various technologies into his instruction of several "Introduction to Music Therapy" courses. He is currently serving as chairperson of the 1st ever, Online Conference for Music Therapy (to be held on March 5-6, 2011). John is affiliated with the Canadian Association for Music Therapy and is past-president of the Music Therapy Association of Alberta (MTAA).

imagine, is the first annual online magazine dedicated to Early Childhood Music Therapy, sponsored by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). The purpose of this new publication is to improve access to and distribute knowledge and information about early childhood music therapy in clinical terms.

imagine is free to everyone and accessible around the world. The inaugural issue of imagine has been released on September, 1 2010 with over 50 contributions from 10 countries. Initial reviews of imagine readers speak for a remarkable success of AMTA’s new publication line. You can find imagine on the web at www.imagine.musictherapy.biz

Today, I am speaking with Dr. Petra Kern, the editor of imagine. She will tell as more about the development, goals, and content of the new early childhood online magazine.

Last week I talked about the therapeutic benefits of performance. This week I will discuss how to find or create the right performance opportunity for your child.

Listen live at 12 noon Eastern, 11:00 Central, 10:00 Mountain, 9:00 Pacific, or listen to the archived show (available 15 minutes after the show ends), or subscribe via iTunes.

I have many clients who perform as part of their therapeutic program. I have a bell choir of adults with developmental disabilities, a group that wrote and is producing a musical, and a guitar student who performed at a benefit concert with a country music star. These performances brought out some amazing qualities and provided some amazing opportunities for my clients.

This week, I'm going to talk about the importance of performance for personal growth and development and the goals that can be accomplished in performance opportunities.

Kat Fulton, MM, MT-BC, NICU MT, is a speaker and board-certified music therapist whose passion is achieving therapeutic goals through making music. Simply put, her motto is Be well, feel good, and make MUSIC. With a Masters in Music Therapy from The Florida State University (headquarter for the National Institute for Infant and Child Medical Music Therapy), she holds high standards for scientific research and maintains a practice infused with the latest evidence-based techniques and strategies.

Kat is pleased to be associated with Remo® as an endorsed facilitator. She maintains professional membership in the American Music Therapy Association, Early Childhood Music and Movement Association, and the Drum Circle Facilitators Guild.

Kat Fulton is my guest this week to talk about Sound Health Music and Rhythm for Good.

I know, I know. If you are reading this, obviously you are breathing. But did you know that how you breathe can affect how you feel? Breathing is an important part of life (obviously) and music-making. This week I'll discuss how to breathe to reduce stress, increase energy, and clear your mind. I'll give examples of techniques I use with my clients.