Tag Archives: blog

Happy Birthday, Dear Blog!

It’s hard for me to believe, but today marks one year since I started the Soundscape Music Therapy blog. I have thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to share some thoughts and ideas on music, music therapy, and working with older adults. I also look forward to the year to come!

Below, I have shared some of MY favorite posts, but I would love to hear what interests you, especially what you’d like to see on this blog in the months to come! Please let me know what you’d like to see in the comments section.

Here are some of my favorite topics from this last year’s posts:

Copyright Law and the Music Therapist

Hiring a Music Therapist in Long-Term Care

Song Spotlights

Music Therapy and Grief Rituals

Intergenerational Music Therapy

Tips for Using Orchestral Instruments in Music Therapy

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Let me know what you’d like to hear more about on the topics of music therapy and older adults – just leave a comment below. Thank you so much for reading! 

 

 

Seven Links Challenge

Today I am taking on the challenge from two of my music therapy blogger friends to look back through the archives of my blog and others so that I can share links to seven great posts you might have missed. Thank you to Michelle Erfurt and JoAnn Jordan for the inspiration!

 

1. My first post of August 2010 Pondering, Reflecting, Musing Well, I didn’t start this blog until September 2010, so I will just include a link to my first post. I outlined my initial thoughts on and goals for this blog. I think I’m doing okay so far with sticking to the plan.

2. The post I enjoyed writing the most Movies for Music Lovers: “Crazy Heart” I really enjoy reflecting on the movies and books I read and how they feed back into the work I do as a music therapist. This one generated some interesting discussion, too. And speaking of great discussion…

3. A post which had great discussion Minimal verbal interaction. Full musical participation. I appreciated folks chiming in with their own experiencing seeing this phenomenon of music bringing people out of their shells. It can be so difficult to describe what is happening in these musical interactions, so I am always glad when we all try!

4. A post on someone else’s blog I wish I had written Cancer Country Music I love so many of the music-related posts on the Pallimed: Arts and Humanities blog, it was hard to choose just one. This is the most recent post that really blew my socks off. By the way, if you were wondering whether you should check out Pallimed: Arts and Humanities yourself, read this post.

5. My most helpful post Documenting Music Therapy on the MDS 3.0 This is such an important development for music therapy in long-term care, I think everyone who works in that setting should read it and figure out how to make it work in their facility.

6. A post with a title I’m proud of Violins, Trumpets, and Oboes – Oh, My! This is my post on using orchestral instruments in music therapy practice. This might seem like a scary idea to some, but I do get really excited about this topic! Plus, anything that gives a nod to “The Wizard of Oz” makes this Kansas native happy.

7. A post that I wish more people had read The Unsung Heroes of Long-Term Care Sure, it might seem less applicable now that we’re in a heat wave, not a snowstorm, but I really do want direct care workers to know how important they are.

I hope you enjoy some of these posts! Now it’s your turn – if you’re a blogger, try out the seven links challenge on your own blog. Don’t have a blog? Please leave links to some of your favorite posts in the comments section.

Latest News from Soundscape Music Therapy

So many exciting things have been happening for Soundscape Music Therapy in the last couple of months, I wanted to write a quick update to let you know what’s going on!

I am back at full-steam after my maternity leave and a deliberately slow entry back into clinical work. (Our little one is sleeping better, which means I am, too!) I have plenty of openings for new clients at this time, so please contact me about getting music therapy services started.

This coming weekend, I will be participating in the first ever Online Conference for Music Therapists. I am looking forward to this conference as a great opportunity to connect with other music therapists from around the world. I am excited to gather new ideas to bring back to my cinical work. I will also be giving a presentation on how music therapists use music for self-care, based on the research I conducted for my master’s thesis.

I am also looking forward to attending the American Music Therapy Association’s Midwestern Regional Conference, being held April 8-10 here in Overland Park, Kansas. I will also be giving a presentation at this conference in my role as our region’s representative to the government relations committee, along with the chairs of the state advocacy task forces in our region. We will be giving an update on the State Recognition Operational Plan, which is aimed to have the MT-BC credential recognized as the credential necessary to provide music therapy in each state.

On this blog in the coming weeks, you can look forward to the last two installments in my series on hiring a music therapist in long-term care, as well as more song spotlights, which are aimed to help caregivers connect with their clients and loved ones through music.

As always, please feel free to contact me directly with any questions you have about music therapy or topics you’d like to see addressed on this blog. Thank you for your continued interest!

Updated resource list

I have made a long overdue update to my resource list. These include links to music therapy professional organizations, research resources, music therapy blogs and podcasts, and suggestions for where to buy instruments. Scroll to the bottom of this page to check out the list! Also, please let me know if I am missing any valuable resources related to music therapy.

Pondering, reflecting, musing

Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The time has come! Soundscape Music Therapy is now the official home of Rachelle’s music therapy blog. This will be a place for sharing my reflections on music therapy practice and the wider worlds of music and healthcare, and I hope it will be a place for music therapists, caregivers, and music lovers to participate in these ponderings as well.

With the many blogs out there, perhaps you might be wondering…

Why is she writing this?

I am fascinated by the way music is experienced in many different settings, clinical and otherwise. I also enjoy making music with people across all ages and ability levels, and I wish to integrate the knowledge I have gained by working with so many people by writing about it here. I want to help people to understand music therapy better and how to use music in their own lives for improved health and well-being. Finally, following in the footsteps of many blogging music therapist friends, I want to provide another forum for those of us who are interested in music therapy to share our ideas, thoughts, and experiences.

Why should I read this?

If you are a music therapist or music therapy student, you will gain some fresh ideas for how to use music with your clients, as well as insights into one professional practice and potential resources to help with your work. I also hope this will be a place where you can share your ideas and experiences, as we all learn better from each other.

If you are a caregiver or work in health care, you will learn new ways to use music to improve the lives of those around you. You will also learn about what board-certified music therapists have to offer you and your clients or loved ones.

If you love music, you will get to share in the joy of music and its power in all of our lives as we explore it together.

Thank you for joining me on this journey into the world of music and music therapy. I greatly look forward to sharing in this journey with you!