This month is Music Therapy’s ‘Social Media Advocacy Month’. Different MT bloggers have been sharing their thoughts about the topic and, well, now it’s my turn.
As I see it, there are three groups of people that you can advocate music therapy to:
- The general public: Patients, non-patients, out-of-department co-workers, your friends, your neighbors, the kids karate teacher, the dog, the dog walker, etc.
- The legislative public: Senators, Representatives, Congressmen, Mayors, Commissioners, etc.
- Other music therapists: As in, other music therapists.
It’s the third group I want to focus on today… the forgotten advocacy group.
Music therapy is SO DIVERSE. Just look at the different theoretical orientations out there… We’ve got humanitarian, behavioral, psychodynamic, educational, medical, Nordoff-Robbins, transcultural, Bonny, neurologic, Priestly, on and on. As inquisitive music therapists continue to be inquisitive (and we will, because we happen to be like that) more theoretical orientations will be added to the list.
I find that as I grow through my music therapy tween years these orientations become more and more important to me. My focus is on learning about the music therapy orientation that matches my music therapy heart.
I find it a challenge to keep up with it all. I need to be advocated to just as much as the general and legislative public. It’s almost as if AMTA needs to make theoretical orientation fact sheets to go along with their ‘Music Therapy & Insert-Population-here’ fact sheets.
It’s funny, I remember in music therapy 101 we spent weeks on this very EXACT TOPIC and I diligently memorized every definition for various orientations (not all of them, of course, some of them hadn’t been invented yet). Now that I have music therapy clinical experience, I’m seeing all of this in a new light.
My question is:
Am I the only one who cares about this?
How does someone keep up with all of this?
*****
From CBMT / AMTA:
Introduction: Advocacy –> Recognition –> Access
Since 2005, the American Music Therapy Association and the Certification Board for Music Therapists have collaborated on a State Recognition Operational Plan. The primary purpose of this Plan is to get music therapy and our MT-BC credential recognized by individual states so that citizens can more easily access our services. The AMTA Government Relations staff and CBMT Regulatory Affairs staff provide guidance and technical support to state task forces throughout the country as they work towards state recognition. To date, their work has resulted in 35 active state task forces, 2 licensure bills passed in 2011, and an estimated 10 bills being filed in 2012 that seek to create either a music therapy registry or license for music therapy. This month, our focus is on YOU and on getting you excited about advocacy.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s hard to keep up with everything. I try to focus on approaches, research, philosophies most related to my focus populations. When at conferences, I try to include something outside this focus and spend time engaging in conversations with a variety of people. It isn’t perfect, but it is what I have found most effective in my music therapy life.
I’m with you on this one! I love that advocacy brings therapists together regardless of philosophy. we can all agree that more people need access to music therapy! Thanks for bringing up the forgotten group of our colleagues!
Hi Michelle,
I love reading what others have to say, not only about advocacy but about their practices, I learn a lot from reading blogs. I have been a music therapist for a long time and worked with a wide range of clients with varying abilities. I have learned many of the theoretical orientations and have found that I don’t fit into any of them completely because I use what works with each client each time. What works once doesn’t always work the second time so sharing ideas among colleagues really helps.
I agree with you all. Although I am interested in all the variance that is available I personally do not fall in line with any one method or philosophy except for the one that works in the moment. I also find that many ‘orientations’ are more a difference in semantics than actual differences. With that said – keeping up with the evolving MT language that is specific to our profession and then translating that information into the language of our client (ie. agencies, hospitals or private residences) is very interesting and important to me. Michelle – even your use of ‘theoretical orientation’ sparked something in me today. Thank you.