Friday 5 August 25th, 2017

Ok. Who saw the eclipse? I especially want to hear from those of you who traveled to get the best views. I work in San Francisco and the fog is so common here that it even has a name (Karl). It seemed as though Karl was going to eclipse the eclipse. But, amazingly, the fog parted just enough and just in time so that we could catch a glimpse. But the most breathtaking views, for us anyway, were totally on Instagram. Oh well…I’ll get a good seat for the next one 😉 Oh, and the answer to the joke in the subject line? How does the moon cut his hair? Eclipse it. 

It’s Friday! Here are your 5. As you can see, I need a little audience participation for some of them. 

Peer Supervision: Are you aware of any groups that meet (either in person or online) for formal peer supervision? Some of you have asked and I want to share some options in an upcoming Friday 5…thanks! 

Vocal health: Lost your voice? Bummer! One of our readers, Laura R, shared some insights when this happened to her. For FOUR WEEKS! She focused on interventions that required less singing (Music Video Analysis, Lyric Analysis, Instrument play, Music and Movement, and musical games like “Name That Tune”), but ultimately cautions that “music therapists still have to use their voices A LOT for providing directions and, also, having conversations with clients.” Laura also said, “I believe it would’ve have been better for me to just not lead any sessions for a shorter period of time rather than try to work through my lost voice for a long period of time…In the future, I plan to inform my supervisors that, for the sake of my vocal health, I can’t work through a lost voice.” What recommendations do YOU have for other music therapists encountering this challenge? 

Bookworm’s Choice: Songwriting: Methods, Techniques and Clinical Applications for Music Therapy Clinicians, Educators and Students. Edited by Felicity Baker and Tony Wigram 

Guitar Tips: Want guitar tips specifically for music therapists? Check out the Music Therapy Source Guitar Club. You will find hours of guitar lessons that I created especially for you. If nothing else, try the practice tips I provide in the video on that page.  

Digitalizing Paper Copies: I’m still using and digging the app Tiny Scanner, which allows me to take photos of documents and quickly turn them into PDF’s. What you do from there is up to you – I usually export them to Box, a cloud-based doc storage service. You can also get the Evernote app and use the search function to find, say, songs that you’ve taken photos of. 

That’s all! Have a great weekend and let me know what else you’d like to see in the Friday 5. 

Warmly, 
Matt 

PS 

Do you love Music Therapy Source and the Friday 5? Since 2009, I’ve been pouring hours and dollars into collecting and sharing resources for music therapists and people who want to become music therapists. This is a labor of love, and I’m not trying to get rich doing it. However, there are costs to maintaining the website and the ever-growing email list. If you love the resources and have the means to help keep it going, please consider subscribing to support this community! There are 3 different levels of support, which start at about the price of a pack of guitar strings ($5/month). And if you have already pledged some moolah, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I am sending good vibes and a virtual hug your way.