Congratulations to Andrew Littlefield of The Florida State University, who submitted the only essay for the first Student and Intern Support Project. I realize the timing may have been bad for many students, with finals and other end of the year stressors. Andrew's article is very good, and he will be receiving a $100 award from the American Music Therapy Association of Students. I encourage more to apply to future contests! Congrats, Andrew! An Essay on Advocacy By Andrew Littlefield Being a relatively small (and frequently misunderstood) profession, music therapists…
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I'm pretty impressed with Blue Yeti microphone. It's a USB mic, so it plugs directly into my computer. I'll use it for recording videos and songs, but I also foresee therapeutic applications for it. I can already think of some clients I would like to record, especially for legacy creation purposes for families receiving hospice services. Also, check out Audacity. This free recording software is pretty easy to use and great for multi-track recording. Blue Microphones Yeti USB Microphone
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This is a post from Iosif Kartapanis, a music therapist who did his training in the USA but recently established his own private practice in Cyprus. I asked him to write a post because international perspectives are valuable in understanding the global impact and diversity of our profession. He will be writing more, and I encourage you to comment and ask questions. He will be a great resource for anyone thinking of working outside the United States. Thanks, Iosif! ___________________________________________________________________________________________ I met Matt at the last AMTA National conference. He…
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So here it is - the first project for the MTS Student and Intern Support Program! I'm very excited to see where this goes. If you can't watch the video, check out the transcription below. Transcript: Hello! Matt here from Music Therapy Source, and I am super-excited to be making this video! This is the part where I announce the first project for the Music Therapy Source Student and Intern Support Program. This month is being sponsored by The American Music Therapy Association of Students, so I first want to…
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Updated May 2023: This post about hospice music therapy is almost 14 years old and, surprising to me, it still gets a lot of traffic. I don't work in hospice any longer, and now I work primarily with kids in a pediatric hospital. I suspect the song preferences have changed quite a bit since I wrote this, as these songs are even older now. I also reflect on the fact that these were "hits" where I was working at the time - rural Iowa - and song preferences might look…
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Music Therapy Source is looking for creative ways to fund the recently announced student and intern support program. Now you can help out! We added a "Products" page, on which we are selling Music Therapy Source tote bags. Perfect for carrying around instruments! These are the same bags you may see being provided as door prizes at your regional conferences this March and April. Don't need a bag but still want to contribute? Click on the "donate" button! Every little bit helps! -Matt
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I'm very happy to announce a pilot project that will be taking place here on Music Therapy Source. We understand the struggles associated with being a student and intern, especially when it comes to making things work financially. As you may know, many internships are unpaid, yet still require 40 hours of work per week. We're not at a point where we can totally ease the burden, but we can offer a little help. Starting in April, Music Therapy Source will call for project submissions from students and interns. Projects…
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New Projects: In the past few weeks, my post frequency has been lacking a bit. However, I assure you I have been hard at work on other aspects of this website. In April, MTS will launch a new program that provides support to students and interns. Some of the details are still being worked out, but it is VERY exciting! I will provide more information in an official announcement on March 15! Regional Conferences: Look for Music Therapy Source at your regional conferences! We will be providing a couple of…
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Throughout my training and young career as a music therapist, I have had many opportunities to work with toddlers and preschool aged children. I used to find this population to be incredibly intimidating, as I went virtually ten years with little to no contact with people in this age range. Now, my group consisting of mostly three-year-olds is one of my favorite sessions each week. Here I will list a few of my own observations, and I know you have many more. Please feel free to comment and add to…
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As part of an effort to include multiple perspectives on Music Therapy Source, I have invited a few individuals to write guest articles. This is the first. You may see more of these soon! And, in other site news, we will be announcing an exciting new program for students and interns which will launch in mid-March. I can't wait to tell you all about it! Erin Breedlove is a music therapy student who also hosts a successful blog, Empower People Change Lives. She has quite an interesting bio, but I…
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