Sunday, February 12, 2012

This Blog is Moving!

I have been maintaining this blog for the radio show and another website, HeartBeatMusicTherapy.net, for quite some time. Now, though, I am consolidating my efforts and will be updating about the show on HeartBeatMusicTherapy.net. So head on over there for updates about the show topics, and thanks for listening!

Also, if you recently lost your iTunes subscription to the show, it's because I fiddled with the URL when I changed my name from Harris to Lindstrom. So you can re-subscribe here.

Friday, January 27, 2012

February 3, 2012 - Music Therapy with the Deaf and Blind


My guest this week is Natasha Thomas. Listen LIVE noon est/11 cst/10 mst/9 pst or catch the archived show anytime!

Natasha Thomas is a graduate of the University of North Dakota (Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy, 2008) and Board Certified Music Therapist, serving individuals statewide through North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind (NDVS/SB) and ND School for the Deaf, in addition to private clients she sees in the home and in settings like LISTEN Day Services and the LISTEN Drop-In Center.  As part of her work with NDVS/SB, Natasha is a regular transcriber of the Braille Music code, and also signs in ASL for her work with the ND School for the Deaf.  Natasha is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Special Education (UND, 2012) to supplement her work with these populations.  She is a member of the American Music Therapy Association and regularly attends their annual conferences.  Natasha enjoys connecting with other Music Therapists (her twitter handle is @MusicMovesND) educating her community on Music Therapy through her newspaper affiliated blog, http://musicmoves.areavoices.com, supervising UND practica students, and teaching/performing Middle Eastern Dance in her spare time (when she has it!)  
You can contact Natasha by email at natasha.mtbc@gmail.com

Thursday, January 26, 2012

January 27, 2012 - Tim Ringgold

Listen to this week's show to learn business tips from Tim Ringgold of StartOutSuccessful.com.


Board Certified music therapist Tim Ringgold is Director of Sonic Divinity, which provides music therapy services in Orange County, CA, and teaches business and success principles to new and seasoned professionals alike.  

Tim serves his music therapy community as Vice President of the Western Region Chapter of the AMTA, and is a regular presenter at both regional and national conferences.  

Tim has delivered no less than 16 presentations on music therapy topics since his internship at Musicworx, Inc. in 2008, and has gone on to earn a certificate in NICU music therapy and in HealthRHYTHMS. 

Inaugural recipient of the WRAMTA New Professional Award in 2009, Tim is a graduate of Chapman University in Orange, CA, where he served as President of the Student Music Therapy Association, as well as received the Music Therapy Award and Guitar Award from the Chapman Conservatory of Music.
Find out more about Tim at www.sonicdivinity.com.


LIVE 12 noon eastern/11 am central/10 am mountain/9 am pacific. You can also check out the archives here.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

January 20, 2012 - Pacifier Activated Lullabies


Today my guest is Kathy Lovell, who will talk about the Pacifer Activated Lullaby technology.
The PAL® technology is based on research conducted at the Florida State University by Dr. Jayne Standley.  An FSU faculty member since 1976, Dr. Standley is recognized throughout the United States as the foremost authority on medical music therapy. Researching the effect of music on premature babies, she found they increased their sucking rates 2.5 times when exposed to music, thus helping to increase their weight. Aimed specifically at addressing a long-standing problem among premature infants – delayed proficiencies in learning to suck – Dr. Standley’ s musical pacifier has demonstrated what have been called “amazing” results in repeated tests done at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.
Listen LIVE at Noon Eastern, 11 am Central, 10 am Mountain, 9 am Pacific or check out the archived show. You can also subscribe in iTunes

 “. . . . after more than 100 years of study on this topic, a body of knowledge now exists to document the many medical, social, and emotional benefits of music.” 2003 – Jayne Standley, Ph.D.

Biography – P. Kathleen (Kathy) Lovell
Kathy is the Chief Executive Officer of Powers Device Technologies, Inc.  She has more than 25 years of management, sales, marketing, financial, manufacturing, and operational experience.  Her focus is building high-growth entrepreneurial ventures by helping early-stage companies refine their business models, develop their infrastructure, access capital and attain profitability. Kathy is Chairman of the Emergent Growth Funds, LLC in Gainesville, FL.  Emergent Growth Funds I and II are member-managed angel funds, focusing on early stage companies developing unique, leading-edge products, or proprietary technologies that possess the potential for rapid growth in significant markets. Emergent is fully funded by its members and makes direct investments in its portfolio companies.  Kathy serves on the boards of directors for AerovectRx Corporation, Atlanta, GA and Wilmington Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Wilmington, NC (both Emergent Growth portfolio companies.) 

Prior to assuming the role of CEO at Powers Device Technologies, Inc., Kathy held executive-level marketing, sales and operations positions with several technology companies.  Her manufacturing experience includes over 13 years with Bristol-Myers Squibb.  Kathy holds a B.S. in Economics and Business Administration from State University of New York.  She attended Springfield College, Masters of Education program and is currently enrolled in Nova Southeastern’s Masters of Accountancy program.


Contact information:

Thursday, January 12, 2012

January 13, 2012 - Music Therapy Advocacy

We're back!

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.

So my guests this week will be Judy Simpson, Dena Register, and Kimberly Sena Moore from the State Recognition Operational Plan to talk about Music Therapy Advocacy and how you can get involved! Join us LIVE at Noon EST/11 am CST/10 am MST/9 am PST or listen to the Archived Show. You can also subscribe to this show through iTunes.

How can you get involved? Click here for more information:
Policy and Advocacy information from AMTA
Advocacy information from CBMT

Judy Simpson is the Director of Government Relations for the American Music Therapy Association. She can be reached at simpson@musictherapy.org

Dr. Dena Register is the Regulatory Affairs Advisor for the Certification Board for Music Therapists and an Associate Professor of Music Therapy at the University of Kansas. She can be reached at dregister@cbmt.org

Kimberly Sena Moore is the Regulatory Affairs Associate for the Certification Board for Music Therapy, the blogger at Music Therapy Maven, and a PhD student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She can be reached at ksmoore@cbmt.org.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

See you next year!

Thanks for all of your support this year! I have really enjoyed talking with my guests: Christine Weinberg, Meryl Brown, Amy Kalas, Natalie Mullis, Megan Resig and Kimberly Thompson, Raymond Day, Kat Fulton, Christy Joy Diachenko, Karen Goodman, JoAnn Jordan, Jim Newton and Paul Hill, Dorita Berger, Anne Vitort, Anita Gadberry, Blythe LaGasse & Andrew Knight, Marlon Sobol, Louise Montello, Jennifer Townsend, Kristen O'Grady, and James Maxon, Michelle Erfurt, and Judy Simpson and Kimberly Sena Moore.

I've talked about Wellness, Current Events, The Music Never Stopped, Drumify, Evidenced Based Practice, Finding Balance, Autism, Regional Conference updates, Advocacy, and Songwriting, Ethics, and other topics.

I broadcast a total of 31 shows in 2011, 117 shows since May 3, 2008 and over 60,981 listens!

I would love to get your feedback about the show and what topics you'd like to hear. Please leave a comment on this post and let me know!

Would you like to be a guest on the show next year? Email me! with MT Show in the subject line.

Happy New Year!

Friday, November 11, 2011

November 18, 2011 - LIVE from Atlanta!

This week I'm broadcasting live from the exhibit hall of the American Music Therapy Association Conference in Atlanta, GA. I'll attempt to stop conference attendees in the exhibit hall to ask them about their conference experience and let you know what's going on nationally in the field of music therapy. The scheduled show is subject to change, so check www.themusictherapyshow.blogspot.com or Twitter for the latest information about the show. This is also the last show of 2011. I have lots of guests booked in January, so I'll speak to you again in 2012! Happy New Year!

Listen LIVE at 12:30 pm EST/11:30 am CST/10:30 am MST/9:30 am PST or find the archived show about 15 minutes after the live show ends.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

November 11, 2011 - Compassion Fatigue and Self-Care

The holidays are coming which means we have lots to do! But in the midst of all that we need to take care of ourselves so that we can enjoy the holidays and have the energy and capacity to take care of others. This week, music therapist Christine Weinberg will tell us how to include self care in our list of things to do!


Christine C. Wineberg, MA, MT-BC, LPC currently works for Hampton Hospital in Westampton, NJ and sees private clients in Plymouth Meeting and Exton, PA. She has music therapy degrees from Mansfield University (1994) and Drexel University (2007)  and now provides supervision to interns and practicum students as an adjunct faculty supervisor. She has proudly been a board certified music therapist since 1995 and was credentialed as a licensed professional counselor in 2010. She worked at the Kardon Institute for Arts Therapy from 1996 through 2011 where she developed a number of programs including a choral group for adults and teens with intellectual disabilities, a music and movement therapy program for children with autism and their families and a continuing education series for creative arts therapists which included a monthly Self-Care series. She was appointed to the Continuing Education Committee of the Certification Board for Music Therapists in 2011 and continues to advocate for quality continuing education for music therapy professionals. She has volunteered in both Honduras, Central America and Ghana, West Africa to teach about the use of music with children with special needs. She has written and presented on a number of topics including autism, trauma and compassion fatigue and continues to research these areas of interest. She is currently a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology in the Psy.D. program at Immaculata University. She can be reached at WINEBERGLPC@GMAIL.COM

Listen LIVE at Noon EST/11 CST/10 MST/9 PST or check out the archives here or on iTunes. 

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

November 4, 2011 - Developing Melodies


My guest this week is Meryl Brown, who is a Board Certified Music Therapist, Developmental Specialist, owner and Blogger with Developing Melodies.  She received her Masters Degree in Music Therapy from Illinois State University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at The State University of New York College at Potsdam.  Meryl has been providing music therapy for individuals since 2006 and has worked with a variety of populations.  In 2008, Meryl received her credential as a Developmental Specialist which now allows her to receive reimbursement through the State of Illinois for services provided. 
            Her company was originally founded as Brown Music Therapy in 2007, however,  following maternity leave (allowing plenty of time to think), the business underwent a name change in 2011 to Developing Melodies.  This allowed her to expand and market her services more effectively.  In addition to the name change, she developed a comprehensive website including information about her, the services and a blog where she features songs, activities, ideas and information for a variety of readers.
  

Listen LIVE at noon eastern/11 central/10 mountain/9 pacific or you can find the archived show here or on iTunes.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

October 28, 2011 - Wholesome Harmonies Music Therapy

Amy Kalas of Wholesome Harmonies Music Therapy is my guest this week. She works full time at United Cerebral Palsy of Miami AND maintains a private practice! I'll ask her how she balances these two jobs and more about her work and website. Join us for the discussion on Friday, October 28, 2011, at Noon Eastern, 11 am Central, 10 am Mountain, 9 am Pacific by calling in at 646-652-2850 or click here. If you miss the live broadcast, you can still listen to the show through the podcast or in iTunes.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

October 21, 2011-Key Changes Music Therapy

Natalie Mullis is my guest this week. I've been wanting to talk to her for a long time too! She owns Key Changes Music Therapy in my birth-town, Columbia, South Carolina. The mission at Key Changes Music Therapy Services is to provide quality, evidence-based music therapy services to individuals and organizations in the midlands area of South Carolina. She also educates the public about the uses and credibility of music therapy as a useful and necessary treatment modality.


Listen LIVE at 12 noon Eastern/11 am Central/10am Mountain/9 am Pacific. The archived show is available 15 minutes after the show ends and can also be found on iTunes.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

October 14, 2011 - MT Show Updates

This week I don't have a guest and I don't have a specific topic, but I do have a few things to share with you about the show and other music therapy things. If you have a question about music therapy, this would be a good show to call in to! 646-652-2850 during the live show (you can also call in to listen, without speaking to me on air).

Listen LIVE at noon eastern, 11 central, 10 Mountain, 9 Pacific. Or check out the archives which are usually available 15 minutes after the live show ends. You can also subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

October 7, 2011 - Mundana Music Therapy


I had a lot of fun with my niece and nephews at the Texas State Fair last Friday. I even saw my sister's blanket that she crocheted and entered into the fair. She received Honorable Mention!

I'm ready to get back to the show, though, and am very excited about this week's guests: Megan Resig and Kimberly Thompson of Mundana Music Therapy.

Kim and Megan share original songs, resources, and techniques related to music therapy, music education, wellness, and business. I have been wanting to "meet" these ladies for quite some time so I'm glad to have them on the show!

Listen LIVE at noon Eastern/11 am Central/10 am Mountain/9 am Pacific or check out the archived show here or on iTunes.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

September 23, 2011 - Music Therapy and Wellness

It takes more than physical exercise to maintain good health. Balance is the key to leading a healthy lifestyle. Wellness is the dynamic process of becoming aware of, taking responsibility for, and making choices that directly contribute to one's well being and that of the common good. It is the integration of body, mind and spirit and the ongoing development of one's own meaning in life.

In this week's show, I'll tell you about the dimensions of wellness and how I use them in music therapy.

Listen LIVE at 12 noon Eastern/11 am Central/9 am Mountain/8 am Pacific or catch the podcast. You can also subscribe via iTunes.

Next week, September 30, I'm going to the Texas State Fair, so there won't be a show!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

September 16, 2011 - A Day's Work

This week, my guest is Raymond Day, from A Day's Work. The products presented on this website are the result of 24 years of focused efforts to create musical instruments and aids for the music education classroom with strong emphasis on helping the physically and developmentally challenged through music therapy. They are equally applicable in special education, occupational therapy, and elder care. Special effort has been devoted to those who are confined to wheelchairs.

Listen LIVE at Noon Eastern/11 am Central/10 am Mountain/9 am Pacific or check out the archives after the show.

 
Filling In the Gaps
Bringing music therapy to the physically disabled
By N.Raymond Day
06.27.10

Article available online at: http://www.therapytimes.com/070510DaysWork
Physical challenges – we all have them! Everyone has that one spot on their back that is hard to scratch. When an itch occurs, we ask a friend or spouse, “Will you scratch my back? I have an itch I can’t reach,” as we pass an arm over the opposite shoulder to point out where it itches. Then we say, “No! Just a little to the right and a bit higher. Yes! That’s it!”

Of course, some physical challenges are uniquely our own. My wife is a water aerobics instructor and she loves choreographing exercises and leading them for her students. In our marriage this illustrates an incompatibility issue. As you can guess, my wife is very coordinated; I am not. Once she tried to instruct me to do an aquatic exercise. We got in the pool, and she said, “Move your legs like you are skiing.”

After a few minutes I kind of got the hang of it. Then she said, “Move your arms opposite the direction of your legs.” I tried it while mumbling to myself, “Left leg forward; left arm backward. Right leg forward; right arm backward.” I finally stopped because my arms and legs were flailing about directionless – only my brain was still working, doing its mumbling. “Why did you stop?” asked my wife. “Look,” I replied, “either legs or arms! You can’t have both.” I love and respect my wife’s coordination and teaching skills dearly, but there is no way I can do what she does.

Some people have physical challenges that vary on a continuum of somewhat extreme at one end to severely extreme at the other. Music therapists work with such people every day. Movements of all kinds vary by increasing degrees from what most of us take for granted. The challenges vary from one person to another but include fingers and hands, legs and feet, brain and body, arms, neck, lips, and more.

Regardless of the impediment’s location, it is a challenge for an MT to bridge the gap from physical difficulty to accomplished music-making and muscular improvement. Yet, it is exhilarating when the individual on the continuum can say, “I couldn’t, but now I can.” There is a gap between what is and what could be. Bridging this gap is one of the most important actions for an MT. Yet it results in a moment of another more positive extreme: i.e., extreme joy and gratification.

Bridges in music therapy are called adaptive aids. Regarding those aids, the staff at Queens University of Charlotte, N.C., says:

We are always looking for maximum client benefit in our treatment plans. Good, quality adaptive equipment opens new doors for our clients and for the treatment plan by making music even more accessible. The field benefits anytime a broader client base is reached. Examples of clients who can benefit from adaptive equipment include: clients with any kind of physical limitation due to stroke, birth defect, orthopedic injury, or impairment; clients with weakness in grasp strength or low muscle tone; clients with tactile defensiveness who have difficulty holding objects; and physically typical clients, such as someone with autism who might be working on decision making, organization, and creativity.

Creating and Supplying Bridges

Into this gap steps a woodworker – a woodworker who is not only constrained by choreography, but also has a musical deficit. The woodworker’s wife says, “He can’t find a beat, and he walks in circles when he tries to dance like he has one foot nailed to the floor.” What could this woodworker and music therapists possibly have in common? It certainly isn’t music. The answer is “the gap.”

In 1987, I received my first invitation to enter the world of music. A young lady came to my door with metal rods in her hand. It was Judy Pine, who is now director of National General Music and vice president at West Music, based in Coralville, Iowa. Judy and her husband Lou were coming to our home for dinner, but she also had another idea in mind. She said, “Ray I want you to make chime trees for West Music.” I replied, “But Judy, I don’t know a thing about music.”

“You don’t have to,” said Judy. “I know you do good woodworking and I want those skills applied to products we are carrying in our new catalogue.” Nervously I agreed, and more than 12,000 chime trees later, they are still in the West Music catalogue, along with several other products that Judy and I devised along the way.


MVP 2009 Winner:
Vertical Hand Drum/Tambourine Attachment
A music instrument attachment – made available through A Day's Work Music Education – designed for patients with restricted mobility, allowing wheelchair-bound to participate in music therapy without assistance.

"Music therapists constantly seek out products that facilitate adaptation, so that they can maximize client possibilities during sessions. Across populations, mobility and motor issues may require instrumental modifications. Musical interaction can only occur if music play is accessible. Motor skills can only progress through music play if current motor skills can be accommodated.

The Vertical Hand Drum/Tambourine Attachment attaches to a wheelchair/table clamp (also available from A Day's Work). A frame drum or tambourine is held securely in place. One version of the attachment comes with a spring that can hold a mallet. The Vertical Hand Drum/Tambourine Attachment is meticulously made, highly durable, and capable of taking intense use. It is highly portable and manipulable. At the same time, can be easily immobilized when you want it to stay in place.”
– Bill Matney, MA, MT-BC
Lewisville Independent School District
Adjunct Lecturer, Texas Woman's University