July 30, 2010 - Transitions

Transitions can be tough for routine-oriented clients. This week I will talk about strategies for making transitions easier, including unplanned schedule changes.

Listen live at 11:30 Eastern, 10:30 Central, 9:30 Mountain or 8:30 Pacific. Call in with your questions: 646-652-2850. Or download the show to listen to the archives. Or subscribe through iTunes.

July 23, 2010 - Writing a personal song

Last week, I talked with Charli Brown about song writing and writing your own personal song. This week, I'm going to give you steps to take to write your own personal song:

1. Don't worry if it's not good enough for anyone else to hear. Just sing, sing a song!
2. To Rhyme or Not To Rhyme--That is the question!
3. Which came first: The Melody or The Words?
4. Be like Nike: Just do it!

Listen to the show live at 12 noon Eastern, 11 am Central, 10 am Mountain, 9 am Pacific. Call in to get personal tips for writing your song: 646-652-2850.

Download the show by subscribing through iTunes. Click on the player in the side bar. Or listen to the archived show!

When you listen, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

July 16, 2010 - You Can Love Your Life Now!

This week I'm excited to have Chari Brown as my guest. Listen LIVE at noon Eastern, 11 Central, 10 Mountain, and 9 Pacific. Or check out the archives and subscribe via iTunes.

When she was in the 12^th grade, Charlene (Charli) Brown wanted to run away and become a “Queen of the Gypsies.” Since then, she has worked constantly to find ways which spoke to her nomadic, creative and independent spirit.

With 10+ years working with youth and a variety of other experiences including nonprofit, government, and leadership development under her belt, in 2009, Charli started “You Can Love Your Life Now!” to “help women find and live their Best lives!”

A gifted life coach and workshop leader, Charli, through You Can Love Your Life Now!, has designed an enriching curriculum for girls, which opens up a healthy dialogue between them and adult women, as well as with their peers. She is also hard at work writing a guidebook for teen girls that will help them recognize their own unique inner light.

Charli can be reached through her website www.YouCanLoveYourLifeNow.com.

Products:

Free E-books:

Think True Happiness is Unattainable

Knowing Yourself Like the Back of Your Hand!

E-Course: Getting Back to Consciousness

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July 9, 2010 - Music Therapy Drumming

This week's show is on early: 11:30 Eastern, 10:30 Central, 9:30 Mountain, 8:30 Pacific. Bill Matney is my guest to talk about Music Therapy Drumming.

Music Therapy Drumming is a curriculum that includes percussion and rhythm skills that are designed to increase the capacity for a Music Therapist to effectively use drums, percussion instruments, and traditional rhythms within the music therapy setting.

The Music Therapy Drumming curriculum is designed and taught by Music Therapists who are professional percussionists with years of experience in both music performance and clinical settings.

Listen here. Or subscribe to the show through iTunes.

Bill Matney, MA, MT-BC

Bill works full time with a school district special education department, and serves as adjunct lecturer at Texas Woman's University. He has presented both regionally and nationally on percussion pedagogy and percussion in therapeutic application with clinical populations. Bill has authored the book, Tataku: The Use of Percussion in Music Therapy, which is currently being used in percussion methods and improvisation courses at universities nationwide.

July 2, 2010 - Inspiration

Welcome back! My World Cup Fever is beginning to lift, so I'm back to weekly shows. The time may fluctuate due to client schedules, so check back here for the latest information.

Back in May, before the World Cup hiatus, I attended the Central Texas Music Therapy Association conference in Seguin, TX. An amazing thing happened at that conference and I'm going to share the story. Listen here.

You can also subscribe to this show through iTunes. Just search the iTunes store for Music Therapy Show.

May 21, 2010 - Developing a personal/professional perspective

Why should we develop a personal or professional perspective? I have been thinking a lot about this since interviewing Brian Abrams on May 7 about Development of a Humanistic Perspective on Music Therapy. I also studied different perspectives and developed my own during my graduate work at Texas Woman's University. Lately, I've been reviewing my perspective, both for my work and my personal goals.

In this show, find out how to develop a personal and professional perspective. Listen here.

May 14, 2010 - No Show

I have a lot of work to do today (which is a good thing!) so there won't be a show this morning. I would love to hear your thoughts about last week's show--I have many thoughts brewing in my head about that topic and am trying to organize them into something coherent for next week's show. I would love your input!

Have a great week!

May 7, 2010 - Theory and Practice with Brian Abrams

Happy 2nd Anniversary to The Music Therapy Show!

This week, I am pleased to host Brian Abrams to discuss "Development of a Humanistic Perspective on Music Therapy." While there have certainly been humanistic points of view on the discipline since its inception, I would like to explore a particular way of understanding what music therapy is and what music therapists do, based upon a specific set of inter-related principles with foundations in humanism and person-centered orientations of therapy. It's my hope that developing a perspective in this area will help meaningfully inform music therapy practice, research, and education in ways that are unique, indigenous, and congruent with what many music therapists believe to be the essential core of their work (whether it has been articulated or not). Listen here.

Brian Abrams, Ph.D., MT-BC, LPC, LCAT, FAMI, has been a music therapist since 1995, with clinical experience involving a wide range of populations. He completed undergraduate studies at Vassar College and SUNY New Paltz, and graduate studies at Temple University. He has served on the music therapy faculty at Utah State University (2001-2004) and Immaculata University (2004-2008), and currently serves as Associate Professor of Music in the Cali School of Music at Montclair State University (since 2008). He has published and presented internationally on a wide range of topics such as person-centered and humanistic perspectives on music therapy, music therapy in cancer care, music psychotherapy, and music therapy research. He has served on numerous editorial boards, including Music Therapy Perspectives, Qualitative Inquiries in Music Therapy, and Voices, and has been a frequent guest reviewer for the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy. Currently, he is serving on the Board of Directors of the American Music Therapy Association (2010-2011), and as Immediate Past-President of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association (2009-2011). In addition, he maintains an individual practice in music psychotherapy, and periodically offers music-centered support groups for cancer survivors.

Brian Abrams, Ph.D., MT-BC, LPC, LCAT, FAMI
Associate Professor of Music
John J. Cali School of Music
Montclair State University
1 Normal Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07043
Phone: (973) 655-3458
Email
Faculty Profile Page

April 23, 2010 - Music Therapy Assessments

This week, I completed a lot of assessments, so I thought I would share some different assessment techniques. Join me at noon eastern time (or listen to the archives) to learn about school assessments, private practice assessments, business assessments and personal assessments.

School assessments are done to determine whether music therapy is educationally necessary to help the student meet the goals on the Individualized Education Plan.

Private practice assessments are done to determine which music therapy interventions are best used with each client and to determine the treatment plan.

Business assessments are done to determine what your business needs to grow and develop.

Personal assessments are done to determine what you need in order to reach your goals.

Listen to the show to learn how to use assessments in your life.

Friday, April 16, 2010 - Music Therapy and Self Care

I keep trying to get back to a regular broadcast schedule, but life keeps me sidetracked. On this show, I'll update you on what's been going on in my music therapy life and then talk about self care. Taking care of ourselves is very important! I've gotten a lot of messages from the universe reminding me of this lately. So I'll give some suggestions for doing this even though you are super busy!

Listen here.

I'm also trying out my new timeslot: Fridays at 12:00 Eastern, 11:00 Central, 10:00 Mountain, 9:00 Pacific. Let me know what you think of the new time--and tell me what you do to take care of yourself!

Show revamp

March has been an especially challenging month with the SWAMTA conference and other things going on. I hope to begin broadcasting again next week with a new day and time. Check back here for updates. Leave a comment to let me know what topics you are interested in!

March 6, 2010 - Resources

The show is off hiatus this week with a new show. This week I'm going to share resources I find useful. Here are a few of them:

Time for Music by Music Therapist Wade Richards and his blog Blog Beat. His blog gives tips, videos, and original songs for use in music therapy sessions, music education classes, or general education classes. I found this post particularly helpful this week.

FAQAutism.com is another resource I use frequently. Cathy Knoll, another music therapist, offers free daily podcasts or emails, toolkits, and even Vodcasts providing short, digestible tips and practical ideas to enhance life quality for people with autism.

Sensory Nanny Kim McVean is not only a mother of twin boys with autism, but also an Occupational Therapist. She provides
calm, clear advice on helping people with sensory processing disorders and has her own Blog Talk Radio show on Fridays so that you can call and ask questions about sensory processing.

Listen to this week's show for more about these resources and other information about what I use in my practice.

Have any of your favorite resources? Share them by leaving a comment here!

January 23, 2010 - A Week in the Life of a Music Therapist

I had some pretty amazing sessions this week, so I'm going to share some of the responses my clients had to music therapy. I also had a personal encounter with music, so I will talk about that, too.

Listen here.

Please leave a comment and let me know what topics you are interested in, or just that you listen! Hearing from listeners really keeps me motivated.

January 16, 2010 - Andrew Knight - Professor of Music Therapy

Andrew Knight, MA, MT-BC, NMT Fellow, is assistant professor of music therapy at the University of North Dakota. He instructs courses in music therapy and jazz improvisation, while overseeing clinical placements of students in the Grand Forks community. Mr. Knight holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in percussion performance with a jazz emphasis, and a Master of Arts degree in Music Education, emphasis in music therapy from the University of Minnesota. His post-graduate training includes a Fellowship in the Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy from Colorado State University and has studied with noted music therapists Charles Furman and Michael Thaut.

Prior to his appointment in the UND Music Department, Mr. Knight was an active clinician in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, with various music therapy clinical roles in nursing/geriatric facilties, school districts, and at agencies serving adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He has also established a branch of the “Tremble Clefs,” a nationwide group of individuals with Parkinson’s Disease and their caregivers to support them physically and emotionally through singing and movement. His research has been published in the journals Activity Director’s Quarterly for Alzheimer’s and Other Dementia and the Journal of Music Therapy. His current research pursuits include clinical applications of music therapy for individuals with neurologic impairments.

As an active member of the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), Mr. Knight has served as president of the American Music Therapy Association for Students, Great Lakes and Midwestern Region web coordinator and representative to the AMTA committee on Communication and Technology. He currently represents the Midwestern Region on the national Student Affairs Advisory Board of AMTA and the Academic Program Approval Committee.

Mr. Knight has presented at several national and regional conferences, including the AMTA, the National Parkinson Foundation, and the Autism Society of America. Andrew lives in Grand Forks with his wife and two children. He frequently bikes around the city, and has run four marathons. So far.

Andrew Knight's Music Therapy Podcasts

Listen to the show here.

January 9, 2010 - New Year's Resolutions

Welcome back! I hope you all had wonderful holiday breaks and are refreshed and renewed and energized for the new year. I love how hanging up a new calendar makes seems to give us hope for new opportunities.

On today's show, I'm going to talk about making successful New Year's Resolutions, explaining how to use music to make your dreams come true! And I'll describe a goal-writing session I used with my clients this week.

Happy New Year!