Music Therapy Matters Monthly - January 2017
January 27, 2017 10:30 AM
January 2017
Building the Future of Music Therapy
Click the links below to read more or – if the settings on your personal device browser don't allow it - go to the AMTA website first, log in with your current member email address and password, and then click the link for this month's issue of Music Therapy Matters Monthly under "Latest News" on the home page or use this link: http://www.musictherapy.org/members/music_therapy_matters/ and select the issue you desire.
Newest 2017 Member Benefit: Our Newest E-course for FREE
AMTA wants to usher in the new year by offering its 2017 members a new, FREE e-course titled, Self-Care for Music Therapists: Insights from Experienced MT-BCs. Normally a $125 value, this e-course is being offered as a member benefit to current 2017 AMTA members absolutely free along with 3 CMTE credits upon completion. Register as a member today to take the e-course and save BIG! See below for details.
"Self-Care for Music Therapists: Insights from Experienced MT-BCs"
Presented by: Deforia Lane, Rachelle Norman, Marcia Humpal, Russell Hilliard, Lisa Gallagher, Blythe LaGasse, Amber Weldon-Stephens, Ed Gallagher, Cathy Knoll, Ami Kunimura, and Amy Smith.
- Regular Cost: $125 - includes 3 CMTE credits
- Current Member Discounted Cost: FREE to current AMTA members in 2017 (regularly $75) - includes 3 CMTE credits
Self-Care for Music Therapists: Insights from Experienced MT-BCs, provides a practical resource to help music therapists explore the topic of self-care and to get some ideas from the personal and professional experiences of their music therapy colleagues. Self-care is a topic best addressed from several different angles since music therapists have such different personalities and vastly different experiences in our daily lives, and because we all approach our professional careers from different perspectives. We invited eleven experienced music therapists to provide 10-15 minute audio segments talking about self-care from their viewpoint, sharing a few tips and telling a short story or two about keeping their lives centered in the midst of the ups and downs of their music therapy career.
Learner Objectives
- Objective 1: The e-course participant will take time to listen to presentations by eleven experienced music therapy colleagues to learn more about the professional issue of self-care. (CBMT Board Certification Domain IV.B.7.)
- Objective 2: Based on information and ideas in the e-course discussions by their music therapy colleagues, the participant will assess the current state of their own process for self-care, and will set a minimum of three goals for improving their personal and professional self-care. (CBMT Board Certification Domain IV.A.1.)
And check out our entire e-course catalog for more affordable, convenient e-courses when you're in need of critical continuing education and CMTE credits. More new e-courses are planned for 2017 and will be available soon!
Presidential Perspectives
Ringing in the New Year with Information You Can Use
With a big transition facing our nation, what an excellent time to both provide and receive support from AMTA.
As I look forward to my second year as your AMTA President, I am excited about things to come. For me, some of those things include regional conferences this spring and the World Congress of Music Therapy in Tsukuba, Japan this summer. The business of the Board of Directors continues with electronic ballots, conference calls and the upcoming Mid-Year meeting at the end of May to coincide with the NIH/Kennedy Center partnership convening on “Music and the Brain” in June.
If you have not already done so, I invite you to join AMTA for 2017. The membership year runs from January 1st through December 31st. We ended 2016 with AMTA’s largest number of members in our history so far. I am grateful to our community of committed supporters, investing in their future and in the profession of music therapy by investing in AMTA. Thank you!
Membership is one of the best ways for you to be an advocate for the music therapy profession. As music therapists, we are the “experts in the room” who can discuss and describe music therapy clearly. January is Social Media Advocacy Month, a joint effort between AMTA and The Certification Board for Music Therapists.The topic is: “Your Guide to Advocacy Zen, a mindful and intentional focus of advocacy efforts.” Advocacy can be exhilarating as well as downright exhausting; I’m interested in effective ways to advocate while also being mindful of caring for oneself in the process. You can read more here:http://musictherapystaterecognition.blogspot.com
While tracking CMTE credits during the recertification cycle, remember that AMTA has E-courses and podcasts that may be helpful toward the CBMT requirement. These courses are also available to the public. The free Disaster course offered to members last year was cited as a “Best Benefit Ever” by the American Society of Association Executives in its publication, Association Now. Appreciation to all the individuals who contribute their expertise and to “Team Knoll,” Cathy and her son Dwight, for making this information easily accessible.
In case you missed it, the annual meeting highlights of the Board of Directors were posted last month:http://www.musictherapy.org/members/official/board_directors/
This provides a good synopsis of business addressed during the Annual Conference (remember to log in!). For those interested, the 2016 Annual Board/Assembly Book is posted below the highlights. I appreciate the time, energy and efforts that our volunteers and staff devote to this work. Missed highlights from the 2016 conference? Login and read the November 2016 issue of Music Therapy Matters here: http://www.musictherapy.org/music_therapy_matters_monthly_november_2016/
Then, mark your calendars for the 2017 AMTA National Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, November 15-19, as we explore “A Mindful Approach to Music Therapy.” Plans are already under way to make this another informative and inspiring time of learning. Watch www.musictherapy.org for the call for papers this spring.
Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy and productive 2017!
Reasons to Join AMTA Now
AMTA has rolled out some new and exciting features only available to current 2017 members! Be sure to register as a member sooner, rather than later, to make sure you don’t miss out on these amazing perks:
- FREE E-Course: Self-Care for Music Therapists: Insights from Experienced MT-BCs. (Regular Cost $125- includes 3 CMTE credits.) For more information click here.
- NEW Oxford Platform later this year. Click here to read more.
- Subscriptions to Journal of Music Therapy & Music Therapy Perspectives when you join AMTA, a $576 value!
- Access to AMTA’s Job Center
- Discounted prices for items in AMTA’s online store including publications, e-courses, and national and regional conference discounts.
- Advocacy and support from the AMTA office through government relations. Click here to read more.
Membership Benefits
AMTA prides itself in giving its members the best it has to offer! Take a look at these YouTube videos commenting on the benefits of AMTA membership—We Are AMTA!
Music therapist Kristen O'Grady discusses the disaster response outreach and support she and others receive from AMTA.
Tara O'Brien talks about how membership in AMTA benefits students.
Music therapist Lana Hawkins discusses the advocacy and representation she receives as a member of AMTA.
Victoria Storm discusses how the resources she receives as a member of AMTA help her in her practice.
Amy Calderon discusses how membership in AMTA benefits students.
Dr. Andi Farbman discusses benefits of membership in AMTA and AMTA's recent recognition in the Association Now's "Best Benefit Ever" column.
National Institutes of Nursing Research Grant for Music Therapy
Dr. Sheri Robb and her team were awarded a $1.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Nursing Research. Congratulations on this prestigious award! Click here to read more.
Job Connections from AMTA
- In the past 30 days, AMTA provided 33 referral lists of music therapists.
- In the past 30 days, AMTA posted 14 new music therapy-related positions.
To see more job opportunities for music therapists, current members can visit the Job Center (from the AMTA website, select Member Resources>Job Center>Job Hotline) and log in with your email address and password.
As a current AMTA member, you are included in referral lists sent to potential clients and administrators seeking to hire a music therapist. To effectively use the referral member benefit from AMTA, update any changes in your contact information by clicking the "My Information" tab (found under "My Account" when you log in with your current AMTA member email and password) and "Edit Information." Include populations and settings with which you work so you will be searchable by consumers, parents, and administrators seeking music therapy services. Make sure that you will be searchable in the AMTA online directory by not checking the "Do Not Publish Info Online" box (or if you do not want your name to appear, feel free to check that box). Opt IN to be included on lists the National Office generates for consumers by selecting "Self Employed/Private Practice"; this ensures that your name will be included on those lists.
8 Ways to Serve Your Community
One of the greatest benefits of being an AMTA member is allowing yourself to be part of the music therapy profession and community. In this new year, AMTA would like to challenge its members to not only participate in its professional community, but to also actively serve in the community in which they live. Take a look at this list adopted by the Huffington Post for ideas on how to be part of the greater good! Click here to read more:
1. Organize a Clothing Sale
Calling all fashion gurus! Consider organizing a clothing sale with new or gently used clothing and accessories. Donate all proceeds to a local charity—like a music therapy organization or soup kitchen—then donate any of the remaining clothes to a local shelter.
2. Go Green at the Community Garden
Got a green thumb? Consider taking up a plot at the community garden or volunteering to help maintain the unclaimed or common areas. If there’s not community garden in your town, gather your fellow greenies and get one started!
3. Share Your Pet
Pets make us smile! Consider bringing your pet to a local senior center, veteran’s club, or hospital to bring joy to the residents. Of course, this may not be the right choice for every pet or every location, so be sure to consider the demeanor of your pet, the needs of the patients, and the policy of the location before you try giving back in this way. For more information on guidelines to share your pet, please visit www.petpartners.org.
4. Volunteer with Children
There are lots of places looking for volunteers to help with activities for kids—schools, after school care programs, day care centers, camps, the YMCA, mentorship programs, and more. You may be able to help a child learn to play an instrument, ride a bike, make a free throw, fold origami, grow a plant, and more—it just takes a phone call and a little patience.
5. Double your Dessert
Next time you’re baking for a family or work event, consider doubling your batch and bringing the extras to a local police station, veteran club, senior home, or soup kitchen. There are plenty of places that will appreciate your skills!
6. Share your Smarts
If you’re lucky enough to be good at long division or skilled in Spanish conjugations, consider sharing your smarts with local students.Many schools and after school programs would be happy to take on a volunteer to help students improve.
7. Boost Careers as a Resume Editor
Got a way with words or a sharp eye for editing? Consider volunteering at a local high school, transitional houses, shelters, or even veteran assistance programs as a resume editor. You might even be able to get a local business to donate resume paper.
8. Head to the Web
Looking for some other way to give back in your community? Head to VolunteerMatch.org to find opportunities closest to you. You might be surprised how many ways there are to give back right in your neighborhood!
To see the full Huffington Post list, click here.
Quote of the Month
"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Back