How are you planning on sharing this information with colleagues, administrators and families?

[Meredith Pizzi]

[BJ Waelz]

I do feel that it is important to share this information with colleagues, administrators and families. Most of my music therapy work is currently in Nursing Home or Rehab facilities. I do try to promote intergenerational music activities between my class and the facilities I work with. This has brought awareness about my early childhood classes, to those I am serving, care givers and administrators. It is essential to promote music therapy as a profession and I feel that this area of need (early childhood) is an awesome area to do this. We do have a special and unique understanding of music and the effects music has on body, brain, emotion, and skill development. This unique professional understanding allows us to truly structure program sessions to meet specific needs, our unique musical ability allows us to be flexible with live music to fit music perfectly to the moment. We need to continue to demonstrate this ability so that more people begin to see the necessity of our profession and we will increase accessibility of music therapy programs to the population in general. Currently I provide in service programs for staff at facilities I work with so they can understand what I do and I have seen the positive effects of this as staff explains who I am to families (and they DON’T describe me as the music lady or entertainment). I will continue to provide such in services and work with local childhood advocacy programs etc. to provide educational services and share research information. Sharing our knowledge and expertise with clients is important, but it is just as important to get the message to the general population so that we can work towards reimbursement for services, increased demand for music therapy programs in all types of facilities and an overall understanding of the need for our profession.

[Shonda Malik]

I share information with colleagues, administrators and families in a variety of ways. I do ask families for help connecting with others. One family responded by letting me know about a county sponsored health fair. I followed up by having a table at this health fair and a family I met there called for music therapy services about 9 months later. I do vendor tables at various events, presentations for college classes and local groups, I send brochures to county programs that disseminate the information to case workers. I find that this time consuming commitment to advocating for music therapy requires patience in order to see the rewards which often take quite some time before these initial contacts turn into work opportunities.

[Laura Myers]

I will share this information in a variety of ways. With family, friends and close colleagues will first be verbally. I’d like to share with them what SM is and how I would like to incorporate it into my current practice. I will also approach my daughter’s daycare and let them know I have completed the training and how it can serve the children there. I would provide them with printed materials also outlining SM.

I plan to contact the local library, speaking first with the children’s librarian. They have a storytime twice a week that I can attend and become a familiar face to the parents and librarian.

I would also approach the director of the preschool at my church to see if materials ca. Be sent home in the kids folders.

I plan on locating parent groups to present to as well. I am an active member of local moms group online and can discuss my SM business there in attempts to gain interest.

[Ian Crawford]

There is so much so share and so many people to share with! I think my first step will be to check if there are any SM providers in my area. I haven’t heard of any, but I haven’t really looked yet. Since I don’t plan on becoming a provider in the near future, I won’t exactly be doing marketing in my area, but I will definitely be sharing my excitement about SM with local MT’s and through my incorporation of these songs and concepts in my work, my co-workers will also be hearing about it. And who knows, once I get a feel for the local market, maybe I’ll change my mind! I definitely feel much more confident after this course!

[Ericha Rupp]

I’d like to incorporate this information while talking with my co-workers, administration and other colleagues. I may discuss a bit of this information with some of my current families to see if there is an interest and then based on their feedback I may become an “official” sprouting melodies provider.

[Kristina Rio]

Laura I’m so excited to hear your plans for getting the word out there about SM. You’re ideas are great!

[Lysa Wright]

This knowledge is definitely applicable to my current practice. I know I’ll be able to use the knowledge and refreshers I’ve gained about child development both musically and non musically. Becoming a SM provider is definitely appealing to me, I believe there is a gap in this type of family experience in my area that could be filled by SM! It will be great to discuss this business option with my current contracting business.

[Adrienne Salmon]

I hadn’t really thought about this until now. I work within my case load, and this is my first job as a music therapist (and I just last week earned my board certification). Around where I live, there is an Arts in Trauma center, a PTSD and the arts center, and a lot of programs for families in need. I think that sharing the opportunity of SM to these places would be mutually beneficial. I also will most likely be getting some Sprouting Melodies groups added to my caseload, and once that happens, I’m sure that I will get more ideas on how to spread the word and opportunities of Sprouting Melodies.

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