Introductions

[Meredith Pizzi]

Please share a bit about your professional experiences and what motivated you to take this course.
— To add to the conversation, just scroll down to the bottom of this page and type in the “reply to” box at the bottom of the screen. Click the box, “Notify me of follow-up replies via email” so that you can keep up with the conversation, and then hit “Submit.” Voila! Comment added!

[Meredith Pizzi]

Hi Everybody! I’m thrilled to be on this online course with all of you! I am Meredith Pizzi, proud to be a Board Certified Music Therapist and excited to see so many other wonderful music therapists interested in learning about early childhood music therapy and Sprouting Melodies. Here we are about to embark on a 10 week journey together and I know we are all going to learn a lot!

I am a graduate of Duquesne University’s Music Therapy Program and I had the joy and honor of working with Beth Schwartz as my internship supervisor. I learned so much from her in my internship and really developed a love for working in early childhood. After my internship, I had a very successful private practice on Long Island, NY before moving to Boston in 2006. Once settled into Boston, I founded Roman Music Therapy Services, and in 2009 Sprouting Melodies was born! Since 2009, we have seen our revenues at Roman Music Therapy Services skyrocket, more than tripling in 3 years and a lot of that has to do with the growth of Sprouting Melodies and how well it has been received in our community. What brings me here is the desire to share with others what I have learned about early childhood and music making. And with all of the effort that has gone into growing Sprouting Melodies, I want to give other music therapists the opportunity to now make it part of their practices. I’ve learned so much, and the branding and program development is done! I just want to get it out there to music therapists and families all around the country! So what brings you here??

[Courtney Fanello]

Hello everybody,

My name is Courtney Fanello, and I am a brand new music therapist. For my undergraduate honor’s thesis at Arizona State University, I created and implemented a ten week program for children of Migrant workers in China directed to improve their self esteem. I finished my internship at Banner Desert Hospital and Cardon Children’s Hospital in December 2011.

While there,my supervisors were Donalyn Richardson and Becky Ickes  an we worked in Oncology, PICU, ICU, and all over the children’s hospital. Our children’s group music sessions were the only consistent sessions on the hospital, and I loved them.

After I finished, I got my MT-BC and had my first baby two months later. Ever since, I have been at home with her and teach piano lessons out of my home. As much as I love it, I have been really wanting to still follow my passion for music therapy. I decided that giving early childhood music classes would be the best of both worlds, as I can choose when and where to do the class, and even have her participate.

I have always been intimidated to start my own business, I have had my own piano studio for 6 years, and have done a few music summer sessions for children, but my advertising and recruiting efforts have not been very successful. I have always loved working with children, and my initial interest in music therapy was working with children with disabilities.

I worked as a habilitator and respite worker in college and also taught adaptive piano lessons. I would love to teach early childhood music classes for typical and developmentally delayed children, and eventually start an all inclusive children’s choir with older children. I am hoping that by doing this training, I will have the tools to start teaching classes, but still be able to focus on and cherish my time with my family. I am moving to Utah in a few months, and hope to start teaching  classes this Fall.

(Sorry if that was a little long, I tend to elaborate, and I hope others will too, as it will help us get to know one another:)

[Courtney Fanello]

Sorry, I am trying to edit my post so the formatting isn’t so strange, but it won’t let me….

[Lisa Klostermann]

Hi, my name is Lisa Klostermann.  I live in eastern Iowa and graduated from University of Iowa in 1998.  I practiced in a variety of settings (EBD school, skilled nursing, private practice primarily with kids with autism/speech delay/DD, as well as a short stint as Interim Director of a large MT practice) before staying home with my twins for the past almost 5 years.

Last fall I was approached by two different people and asked to teach family music classes at a local baby store and community based preschool classes, and voila, I had an instant business.  I am looking forward to brushing up on my childhood/musical development background as well as core materials that work.

 

 

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

Welcome! We are so excited to begin this journey into early childhood music and early childhood music therapy with you.  My name is Elizabeth Schwartz, but most people call me Beth. For the past 25 years I have worked with very young children through Alternatives for Children on Long Island, New York.  We provide comprehensive services for children with special needs, children at risk, families, early intervention and typical children.  I also teach music therapy at Molloy College which is also here on Long Island. Meredith and I founded Raising Harmony a little over a year ago because we were so passionate about sharing our work with young children and families.  I am lucky enough to have been able to put many of my ideas and music down on paper and in cyberspace.  Please take a look at the blog I write for Raising Harmony when you get a moment.

I am also the mother of three grown children, and so have lots of personal knowledge of the ups and downs, joys and challenges of young kids.

I look forward to getting to know all of you.

Beth

[Anonymous]

Hi, my name is Erika Svolos.  I live in northwestern New Jersey with my husband and four cats.  I graduated from Marywood University in 1998 and hopefully returning to Montclair State University this summer to finish my Masters in Music Therapy.  Since completing my internship I’ve worked predominately with children and adolescents with developmental disabilities and psychiatric diagnosis.  I have worked in various settings including In-patient child/adolescent psychiatry, private practice, a social skills center for autism, and a large urban public school district.  I am currently working as a music teacher/therapist in a private school for adolescents and teens with severe emotional and behavioral disabilities.  I am pregnant with my first child, who will be joining my family in October.  I plan to switch to providing private practice and contract work and look forward to returning to working with children and adolescents with developmental disabilities.  I also have a great interest in providing early childhood and family services.

I am looking forward to this training and moving my career in a new direction.

Erika

[Emily Seymour]

Hi all!  My name is Emily Seymour and I am a new MT-BC writing to you from Plainfield, IL.  I graduated from Illinois State University in December of 2012 with a bachelors of music in music therapy and a minor in psychology.  In my undergraduate studies I did a practicum working in early intervention and that’s where my interest in this population first began.  I did my internship in 2012 with Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care.  During my internship I got the opportunity to work with Russell Hilliard at a bereavement camp providing music therapy (and other creative therapy) experiences for bereaved children ages 4-7.

My first position as a music therapist will be working for a small company that provides early intervention services.  I will be driving to families homes to provide music therapy for their infants or toddlers who have special needs or  developmental delays.  Part of my job will also be educating parents on how to provide developmentally appropriate play to help their child learn new skills.  Currently I am working to become a developmental therapist.  This is a credential I need before I start working for this company for billing purposes.

I am taking this class because I know I will be able to directly apply it to my work!  I have been learning a lot about child development over the past month and I think this class will bridge the gap between the MT knowledge I already have and the DT material I am now learning.  I am looking forward to having more resources for intervention ideas.

@ Courtney   – When I was doing my job search I saw that there was an opening for an MT at Cardon Children’s Hospital.  I wanted to apply, but they wanted someone with 2 years of experience.  Small world!

@ Lisa  –  If I ever decide to go to grad school in music therapy (that’s a whole other discussion) I would go to University of Iowa.  I am a child of deaf parents and really admire Kate Gfeller’s work in the deaf community.

Here are the questions I have so far:

1.  I know that IDEA part C  is for the early intervention system and part B is for special education in the schools.  It seems that music therapy is included in both of these parts of IDEA, but do you have more information on how reimbursement can come through this?

Billing/funding/money was not a part of my curriculum in school and I am wondering about the possibilities for reimbursement for MT through insurance companies, where to go to find grants for MT, etc.

2.  You mention that the information that you will share is research-based.  I feel like when I was in school I had so much research at my fingertips and now that I am graduated I feel disconnected.  How do you keep up to date with research without having to pay an arm and a leg to stay informed?

[Michelle Muth]

Hi everyone,

It’s great to meet all of you virtually and I look forward to when we can meet in person.  My name is Michelle Montgomery Muth (usually just Michelle Muth).  I was a career changer or enhancer when, in 2006, I went back to school at Slippery Rock University in Western Pennsylvania and received a second bachelors degree in Music Therapy and Music Education.  My first bachelors degree was in piano performance way back in 1986 and my life took a rather circuitous route until 2006.  I live in Center Township, PA (near Aliquippa), about 30 minutes north and west of Pittsburgh.  My home is filled with 3 cats; Ollie, Elsa and Aeowyn; therapy dog Ishtar and my husband Richard.  I love the outdoors and try to get a good walk in the woods with Ishtar on a daily basis.  Currently I am the owner of M3 Music Therapy and part-time director of music at Wallace Memorial Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh (Greentree), Pennsylvania.  You can read my full bio on my business website: http://www.m3musictherapy.com.

I started M3 Music Therapy in the fall of 2011 and I provide music therapy services to my clients wherever they may be and do not have a “store front.”.  I work in private homes with children with autism; group homes for seniors with developmental disabilities and currently at a school for children ages 3-21 with development and physical disabilities many of them severe to profound.  When I started the business I had an idea of the populations I’d like to serve and am now coming into more focus on populations.  During my internship at a nursing home I created a new facet of an existing program with the local Head Start group.  Classes had already been coming to the nursing home for group music activities; I expanded the program and brought the classes to the locked Dementia wing which proved very successful.  One of my final projects was creating an overall plan that incorporated music education and music therapy goals, session/lesson plans for the nursing home to continue this program.  I have always been interested in intergenerational activities and activities that incorporate the whole family.  

Why Sprouting Melodies?  I have been thinking about and researching family-based music programs and found that Sprouting Melodies would allow me researched-based materials, flexibility AND is only provided by board-certified Music Therapists.  I love working with young children as I am still a child at heart and know that this is one of my strengths.  There is a need in my community that Sprouting Melodies will help me to fill so I am greatly looking forward to this training.

Michelle

[Courtney Fanello]

Michelle,

I am very interested in your mention of intergenerational  programs. For my future endeavor with a children’s choir, I want to do interactive performances at retirement homes or care facilities. There is also a music educator in my community that does free lasses for tfor, parents, and residents at a rest home because she is trying to gauge interest in a program like that. I would love to hear more about your program. And I’m sure learning about Family Sprouts will be great info too.

 

[Kristen Macleod]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Kristen Macleod. I am currently living in Scotland, UK.  I am really excited to begin this training with you all!

I moved from Scotland to the U.S in 2009 where I completed my Masters in Music therapy at Lesley University and became board certified in 2011. I returned to Scotland and began my own private practice last year Harmony Music therapy Scotland in the Scottish Highlands-  where I am the only music therapist in the whole area.
Before I moved Stateside I worked using music with children and adolescents with developmental disabilities and then while in Boston I completed internships with Season’s Hospice and Palliative Care and also at SpauldingRehabilitationHospital working with adult TBI patients. Currently I work with mental health adults and Elderly, TBI and I also work a lot with children and teens with special needs.
I have recently had a lot of parents with babies and infants asking me if I provide services for that age group as there really is nothing available in the area where parents can engage in music with their children. I have had some experience with early intervention but until now I have not explored possibilities of including sessions for this age group in my practice. I heard so many great things about Sprouting Melodies from friends in Boston that I decided it was time to step out of my comfort zone and really try and provide a service that could support the mothers and young children as they develop in my community through music.
Kristen

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

I love how we all begin to become community through this forum! There is so much that each of you can contribute and the diversity of our locations and backgrounds will make these discussions rich.  We will be answering some of your specific questions as we go along.  Some of the information (such as funding under IDEA) is not included, but I will give you some resources and websites to find what you need as we move through the course.

There is a wonderful book by Joan Shaw on intergenerational music therapy called “Musical Bridges”. It is filled with lots of ideas and activities.

Beth

PS to Kristin- my daughter lives in Glasgow. Where are you located?

[Lauren Bevilacqua]

Hi!
I am Lauren Bevilacqua and a board certified music therapist in San Jose, CA – right in the heart of silicon valley.

I started my education in at Chapman University in Southern California and ended up graduating from Arizona State University in 2009. I transferred schools just after completing my third year at Chapman. I earned a well rounded education and a variety of training experiences between the two programs – but never early childhood. I interned in Rochester, NY with the FingerLakes DDSO working in an improvisational model with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a Day Habilitation program. When I completed my certification in 2010, I decided to move back home to the California Bay Area. After living in southern California, the desert and through a NY snowicane (yup, a snowicane), I decided that California never looked better. I moved home and while looking for employment, ended up starting my private practice.   I was in denial about my private practice for a while; I had convinced myself that performing administrative tasks was not for me.  I went through my 5 stages of grief and now I LOVE working for myself. It suits my work and life style, ambitions and my “morning-person” productivity patterns. I work with a variety of clientele, although most of my work is with students and young children on the autism spectrum. I run two integrated early childhood groups every week and love interacting with the little guys. They crack me up and every week I walk away having learned something new.

One of my strengths is Learning. I am a learner and will always be a learner- it is one of the reasons I gravitated towards music therapy in the first place. There will always be something new to study in this field, new research, new models, new techniques, new clients. Every single moment is different.
As an introverted learner, I am constantly (and joyfully!) sinking my teeth into all the possibilities. I hope to never stop learning.
I am extremely inspired by Ken Bruscia’s keynote at the 2011 AMTA National Conference in Atlanta. Did anyone else see it? He talked about an integrated approach to music therapy where we need to be prepared to provide ALL types of experiences for our clients if we wish to truly guarantee the full scope of our practice. To me, this was a personal challenge to pursue additional training in different approaches, philosophies, and/or models.  Since then, I’ve been on a continuing education “quest.”  I had the opportunity to chat with Meredith and Beth at our WRAMTA regional conference early this month.  Their passion for this program is contagious. After a brief chat, I decided to take this training to learn more about early childhood music and development and so that I can enhance the therapeutic effects of my early childhood groups and to create new groups in my geographic area. There is definitely a need in this community.

As a side note, I am a total music and songwriting nerd and I can’t wait to explore the musical elements of early childhood music.
I look forward to taking this course with all of you!
Thanks!

[Kana Kamitsubo]

Hello, everyone. Very nice to (virtually) meet you here. My name is Kana Kamitsubo.

I don’t know why but I cannot format my message regularly (there is no way to change the line without clicking “enter” and if I click enter, it makes huge gaps between sentences.).

So, I will use bullet style.

• I am a jazz and classical pianist as well as music teacher/music therapist.
• I graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2008.
• I moved to New York in 2007, NY and have started my private practice and gradually developed my original approach to teach special needs children piano and music.
• The approach has been getting attention from the field and I have given some lectures and workshops internationally.
• With the success of my private practice, I decided to expand my private practice and start offering group classes for young children starting this fall.
• I would like to learn various styles and ideas for the group class and thus, I decided to join this online course.
• I am very looking forward to take this journey with all of you.

 

[Kana Kamitsubo]

Sorry, I typed with bullet format but it did not reflect when submitted …..

[Channing Shippen]

Hi Everybody!
I apologize that this took me a little longer to post. My name is Channing Shippen, I live in Boston and work for Roman Music Therapy Services in Melrose as a music therapist. I am a graduate of Berklee College of Music (2011). Through RMTS I have the opportunity to work within a variety of settings and demographics including early childhood, children with special needs, educational settings, rehab and day hab programs, as well as private clients. I completed my internship this passed November on Whidbey Island  in Washington working in hospice and in the medical setting. While I was on the island I developed a small teaching business which focused on providing adaptive music lessons to the special needs children of the island who were unable to get instruction from the local teachers.  I was recently certified in March, and have been very lucky to join the team at RMTS. I love working with Meredith and am very excited to learn, in more detail, about the sprouting melodies program because I have seen it in action!
I am excited to get to know all of you!
Channing

[Vanessa Talbott]

Hi, my name is Vanessa Talbott and I live in Alexandria, VA. I graduated from Colorado State University in 1996 and did my internship in Fairfax County, VA with EBD elementary school kids. I had my first daughter shortly after and have moved around the country with my husband who is in the Army.I have been active as an early childhood music and movement educator  for over 15 years. It has been perfect for staying home with my  two children and it is a very portable profession. I have worked a little in early intervention and private practice. I have a daughter with special needs so I have been on the other end of early intervention services as a parent and see the necessity for these services. I also am certified in infant massage and have gone through the NICU certification.

A large part of the training is about the importance of bonding and attachment which is fascinating. Music and touch is such an amazing combination with infants and their families.

I have read Beth’s book and her approach peaked my interest to take this course. I am looking forward to learning more about providing developmentally appropriate music from the expertise of a music therapy prospective.

 

[Jillian Brown]

Hi everyone,

My name is Jillian Brown. I live in Franklin, MA and work at Notre Dame Healthcare in Worcester, MA. I do hospice and pediatric palliative care. Notre Dame took on a grant from the Department of Public Health last May to fund a pediatric palliative care program and the program began last July.

In my clinical experience, I have worked a lot with older adults. I always thought that I would be best suited to working with adults as I never thought of myself as someone that would be good at working with children. Since taking on the pediatric palliative care program at Notre Dame, I have realized that I have a huge appreciation for work done with children and their families. I’m finding that I’m being challenged and am really enjoying the work I’m doing with children and families so much that my opinion has changed drastically.

I want to learn more about the developmental stages of children and how music can be applied to nurture and facilitate growth and well-being. I need knowledge of how to work with some of the very small children that I am working with. I feel that I am doing pretty well with the knowledge I have but could be doing so much better with some quality training that I know I will receive through this course.

I’m really looking forward to learning with everybody here. I’m so happy I signed up!

P.S. Sorry I started my own blog somehow. I must have put all this information into different category somehow. Not the most tech savvy!

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

What a great group of music therapists! We are so excited to have you join us as we move toward week two of the course. Previous participants have found it helpful to save their comments in a word document as they create their posts from week to week. It is amazing what great ideas people have come up with and it is nice to be able to have the comments to refer to when the course is finished.

[Jennifer Schofield Gietzen]

Hello Everyone!

So nice to be part of this community!  My name is Jenn Gietzen and I live in Holland, MI.

I am a board certified music therapist and have been for the past 11 years.  I have been a musician most of my life and when I started
college at Michigan State University I had no idea that Music Therapy was an actual profession.  I did know that I would love to use my skills for helping people but had no idea
how to do that.  I discovered in my first year of college that music therapy existed and I was hooked!
  After an amazing education I did my internship at the Center for Discovery in New York.  I have always been inspired by
Clive Robbins and improvisational music therapy and absolutely fell in love with that model.  I came back to Holland in 2002 to dive into the workforce…
only to realize there was no work for me…no jobs whatsoever.  So bit by bit I started to get my foot into some schools in the area and have created all of the
contracts I currently have.  I now work in 3 different schools just about full time, with kids with all kinds of abilities from the ages of 2-26.  Some of them are typical
preschoolers…an age group I absolutely love working with.  If i had a dream job it would be working with families and their children from pre-birth through 5 or 6.
I truly believe it is such a critical time for learning and opening the mind and heart to the inner and outer world and I am passionate about music being such a
great tool for this.  Creating a love of music and play and other people and self and life is what i value.

Because I work in the schools I have the summers off.  I would like to continue providing services to the community via classes for young ones for 6 or so weeks to bridge the gap
as well as provide an opportunity to experience the joy of music over the summer…whether it be to supplement school music or open up the musical world for little ones
for the first time.  I also feel like any chance I have to enhance my knowledge in this area and add to what I already know  is one worth taking .  I am passionate about early childhood
and am even more so now that I have a little one of my own who is 10 months old.  Understanding how he perceives music and learning more about how I can add more musical spice
to his life the better!
I am really looking forward to these next 10 weeks with everyone and chiming in on some great discussions.  I’m excited to hear some new music and be inspired to create more
on my own as well.  I definitely appreciate the fact that Meredith and Beth respect that we all have our own set of skills musically and otherwise that will be enhanced and
not diminished by a “prescribed” program.
Thank you so much for this opportunity…I am looking forward to it!
Jenn

[Megan Goddu]

Hi All!

My name is Megan Goddu. I graduated from Anna Maria College in May 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy and officially became a MT – BC in August 2012! Currently, I live in Somerset, MA with my parents. (saving as much money as I can to help pay those student loans back)

For work, I am the music therapist/case manager at the Mercy Centre which is a special education school in Worcester, MA. I work with students ages 6 – 22; with our youngest student right now being 10. The students there all have development disabilities that range from autism to down syndrome to auditory processing disorders and CP. The work allows me to use a wide range of skills with the many differences in the students abilities. I have students who are non verbal to students who I am currently teaching basic music reading to help support her guitar playing. In addition to the Mercy Centre, I am also a MT contractor with the Seven Hills Foundation. Overall the Seven Hill Foundation offers children and adult services. I work within the recreation department and offer 3 music therapy groups (kids group, young adult group and adult/elderly group). The age range total for those 3 groups are ages 6 – 60.

Most of my experiences have been with school aged children with developmental disabilities. I worked with my practicum and internship supervisor, Renee Coro for two years while I was in school and learned a lot of her. I am glad to say that we are now good friends since moving away from the supervisor/student relationship. Renee actually referred me to this online training. She had completed one of the first online trainings offered and said that I would learn a lot from it. Since Renee worked with Beth as a student, Renee passed some of her experiences (songs, such) on to me while I worked with her.

I am also a certified preschool teacher and work at a private preschool/daycare mostly during the summer. There I work with typical infants and toddlers and children up to the age of about 8. Currently, I don’t do music therapy at the preschool; however I am hoping with this training that I will be able to incorporate more “music therapy” and music with the children I work with there.

While I don’t necessarily work with infants/toddlers in a music therapy setting; some of the individuals I currently work with present more at the 3 – 5 age level in their abilities. I am hoping that this course will give me a better understanding on how to use songs to their best ability as well as hoping it will help me be able to write my own clinical songs to use in my work.

I am looking forward to this training!

Thanks! Megan

[Michelle Muth]

Hi All,
 
I was reading through all the introductions and this is going to be a great group to go through the training with and to learn from.
 
@Courtney – I am all for intergenerational programming.  At this moment in time, I am not running any but I plan to put some together over the summer.  I see that you are interested in starting a children’s choir?  I have been in church music for year’s mostly as a choir director – choral music is my main music love.  I have started children’s choir programs and walked into existing.  I have some great resources on that front if you are interested.  You mention a music educator that is currently going into nursing homes for free trying to gauge interest in a program.  As you investigate how you would like to begin programs I caution you to not do free programs (I know you weren’t but…)  I find that if I don’t put a value on a program the place where I am providing it puts less value.  I’m all for presenting at various community functions to do music therapy advocacy and outreach for free but when it comes to offering a specific program – put a price tag on it.  Also, I’m guessing the music educator is offering something different than what you would be offering as she is coming from an education standpoint – with different goals and objectives.  Whereas as music therapist working with caregivers and their loved ones as a completely different take and shape to the offerings.  You might want to start doing your own investigation on program offerings.  When you give a program make sure that one of the decision-makers at the facility is available to observe your session. Then, afterwards, have a debrief and talk about what you were doing.  Ask what they observed and explain what you were doing as a music therapist.  This will help to educate them to the difference of music therapy vs entertainment or education; and open their eyes to the full potential of what you can offer.  Sorry – think I got on a small soapbox here.
 
@Emily – I know some about music therapy and the IDEA from a special education viewpoint but I believe it is somewhat similar to early childhood.  There are 3 ways that music therapy can be provided in the schools:
 

Related service (IEP): This requires a formal music therapy assessment that is based on the goals and objectives already determined by the child’s IEP.   Basically, the assessment needs to show that the child does “better” meeting goals with music therapy than with other therapies.  From what I understand, the assessment does not have to be funded by the school.  However, if it is determined that music therapy is necessary to achieve the IEP goals the school is required to provide the service.
Educational enrichment (non-IEP):  School district makes the decision to identify and prioritize groups of students who could benefit specifically from music therapy intervention. 
Consultative (non-IEP):  Music therapist is acting as an educational consultant in a general and/or music classroom

 
There are a number of music therapy assessment tools available, the most well-known is the SEMTAP (I think that’s where I originally pulled much of this information).  There are some newer approaches as well but this gives you a headstart.  Also, on the AMTA website is an information sheet about Music Therapy and Special Education that you might find helpful.
 
Anyone with more experience in this (mine is limited) please pipe in.  I look forward to seeing posts from Beth and Meredith on this topic as well.

[Michelle Muth]

My formatting did not work and I used the bullet tool in the reply box.  I am tech savvy and can’t figure out how to type my response in an HTML view verses a Visual view.  I thought the option was there when I first posted and now it is gone.  I’d much prefer the HTML view.  Can anyone help

 

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

Thanks for all the interesting and interactive conversations. As we move into Week 2, please post your responses to the forum questions directly underneath the previous comment. That way the thread will be more cohesive. Most weeks will have 2 to 3 different threads.

Week 2 is probably the most dense in terms of material so you might want to plan your time accordingly.

Looking forward to a new week, new ideas and new enthusiasm. Beth

PS. We are looking into the formatting issue and will get back to you soon on this.

 

 

 

[Lisa Klostermann]

Emily,

Dr. Gfeller is amazing and I highly recommend University of Iowa!  😉

[Carla Carnegie]

Hello everyone! I am a bit late getting started here, since I have been sick with the flu this past week.  My name is Carla Carnegie, and I live in beautiful Spokane Washington.   That is located on the East side of Washington, very near the Idaho border.  In my area, there is another music therapist, whom I have never met, although I have called her and pursued a connection.  Other that that, in an area of 400,000 population base, I am the only board-certified music therapist.

I finished my music degree in composition from Whitworth University in Spokane in 2009.  I had discovered music therapy along my academic journey, and decided to attend Marylhurst University in Portland following  my graduation.  I am married, with 4 grown children and 2 grands, and had never lived on my own or away from Spokane!  What a learning experience moving and living in Portland for 2.5 years while I finished my BA in music therapy, and my subsequent internship! I feel that as a person, I have learned and grown so much over these past 8 years, and like Lauren, I am continuing my life-long passion for continued education!

Back here in Spokane since March of 2012, I have had to open my own practice, since music therapy is so under utilized, or even understood.  My clients are: dementia/Alzheimers affected individuals, individuals and their caregivers living with Parkinson’s, and well-elders.  I would love to work with mental health, TBI, and developmentally disabled, but am still building connections and networking, providing in-services and presentation to any group that will have me in order to fill these needs.  I also teach piano and violin from my home.

I believe that even with that, my heart needs more connection with kids—and Sprouting Melodies is a great way to provide music (from the perspective of a music therapist)  for them and their parents/caregivers.  Over the past year, I have looked at a number of other models, and nearly signed on with one, but I was a bit taken back with their prescribed curriculum and songs leaving me no room for my strengths which include composition! When I saw the Sprouting Melodies created for and by music therapists, I made up my mind that this was the program for me to round out my practice!

I am hoping to kind of tie together all the great education I got as a music therapy student with this focused early childhood training, and  together with the business model expertise I sense Meridith and Beth have, I can really more quickly build my business here.  My goal is to grow to the point I am calling out for more music therapists to come to Spokane to work.  In a few years, I’d like to move closer to my grand kids and build another music therapy practice with Sprouting Melodies as a part of that in Prescott, Arizona.

I look forward to our connections through this online class and learning and sharing with all of you!

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

Welcome, Carla! Thank you for joining us on this journey. I am sure that you will have much to offer as we move through the material. Please let us know if there is anything you need as you catch up.

[Mary Kerrigan]

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Hello Everyone! 
I am joining this group late, but better late than never right!  My name is Mary Kerrigan and I am a 2012 graduate from Immaculata University, in Pennsylvania, from the Bachelors of Music in Music Therapy degree program and will be a graduate student at Colorado State University’s online Masters in Music Therapy program this fall.  I finished my internship at Massachusetts Hospital School in June of 2012 and shortly after received my MT-BC.  In June of 2012 I began working full-time as a Music Therapist at Seven Hills Foundation, which is based out of Worcester, MA.  It is a brand new position and the facility has never had a Music Therapist before.  It has been a successful position over the past 11 months and I hope to continue my work there.  With Seven Hills Foundation I travel around to work in six of their Adult Day Habilitation programs with adults with developmental disabilities.  When I started as an undergraduate student I was mainly interested in working with children with developmental disabilities, specifically autism.  However my path in my career has lead me to currently work mostly with adults.  I am still strongly interested in working with children either part time currently or at some point in the future of my career, which has lead me to take interest in being a part of this course.  I do have some experiences in music therapy working with children but I feel it is not enough.  I am excited to learn more about working with early childhood population and gain ideas and new music to add and enhance my music therapy groups.  And to especially learn developing a more family based music therapy session as well.  

[Trish Jonason]

Hi there,

My name is Trish Jonason.  I live in the metro west area of Boston.  I’ve just relocated to Mass. with my husband and 4-year old son from coastal Maine.  I did

my undergrad at Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA in 2002, and interned with  at Lutheran General Hospital, outside of Chicago.

After 4 years in Chicago, working as and MT at the hospital and later at its therapeutic day school, my husband and I moved back to Maine to start a family

and be close to our parents.

In Maine, I worked at a community mental health agency before starting a private practice.  There are only 5 MT-BCs in Maine, and none of them were close by.

It took time for me to learn my community,  identify the need for music therapy, and how to successfully integrate it into people’s lives.   I started Coastal

Music Therapy in 2011 and consider that venture to have been a successful one.  However, coastal Maine is very rural and professionally isolating, both for

myself and my husband.  We relocated to Mass in May of this year to pursue new career opportunities.

Through Coastal Music Therapy, I created my own version of a early childhood music program called Songbirds.  I offered this class on-site at preschools and

childcare centers.  I also offered it at local libraries and community centers.     My site-based classes were divided developmentally, but my community-based

groups were not.  I just didn’t have the enrollment to support separate groups.

 

I’m taking this training to round out my early childhood experience with new repertoire and a more conscious effort towards the community wellness model.

I’m eager to enrich my knowledge about developmentally specific musical activities- I always feel like I’m making it up as I go.  I’d like to feel a little more

confident in that area.   I’m also interested in gaining more experience in talking to families about their child’s development.

[Author]

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