Share your thoughts with the board members on the role of music therapy in community based settings.

[Meredith Pizzi]

[Keeley St Clair]

This is always an interesting discussion; I have experience in working within a less clinically focused model when I worked as a MT with hospitalized children. It was a bit different in that we worked mainly with individuals and their families, but we did not have formal assessments, treatment planning or termination plans per se (unless we had doctors orders which required more documentation etc). It was always a lively discussion with the other MT’s on the team as some maintained that as a MT they were doing Music Therapy but others of us saw it differently.
Community based groups are a whole different animal, yet maintain some of the facets of our clinical work. I think the key distinction here is focus – in our clinical work we are focused mainly on hitting goals and objectives, while in community based work we focus more on the experience of being in music together.

[Coleen Shanagher]

I like what you’re saying Keeley about the differences between clinical applications of music therapy and community programs. Over the summer I organized a Sensory Friendly Concert working with The Musical Autist. They are huge advocates of community music therapy and I think this mirrors what you are saying. These concerts are put on by music therapists and they are in the process of trademarking the term so that only music therapists can facilitate concerts by this name. At Tempo, we put on inclusive open mic nights and other events which utilize the specialty of the therapist but are not clinical in nature. But I also know that there are ways to be doing clinical work within a community setting. I think the most important part of what we are talking about here is that there is a role in the community for the music therapist to be the authority on certain populations, health and wellness.

[Stacy Reno]

I have never really had a conversation about clinical MT and MT based community programs! I have been in a center-based special education school for 15 years and use to be on many IEP’s. Now, in the last few years I am considered “part of the curriculum” and they prefer me not to be on IEP’s. So currently I do not do formal assessments or the paperwork that follows that but I still continually assess, implement, adjust so that my students can reach their potential. I think that regardless of what environment (clinical or community) an MT is in they will always follow those steps -it’s what we do. I think their is a valid place for MT in both places. I do think it’s important to clarify what role the MT will play and what the MT “experience” may look like in the community vs. the clinical context. Keeley said it well when she talked about the “key distinction” being the “focus”. Coleen also mentioned needing the “specialty of the therapist”- this speaks to the quality of the program the community will receive. If we limit our profession to “clinical only” think of all the opportunities that would be missed. As I read this over that sounds dramatic but really…..

[Erin Spring]

I think it is wise to make a distinction between clinical music therapy services and music therapy-based services. We as board-certified music therapists flip out the second someone who is not an MT-BC even implies they are providing MT, often for good reason- BUT we must also be willing to recognize when we ourselves are not conducting clinical music therapy services. I think a key distinction that goes along with focus, is to look at whether all the standards of clinical practice and scope of practice are being met. Key factors such as lack of specific objectives, data collection, etc create a pretty definite line as to what is music therapy. The heart of it all is making sure the community knows what our training and skills are, and that we are being intentional and ethical when we provide music therapy services versus when we provide music therapy-based programming. If we are clear ourselves on what services we are providing, then we can make it clear to the community and other professionals, what we are providing and how we are practicing. Also, I get the feeling some therapists see it as a negative to not call something they do music therapy, but I think we should be proud any time we appropriately and ethically use our specialized skills and training to assist others. I use my music therapy skills and training in the swimming classes I teach, even the simple incorporation of rhythm with the rhythmic/rotary breathing and stroke movements for the older/advanced classes. I would never say I was practicing music therapy in my swim lessons, but I am always proud to say I use my skills and training as a music therapist to enhance the teaching I provide to my swim students and families. I LOVE to share how I am applying my music therapy knowledge and training to other tasks, I think it shows the breadth of my mastery, because I not only know these skills for my clinical work, but I am able to take that knowledge and skill and apply it appropriately and effectively to things outside my clinical work.

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

Thank you to all for your deep and insightful thoughts about music therapy and community based work. As you all noted, it is a conversation that we as music therapists need to have. So many things have changed in the treatment (and treatment) of people with disabilities and I think that this change have made it more difficult to think in the past vision of “I am the therapist and you are the client” type of practice.

[Kehlen Bushatz]

Like Stacey, I’ve never really had a conversation comparing the two either! I agree with Erin too about accurately representing yourself and the services you are providing. I think the community-based services should be represented as more recreational or educational but not therapeutic. I think the key difference between clinical and community MT is the focus and reason for the experience/lesson. I think clinical is used more with people who are having difficulties or delays and community is used more with typical people who do not necessarily have delays but may enjoy or learn well through music. I realize that these distinctions get grayed sometimes, but I think it’s a good generalization.

I also don’t think it’s a bad thing to incorporate music therapy into non-therapy activities. Like Erin uses MT techniques to help her teach swimming lessons, I use music therapy techniques all the time when I am teaching. In my area music therapy is not very well known or accepted, and one of the things interviewers have been most interested in when I have been interviewed for a teaching job is my MT background and how I use it with children with special needs. I think many people really see the benefits of music and are intrigued by what music therapists can do and offer. I think community-based services help bring attention to music therapy and to people who otherwise would not have a connection or understanding of it.

[Lauren Stoner]

This is an interesting discussion, and one that certainly needs to be discussed more in our field.
In working with people, I think that while I am not implicitly providing music therapy to the community, I am offering a service to the community. Looking at the example in the broadest sense- we are all interdependent. For example: If someone that I am working with in a clinical setting improves in an area of communication. They then leave and able to interact more effectively in their interpersonal relationships with friends and family. The improved interaction can lead to improved relationship development. The new relationship can effect the people the client interacts with and then the people in the client’s life exhibit new perspective, emotion, or behavior, which in turn affects their relationships or interactions (maybe due to decreased stress or improved outlook).
However the reverse can be true- through a community facilitated intervention (such as a drum circle) provided by a music therapist. While the music therapist is not attending to the clinical standards of practice, they are using their skills to improve health and wellness of the community. This can also spark interest in more directive clinically based music therapy services or even aid in advocacy.
But this is just one person’s opinion and this discussion could go on and on.

[Toni]

I really like the approach Meredith introduced in the video about clinical music therapy in the fashion that we typically practice and “music therapy based” services. I didn’t realize it, but I guess I have really been providing music therapy based services over the years I served preschools, head starts and elementary schools. MT was listed as a related service on one or two student IEP’s in various classrooms. I almost always worked with the entire classroom and staff. It was noted time and time again that even though specific goals and objectives were being addressed for the student’s on IEP’s that all of the students indirectly benefitted, developed and demonstrated growth from participating in the program.

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

I think that our entire profession is being challenged to really think about our role as music therapists. From corporate drumming to wellness programs, music therapists are reaching beyond the traditional clinic walls to bring their skills to a greater range of people.

[Siobhan Rooney]

I have never really considered this or had this conversation before either. Typically when I have participated in larger community programs I have always looked at them as more of a musical performance. I used to do a community cultural arts program where I sang songs to a group of 50-100 children, I was certainly using my skills as a music therapist but I didn’t consider it to be music therapy. I have also conducted Mommy and Me as well as Daddy and Me programs on Saturdays for the families at my school which was closer to clinical music therapy sessions, but not really the same. I guess I look at these larger community outreach programs as more of a performance and possibly an opportunity to explain what music therapy is advocate for the field.

[Andrea U]

Unfortunately, in Canada, Music Therapy is not really accepted in ISPs (Just out of curiousity, is this funded by the government?) Therefore I really think that this is an area that music therapists can tap into in my own community (which is what I intend to do eventually!) As Elizabeth mentioned, music therapists are now tapping into non-traditional areas. Our profession does seem to be a smorgasbord for many things so I don’t see why we cannot do more community-based work using our skillsets as music therapists to reach a larger audience.

[Sarah Tree]

I also have not participated in a conversation quite like this. I, for one, love the “grey area”… In my previous experience as a music educator, I always looked for opportunities to sneak my students their “vegetables” – learning concepts in a way that was so fun, they didn’t know they were learning. I look at music therapy based services in a similar way; we are providing the opportunity for therapeutic growth and development without the narrow focus of the clinical setting, allowing more flexibility in the way we design the musical experience. I feel that this allows us as clinicians to focus on specific goals and objectives when it is appropriate, but also allows us to be more present. We are not so much worried about whether Michael can hit the drum 5 times, but rather living in the moment with the families, enriching their lives and ours simultaneously. Community based settings are also extremely beneficial to our profession as a whole, allowing us to shine a spotlight on our practice and answer the question we are asked most often in a way which is memorable and meaningful. “What is music therapy? Using the power of music to facilitate growth.” (PS – Meredith, I hope you know that I will be using the tagline from Sprouting Melodies whenever I get asked that question from now on…)

[Jennifer Sokira]

I appreciated Collen’s comments about community music therapy. I suppose I usually think along the lines of Bruscia’s levels of music therapy and locate the community- based (non-therapeutic) services I’ve provided in the past in the “Auxiliary” level- so supportive, helpful but not direct therapy. I think Sprouting Melodies fits nicely here. So many community services have their roots in modalities like music ed, so why not music therapy? On another level, by helping mothers to bond with their children, we are truly therapists to the whole community by helping to nurture a stronger, more stable and attached generation.

[Shannon Kiley]

Coleen, I’m glad you mentioned the Musical Autist! I like their work. This is certainly an interesting topic– In thinking about it now, when I am in a community music therapy situation, I usually feel a little anxious because I feel like by not having a specific treatment plan for each person, I worry about others mistaking the value of what we do even moreso than usual! But this simply highlights the importance of community education in these situations.

Music has been an integral part of almost every community gathering since the dawn of humans. With all of the progress we’ve made in nearly every facet of human existence, it’s about time we started using community music for targeted reasons!

[Kathryn Opher]

Most of the work I do is community based music therapy. I am not obsessed with the label of therapy and know that the work we do has the backing of therapy training and education which means it can be applied to community work. I see this as the wave of the future for BC-MTs–using our skills within the world within which we live.

[Kathryn Opher]

Most of the work I do is community based music therapy. I am not obsessed with the label of therapy and know that the work we do has the backing of therapy training and education which means it can be applied to community work. I see this as the wave of the future for BC-MTs–using our skills within the world within which we live.

[Kathryn Opher]

Most of the work I do is community based music therapy. I am not obsessed with the label of therapy and know that the work we do has the backing of therapy training and education which means it can be applied to community work. I see this as the wave of the future for BC-MTs–using our skills within the world within which we live.

[Petra Paukova]

We, music therapists, are trained to work mostly with disabled people. That means we have probably better knowledge about various defects in human developments comparing to others who provide formal music classes and who have no MT training at all. And that is something we should use to show our specialty. We can detect signs and defects earlier. When we work in community, we can help parents recognize the first signs when something is not right with their children. And I think that will be more and more appreciated by community. Plus, music is always therapeutic, no matter if the community is typical or disabled. I think it is important to have well trained people teaching these classes. I witnessed a lady who was taking a training at Music Together class to become a teacher of that program and I was horrified. She simply did not have the skills AND the training we do. I feel very confident that we, music therapists, are able to work in any setting. We have good people’s skills or at least we were trained to have them. Parents will recognize that. 🙂

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