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Where is Wartburg? How crazy there are three of you in this class! I’m looking forward to hearing from everyone in the upcoming weeks! What a journey we are on! I have done a few other online classes for CMTE credit, but so far I am really enjoying this forum as opposed to a facebook group. Everything seems so well organized! Nice to meet you all!
ParticipantHi Everyone! I’m excited to be here! My name is Suzanne Denu (I go by Suzy) and I have been an MT-BC since 2003. I began my career as a music therapist in New Orleans at Children’s Hospital. I was there from 2003 through mid-2011. I absolutely LOVED medical music therapy with children and found that it gave me an incredible working/training experience with so many varied facets of music therapy with children– I was able to work with babies in the CICU, or children on the oncology floor, or with teens status post spinal cord injuries. So amazing and constantly learning!!! My husband and I moved with our two kiddos back here to New Hampshire in mid-2011 because we were learning that yes, as new parents, it was EXTREMELY difficult managing our daily lives without the help of a support system of extended family close by. My daughter is now 11 and my son is 9 and we still find it difficult!
What I discovered in 2011 when we moved to NH was that what I had in New Orleans was NOT THE NORM for a job in music therapy… I had come from a full-time, benefited, staff position at a hospital where music therapy was well established and very well respected. Piecing together work was a challenge, I attempted to open up a Music Together center in Windham, NH, (which lasted maybe 2 1/2 years) at the same time I landed myself working in Early Intervention for an agency in MA. I was (and still am) so very happy and grateful for the work because I do really believe that my niche is working with children. I have been with the EI agency since 2011, but have recently transitioned out of the EI side of the program to bring my work closer to my home in NH. I want to drive less!!!!!
I am now working for the Developmental Day School at the Professional Center for Child Development in Andover, MA as well as contracting for the Manchester Community Music School in Manchester, NH. My current contracts include public preschools in two different towns and various Head Start Programs in the area. Manchester Community Music School is now offering the Sprouting Melodies program at their main location and I decided to jump on board and do the training so that I may potentially become an additional provider for MCMS. I also need the CMTEs!!! I was always a bit wary of buying into a “program” of music therapy because I do believe strongly in my own background, experiences, and training as a music therapist. I didn’t want to buy into a cookie cutter program just to be able to have a brand name. After speaking with my colleagues, and even hearing this first module, I feel SO MUCH more confident that this isn’t what is being sold here with SM. I am beyond happy to have heard over and over that SM is a framework, adaptable, and that “you are confident that we have the skills as a MT-BC” to make it our own; but that we will have the support of a larger community of SM providers who are also equally skilled as music therapists. With that, I am also really excited to brush up on early child development and learn some awesome new songs too! Cheers everyone!
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