Music Therapy

Don’t Be Territorial. Give Others A Chance.

May 28, 2009

We can be territorial. It’s true. Mention another musician, volunteer or otherwise, coming in to play for clients in the name of helping them out and we can bristle. Are we worried about job security? That administrators won’t understand the difference between playing music for a person and providing music therapy services? Possibly (but not […]

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Sympathy v. Empathy: Which Should a Therapist Have?

April 14, 2009

Sympathy – A relationship or an affinity between people or things in which whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other. Empathy – Identification with and understanding of another’s situation, feelings, and motives. from The American Heritage College Dictionary (Yes, I looked it up the old-fashioned way) As a therapist, music or otherwise, it is important […]

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What is Music Therapy? A Primer

April 2, 2009

If you are a music therapist, you get asked this question daily. So for my readers interested in learning about music therapy, here is your primer: Definitions of Music Therapy Simply put, music therapists use music to help people. We use music and music-based experiences to work on non-musical treatment goals. How we help them […]

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The Marriage of Music and Medicine

March 26, 2009

This article I wrote recently came out in a staff e-newsletter one of my clients (McKee Medical Center) publishes. If you are interested in the use of music in hospitals, this will give you a brief introduction. Click here for the article (pdf)

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R-E-S-P-E-C-T-ing Unseen Differences

March 25, 2009

It’s March 25th and time to say: Happy Birthday to the Queen of Soul! Aretha Franklin has been an integral part of our music history since the 1960s. She continues to remain current, having sung at the inauguration of our 44th President, Barack Obama (and who can forget that FABULOUS hat!) But I’m not here […]

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Renew, Revive, Release: Music Therapy and Cancer Care

March 19, 2009

Presented for Sharing the Cancer Journey at Poudre Valley Hospital March 19, 2009 Dear Participants, Thank you for a wonderful and inspiring evening. It was a joy and a pleasure to spend time with you. Here you will find handouts from the slideshow presentation and a listing of research supporting the use and effectiveness of […]

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How To “Get Faith”: A Songwriting Experience

March 13, 2009

Every once in awhile, therapists (whether music, occupational, art, physical, counselors, etc.) get the opportunity to be involved in something truly beautiful. I had one of those opportunities last month. I had been invited for a second time to facilitate a Hearts of Hope group operated by our local county hospice, Pathways. This group is […]

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