First Year of Music Therapy: Freshmen Perspective

Four freshmen in the SMWC Undergraduate Music Therapy Program took some time out during their always busy schedules to talk about their first year experiences as music therapy students.

Why did you choose to pursue music therapy?

Beth: I’ve always been drawn to music and helping others. At first I was pursuing music therapy because it was something “different” and I wanted to learn to use it - but now, I realize I’ve been preparing for this my whole life.

Paige: I came to this school looking into a psychology degree, but I spoke with music professors because I did not want to give up my violin. That is when Sharon Boyle, Coordinator of Undergraduate Music Therapy, described the field to me and I instantly knew what I wanted to do.

Rachel: I chose to pursue music therapy because it combines the art of music with the passion for helping people, which is exactly what I wanted.

Brittany: I’ve always been really interested in music and I’ve also wanted to help people in some way. I was planning on going into psychology or nursing, but when I heard about music therapy I thought it was too good to be true. I did some research and found out it’s the best of both worlds. This is my dream come true!

What has surprised you most about studying music therapy or about the SMWC academic experience?

Rachel: My schedule seems crazy and sometimes is, but when I step back and refresh my mind it doesn’t seem as bad. It’s gotten easier with time.

Beth: The scope of the field is so much deeper and broader than I could’ve ever imagined, and I’m still just scratching the surface. Coming from being homeschooled, it’s been really great to have such small, intimate classes in which to explore.

Brittany: It’s hard to balance school, work, and home all at once. Studying music therapy is wonderful, but making sure that I’m maintaining good grades and keeping everything in order has probably been the biggest challenge.

Paige: The most surprising thing to me is the level of personal drive you need to get through it all. It is so much more demanding than I imagined. I am also finding that I am more in love with my violin than I thought I could be. It is my rock and foundation because it is one thing that I am familiar with in this new experience.

As a first year student, what is it like having Field Class (group supervision) with upperclassmen?

Brittany: To be honest it’s a little odd. At first I felt out of place…but it’s been a wonderful experience. Getting to observe real music therapists with clients is also a great experience. It’s really helped develop my thinking. I can see that I am right where I belong.

Beth: It’s fantastic - I love getting to hear all the stories and experiences! I get to see all the things that I am learning from a textbook in action, which is really inspiring. All the upperclassmen are supportive and encouraging…without field class I would have had a hard time keeping perspective on why I love this field.

Rachel: At first it was nerve-racking but now I realize that it’s very informative. I learn a lot when we have discussions, and it sticks because it was not just written in a book!

Paige: Field class is a great experience for me. I have many friends who go to much bigger schools and they are surprised to know that I am already able to observe a professional as a freshman. Being around the upperclassmen also gives me confidence in what I am working towards and support on which I can depend.

(1st photo: Beth Allard is an Honors student, Student Senator, and studies piano; 2nd photo: Rachel Drach is an Honors student, studies voice, and loves Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups; 3rd photo: Paige Fath is a Western-style rider for the SMWC Equestrian Team, and studies voice/violin; 4th Photo: Brittany Cheesman studies voice and maintains a part-time job at Wal-Mart.)

--Article written by Cathleen Flynn, Music Therapy Student Assistant

Ring Day Recipients

The following music therapy majors will receive their Woods Ring this Saturday, March 31st on Ring Day:
Grace Dubrowski
Cathleen Flynn
Laura Kempton
Megan Neyer
Jamie Ubalde
Kirsten Webb

Ring Day is a very important tradition and legacy at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. To learn more about this tradition, check out our website.

We congratulate our students!

SMWC Music Therapy Club Executive Board 2012-13

The Music Therapy Club at SMWC held their elections for next year and here are the results:

- President: Cathleen Flynn
- Vice President: Sherry Bube
- Treasurer: Beth Allard
- Secretary: Kirsten Webb
- Parliamentarian: pending

Congratulations to the new officers!

Former Students Discuss the SMWC Music Therapy Equivalency Program

The SMWC Music Therapy Equivalency Campus Program provides an opportunity for men and women who have a degree in music or a related area to pursue study in the field of music therapy. The course of study is tailored to meet the needs of each person who attends, and completion of the Equivalency Campus program enables students to be eligible to take the board certification examination that leads to the MT-BC (Music Therapist-Board Certified) credential.

Individuals who have pursued music therapy as a career through the SMWC Equivalency Campus program have had interesting and diverse paths prior to attending Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. After gaining a Master of Arts degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy, Brenda Buchanan (’10) became excited about the career opportunities available in music therapy. Gloria Stearns-Bruner (’11) was a professional violinist for 20 years, and had always felt drawn to music’s healing powers. “At age 47 with 4 kids and an amazingly supportive husband, I left all my work and went back to school…with renewed inspiration and strength.” After spending several years as a music educator and Kindermusik teacher, Briana Priester (‘12) discovered her love for helping children with life skills through music. “I knew that there was something bigger for me,” stated Priester.

Because of this valuable life experience that Equivalency Campus students bring to the classroom, the perspectives of traditional undergraduate students and instructors are enriched. “Sharing this learning with younger students was a great joy and there was a lot of exchange between us,” said Stearns-Bruner. “…I felt they valued my perspective.” Another aspect of the SMWC Equivalency Campus program is its nurturance of individual strengths and areas of need. “The time she [Sharon R. Boyle, Associate Professor and Coordinator of Undergraduate Music Therapy] took to attend to my individual skills and needs in field work was invaluable. Boyle taught with deep understanding and commitment to produce the best, well rounded, creative and skilled music therapists,” said Stearns-Bruner, “The focus on self-care and awareness has been a very important aspect of the program and I see now how that is the core of being able to work successfully and effectively.”

For Priester, the student-instructor interaction was of upmost importance to her academic success. “As an older student, being able to be in an actual classroom was really important. At home, I had distractions… [and] the life experience of your professors is more valuable than the price of gas it takes to get from home to school!” The student-centered approach of the music therapy faculty allows Equivalency students to take exactly the classes they need. As expressed by Buchanan, “SMWC offered the required courses which allowed me to apply for an internship… and did not require me to take unnecessary classes in order to complete my program.”

Those who have recently completed the SMWC Music Therapy Equivalency Campus program hope to impact the field of music therapy, their clients, and their communities in a variety of ways. “I want to do research,” said Buchanan, “as there is much that needs to be researched in order to help music therapy gain wider acceptance.” Priester spoke about the role she hopes to play in the lives of her clients. “We are all human, created as individuals to impact the lives of those around us. It is my sincerest hope that I can enable those I work with to lead their lives with dignity and purpose.”

Reflecting on her desires now as a board certified music therapist, Stearns-Bruner considered her impact on the community and the role that her education at SMWC continues to play in that process. “I hope to offer my clients a new way of clarifying their strengths and their ability to heal and be well. I hope to influence the community in understanding music therapy as a cutting edge, yet ancient healing profession that…makes our community safer, stronger and healthier. Completion of the Equivalency program has given me a sense of competence, confidence, and openness which has enabled me to give life to these hopes. I highly recommend this program for its well balanced, professional, and inspiring instruction, the caring and openness of other students and of course the absolutely wonderful setting of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College. ”

Interested in pursuing music therapy through our Equivalency CAMPUS program*?

All Equivalency Campus prospective students must complete a special student status application form and request an audition and interview through the Department of Music and Theatre. For more information, contact Sharon R. Boyle, Associate Professor of Music Therapy and Coordinator of Undergraduate Music Therapy (sboyle@smwc.edu) and visit http://www.smwc.edu/music-and-theatre/auditions/ to set up an audition/interview.

Advice from previous Campus Equivalency students:

“First, be very clear that there is support for [your] hard work, both at home and at work. It takes a huge commitment of time and energy…[but] I became closer to all my children and husband because of the vibrancy and groundedness I was experiencing in this new path.” - Gloria Stearns-Bruner (’11)

“You should plan to be flexible.” - Brenda Buchanan (’10)

“Take risks. You will grow and develop as you need to with the support of fellow students and professors…so allow yourself the time to evolve.” - Briana Priester (’12)

Interested in pursuing music therapy through an Equivalency DISTANCE program?

Beginning in August 2012, the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Music Therapy Distance Equivalency program will launch. The distance format requires prospective students to already have a degree in music. Please contact Dr. Tracy Richardson, Associate Professor of Music Therapy (trichardson@smwc.edu) and/or visit http://www.smwc.edu/music-therapy-equivalency-distance-program/ for more information.

Help the SMWC Music Therapy Program Raise Funds!

St. Mary-of-the-Woods College Music Therapy in the Valley

When students in the Music Therapy programs at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College enter the clinical phase of their education, they train as student music therapists in Wabash Valley agencies that serve individuals with emotional, developmental, or physical disabilities. They work with adults and children with psychiatric disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, speech and hearing impairments, physical disabilities, and neurological impairments, among others. Music therapy has been a recognized profession in the United States since the 1940's and therapists are increasingly working in health care delivery, such as hospice care, substance abuse programs, oncology treatment centers, pain/stress management clinics, and correctional settings. As they train to be Board-Certified Music Therapists, SMWC students learn to involve participants in musical experiences that help them reach their physical, developmental, social, cognitive, or emotional goals.

Rhythm is at the core of several approaches to music therapy. Many world percussion instruments (African, Latin American, etc.) are easily interactive and provide both rhythm and harmony. For example, individuals with Alzheimer's Disease have been found to respond to rhythm into the late stages of the disease; rhythm is also basic to gait, speech, and other physiological functions. Therefore, percussion is valuable in group and individual therapeutic settings.

SMWC offers baccalaureate and Master's degrees in Music Therapy and will offer the nation's first distance-learning music therapy equivalency program for people with undergraduate music degrees in fall 2012. Community support of $820 will provide a shekere (West-African gourd-shaped instrument covered in a beaded net), a string cajon drum (Afro-Peruvian box-shaped drum), a Conga drum set (Cuba), and an alto xylophone (Africa, Asia) to broaden the inventory of percussion instruments used by students in all of these programs.

If you are interested in donating to this project, please click this link. for more information!

SMWC and AIMT to co-sponsor Music Therapy Drumming Institute at Woods

If you are a music therapy student, intern, or professional, plan to attend the Music Therapy Drumming Institute entitled: Building a Relationship
with Percussion Instruments: Foundational Musical and Clinical Skills.

Who is presenting? Bill Matney, M.A., MT-BC, works as a music therapist, educator, and percussionist. He currently serves as a full-time music therapist in a school district special education setting, as well as an adjunct lecturer at Texas Women’s University. Bill has authored the book Tataku: The Use of Percussion in Music Therapy, as well as co-authored Roots and Branches Volume 1: Songs of Tradition and Culture.


When is the Institute? Saturday, April 21st from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Where is the Institute going to take place? Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College campus, Conservatory building, Cecilian Auditorium. Click here to access directions and a campus map.

What is included in registration? Participants can obtain 6 CMTE credits and lunch will be provided in the foyer of the Conservatory building.

Should I bring any instruments? You are encouraged to bring percussion instruments you utilize in your own practice, but please make sure they are clearly marked with your name or contact information as other instruments will also be provided.

How do I register and find out more? See the AIMT website for a registration form and brochure by clicking here.

A New Semester, Renewed Perspective

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods music therapy students return, along with their classmates from all over campus, this Monday and the weather this January is reminiscent of spring weather, not winter!

January is the start of a new calendar year (Happy 2012!), the start of a new semester, and also means that many students are preparing for internships and/or graduation. This semester is always one of beginnings and endings, transition and growth.

There are also other events happening in the music therapy world this month. For example, it is the second annual Music Therapy Social Media Advocacy Month. If you are on Twitter, be sure to follow the #mtadvocacy hashtag for your connection to many discussions about advocacy. Many bloggers are posting about music therapy advocacy, and Facebook pages are discussing it, and so check it out. To get started, you might try reading Kimberly Sena Moore's blog or check out this thoughtful post Engaging in Music Therapy Advocacy: What it has Brought Us, and What it May Mean for Us found on music therapist Bill Matney's website.

When I think of advocacy, I think about all the conversations I have on a weekly basis with my students, the people in my community, on our campus, and even within my own department. Advocacy has many levels of involvement, from a casual conversation (and making the choice to answer the question "So, what IS music therapy"), to a formal meeting (e.g. proposing the continuation of, or even creating, a music therapy program in a facility), to contacting government officials on the state, regional, and national level to educate them about the importance of music therapy as part of our healthcare system.

Music therapists are a special breed of healthcare professional. They are so extremely service-oriented that while they always advocate for their own clients, they also advocate for their profession because it benefits individuals, families, communities and society-at-large as well. That is something worth talking about, don't you think?

--Sharon R. Boyle, Associate Professor of Music Therapy and Coordinator of Undergraduate Music Therapy at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College