I Am Changed: Senior Music Therapy Reflection by Ashley Griggs

Pictured: Ashley Griggs at Ring Day 2019

Writing this reflection has been an interesting process. Reflecting on my time in the SMWC Music Therapy Program and Music and Theatre Department while currently being so far removed from the experience has proved a bit of a challenge. The process has been just as equally rewarding, which really sums up my time as a music therapy student: simultaneously challenging and rewarding. Challenges have been justified by rewarding outcomes, and the rewards have encouraged me to push through more challenges. I would like to start at the beginning of my journey to The Woods.

Pictured: Clinical Musicianship class 2019

I was a nontraditional music student in many senses of the words. After pursuing certificates in Music Business and Technology in community college, and a degree in Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Studies in Tennessee, I decided I wanted something more. I knew music therapy could be a fulfilling career that would allow me to use the power of music in ways that could truly make a difference in people’s lives beyond entertaining them as a performer. So, terrified this faculty full of strangers whom I was unable to meet in person would not accept a girl in her late 20s who had never sung classical music before, I sent off my audition video. Yet, I was accepted and all those “strangers” were lovely in person. Why perfectly capable music students allow auditions to give us such crippling anxiety, I will never know.

pictured w/ Ron Maurey

One of the first things a music therapy student is told when entering this program is that “you will be changed” and “you will grow in ways you could never imagine”. I expected I would grow as a guitarist and pianist, in my therapeutic skills, and abilities to use music clinically, but thought, “Will I leave this program changed as a person?”. No, I thought, that is just something people tell scared traditional music therapy freshmen to encourage them. I am sure of who I am and I like who I am! Why would I change? Spoiler, I am changed!

Pictured w/ Sharon R. Boyle and Emily Stattner

I am a better musician. I pushed beyond my perceived limits of my own ability as a piano and guitar player, and then somehow surpassed those limits thanks to the amazing guidance of my instructors. I have learned about vocal health techniques that I can apply in any musical situation. I will carry these techniques with me in my life as a music therapist and performer. I have learned to communicate with individuals of all ages and walks of life, thanks to working with older adult clients in assisted living and memory care facilities, young children in a school setting, and relationships I have formed with peers. On a related note: Gen Z is made up of really cool, strong, funny people you should probably get to know more if you are not one of them.

I have developed a philosophy on how to interact with individuals with disabilities, thanks to my practicum placements with adults with intellectual disabilities and a placement with an incredibly musical, nonverbal disabled client. I have also come into my identity as a blind person. I align with the Affirmation Model of Disability, which means my blindness is a positive attribute of my identity that helps me be the best music therapist I can be. I would not have said that until a year ago. My exploration of disability models for my Music Therapy Senior Project and experience as the currently only physically disabled residential student in the Music and Theatre Department, possibly the College, has allowed me to develop into a disability activist for both future clients and myself. Working with clients with disabilities and their families/caregivers to empower them as much as possible has drawn me into my purpose as a future music therapist.

I am a better, stronger, more confident, and more optimistic person because of the amazing experiences I have had in this program. I look forward to further developing my music therapy philosophy and increasing my confidence even more in my internship at the VA Illiana Health Care System in Danville, Illinois starting this summer 2020. I know the faculty and my peers of the Music and Theatre Department will be with me every step of the way. That is the way of the Music Therapy Program, the Music and Theatre Department, and SMWC. We, as students, come into this supportive environment and that support never leaves us as we move out into the professional world.

Pictured: Music students on Ring Day 2019

Rings in circle

Senior Reflection Blog Post Author: Ashley Griggs, a senior music therapy major and second degree student, will be starting her music therapy internship at the Veteran's Administration of the Illiana Health Care System in Danville, Illinois this summer.

Blog Post Editor: Sharon R. Boyle, Associate Professor of Music Therapy and Coordinator of SMWC Undergraduate Music Therapy Program. 

Quarantine Reflections: A SMWC Music Therapy Senior Reflection by Jake Wilson

Jake Wilson playing percussion in Concert Ba

As I write this, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College has moved online for 7 weeks now and I have seen little else other than the inside walls of my house. The people on social media keep telling people to send love to 2020 graduates because we have just lost the last bit of time with our friends we had before we graduated. We, the graduates of 2020, still are in school so we cannot even focus or think about the abrupt wrenching of that time, or experiences, from our hands. We continue our papers, our readings, and our projects. In some cases, we still meet with our classes online. Yes, the school year has been a challenge by removing many things that motivate us, but we still march on. All of this is to say I have had a month and a half to think about my last four years in the SMWC Music Therapy Program and how it has changed my life.

SMWC Music Therapy Students 2016

It is midmorning on the date I said I would complete this blog post and it astounds me that even after all the positive growth and change I have experienced, procrastination still emerges. I feel stuck and I have no idea what to say. Often times when I don’t know what to say, as a joke, to relieve some of the anxiousness I feel, I say things that other people have said to me in the past like “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, or “Trust the Process”, or “get a haircut you hippie”. I will try to move forward with a metaphor to describe how I arrived at SMWC.

When one door closes, another door opens. I think this is an apt way of describing the way I fell upon the Woods. In my last two years in high school, the music and theatre department grew exponentially. I was there to experience all the growing pains and hardships of building a program from the ground up. As such, I grew attached and proud of my department and when it was finally time to graduate, I was beyond sad. Somewhere in my final semester of high school, when I had resigned myself to going to a state school, a family friend came to me and told me about Music Therapy at SMWC. One door was closing as another door opened for me.

Now, I should note that I do not have a heartfelt story of knowing I was going to go to the Woods since I was 10 or coming to a concert and having an eye-opening experience. No, I never had an Avenue moment. In fact, I did not even know I could attend SMWC until this friend told me and I was instantly interested. I had no clue what music therapy was, but it sounded like it combined my two favorite things: music and psychology. I went about applying to the College and getting my audition materials together. I remember using my solo and ensemble mallet piece for my audition and felt it was awful. I felt I was not a good mallet player. But I was accepted into the program and so stepped through another door.

It just so happens that my freshman year was a year of firsts for the SMWC Music and Theatre Department as well. The SMWC Concert Band was starting back up again, along with a new pep band - I was again part of a growing program. Who better to be a pioneer for a new band than someone who came from a similar band experience? The Concert Band has undergone many changes since I started here at the Woods. Among many things, being part of it has taught me about how to be a peer teacher in subtle ways as new people would come into the percussion section. I have furthered my knowledge of concert band literature and programming. I have worked with a variety of people. Being a part of our Concert Band has taught me even more what it means to work in an ensemble. Being a part of a band is something I hope I can always do throughout my life. Even if I do not always love all the music we play, I love the people and the process that is involved. 

SMWC Pep Band 2016

During my freshman year, I also took the two required semesters of voice lessons (where I found out I was a “musical ninja”. My teacher’s words, not mine) and this led me to join the newly formed Woods Vocal Ensemble (WVE), the first all-male vocal ensemble at SMWC. The WVE and choir experience as a whole has made a huge difference in my life over the past four years. I was never in choir in high school, so I did not know what I was missing out on, but singing in the WVE and with the Chorale has been a peak experience for me in my time at the Woods. It wasn’t always easy, but it was always worth it. Every concert was a joy and there is no better place to sing than the Church of Immaculate Conception. While the final Spring Concert of the year will not be happening, I will always remember the concerts that did happen. I have become a better musician for branching out and being a part of this special ensemble. 

Woods Vocal Ensemble

 I cannot forget the part of the Music and Theatre Department that is directly responsible for my upcoming marriage. The theatre area and the people that reside in it will forever hold a special place in my heart. I met my wonderful fiancée during a production of the Odd Couple a few years ago, and I was part of bringing some incredible works to life on stage. I was able to meet some great people from the community, learn a new skill in running the soundboard, and had my first professional drumming gig with the theatre area. I learned a lot about acting and live action theatre from being on this stage and the classes I took. I think it is in theater where I learned to understand metaphors; and, how to understand the small details that make up a good story.

Finally, I have to discuss my experience in the SMWC Music Therapy Program. Where do I start? The beginning is slow and the end is not quite here. In all honesty, I wrestled back and forth for three years deciding whether music therapy was right for me, but I feel much more confident these days. One thing is for sure: I am a better person for having gone through this program. Even if I decided at some point that music therapy is not for me as a career, I still take solace in the fact that I know more about myself, and the world around me, because of my experiences as a music therapy student.

The music therapy clinical practicum experiences over the years, the countless presentations, and the sheer number of hours I have dedicated to learning new music is daunting, but it made me a better person. The friends I have made through this program have been there through all of my hardships and I through their challenges. The music faculty have pushed me and supported me more than any other group of people I have ever known. The relationships I have built with all of them will last. I know that I have support no matter the issue. I have felt it throughout the years and it continues today.

Music Therapy Practicum April 2017

The class that really cemented my belief that music therapy was for me was Clinical Improvisation. It was like a switch was flipped on in my head and I just “got” it. This was music therapy! Through that improvisation class, and the reflecting upon the improvisations we did, I learned a lot about myself musically, but I also learned a lot about the processing of emotions, how that can look in music, and how to process verbally. I also had a blast connecting with my classmates throughout the semester in new ways. I came away from each class session feeling more connected with my friends. We had inside jokes that we could play out through the music, we were supportive of each other; and, it was just great. It made me realize the power of improvisation and music within our profession. If I can feel this connectedness with my friends, I can feel it with clients and they can feel it too, and then we are really making progress. The class just opened my eyes to a new part of music therapy I had not quite seen before.

SMWC Music Therapy Practicum Dec 2019

Maybe it is the quarantine, but I cannot help but feel the special feeling of the Woods as I think and reflect on my time there. Playing in the pep band to the one person that came to the game, singing “In the Bleak Midwinter” (which is my favorite Christmas song now), setting up a jam session with everybody just to play “What’s Up” for the hundredth time (a proficiency exam required song). These memories and more will stick with me as I go forward into my music therapy internship. These memories will keep me going while I make new ones to add to mosaic of my life. The Cecilian Auditorium and the Conservatory building will forever be a home to me and I cannot wait until I can return and remember all the people and experiences that helped me to become the person I am today.

Ring Day 2019

Senior Reflection Blog Post Author: Jake Wilson, a senior music therapy major, who is in process of applying for an music therapy internship to start in the coming academic year.

Blog Post Editor: Sharon R. Boyle, Associate Professor of Music Therapy and Coordinator of SMWC Undergraduate Music Therapy Program. 

Time "Zooms" Fast: A Senior Reflection by Olivia Wendel

Olivia Wendel, senior music therapy major

“It just kind of clicked in my mind that this is what I should be doing with my life… Music Therapy.” These are the words I wrote in this blog my freshman year. What does this mean? Originally, I declared as an environment science student, with hopes of becoming a meteorologist. I changed my major just a few weeks before class started in the fall and never looked back. What flipped the switch? I cannot perfectly articulate it, but I sum it up to God’s Providence. 

I always referred to myself as the “black sheep” of my cohort. I came into the SMWC Music Therapy Program never having formal voice training, no guitar skills, and some piano knowledge—skills that are important to have as a music therapist. I looked at my classmates and was in awe of their skills and talent and wondered when it’d be my turn to be “that good.” The thing about the SMWC Music Therapy Program is that it teaches you many things, one being how to gracefully fail. You’re not going to be the best at everything—that is why you are at school. If you already knew everything, then what’s the point of being at school? This was a hard pill to swallow for me, as an over-involved perfectionist struggling with musical skills. Failure was bound to happen, but the grace of others is what saved me. The professors were there in a time of failure and faults. They would say, “Okay, you messed up. How can you salvage it? How can you learn from it?” They would not let you give up, that would be far too easy. That gentle nudge of grace is why I am here today, and why I no longer refer to myself as the “black sheep”.

Playing a flute solo for a Spring Choral Concert

The opportunities that I have been able to experience while at the Woods have been life changing. Being (over)involved in clubs and organizations (Music Therapy Student Association, Class Officer, etc.), being a Resident Advisor, being a member of the Concert Band, pep band, Chorale, Madrigals (my final semester), and holding two campus jobs has shaped me into the person I am today. Without all of these things, I wouldn’t have any clue of my abilities to perform or lead. I know that I would not be able to be that involved at any other school, so I count my blessings twice about my time at the Woods. I think the most important blessing has been the people that have been here, are currently here, and who will continue to be there for me.

SMWC Madrigals meeting via Zoom

            I came into the Music and Theatre Department having little knowledge of music theory, aural skills, guitar, voice, improvisation skills, psychology, anatomy, music history, and life. I leave with a fantastic education from the best place on earth. Not only this, but I leave with several MTLPs (music therapy life partners)! One of the hardest things about ending the physical semester so abruptly (due to COVID-19 restrictions) is the lack of closure with my friends, classmates, and professors. Zoom has been a literal life preserver during this time. But, what I do know is that while we may not be together in person on campus, our voices still resonate within those walls of the Conservatory, the hours we logged in those practice rooms still exist, and our heart and souls still remain in the place we call home – Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

(Top: Ring Day; Bottom: Members of SMWC Music Therapy Student Association)

“Be filled with the Spirit… singing and playing to the Lord with all your heart.”

Ephesians 5:18-19

Senior Reflection Blog Post Author: Olivia Wendel, a senior music therapy major, who will begin her music therapy internship starting in summer 2020 with Rhythm Garden Music in Jasonville, Indiana.

Blog Post Editor: Sharon R. Boyle, Associate Professor of Music Therapy and Coordinator of SMWC Undergraduate Music Therapy Program. 

New Students Join SMWC for 2019-2020 Academic Year

Now that another academic year has begun at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, it's time to introduce our new music therapy students to the rest of the SMWC community! They recently performed in the "We Are Family"-themed Homecoming Departmental Concert. What a great way to introduce our new students to their new campus home.

Freshmen music therapy students after Homecoming concert:
Lydia Huston, Madeline DeBaun, Tiffani Nunn, & Sophia Ricard

Sophia Ricard, freshman music therapy major

Sophia (Sophie) Ricard - 

Freshman music therapy major Sophie Ricard is no stranger to performing with choral ensembles. She has been singing in Church choirs ever since sixth grade. At Holy Names Academy in Seattle, Washington, she participated in Concert Choir her freshman year and Advanced Concert Choir sophomore through senior year. Additionally, she performed with the audition-only Vocal Ensemble her junior and senior year composed of fourteen women. One of her fondest experiences was singing "He Never Failed Me Yet" by Robert Ray with the Vocal Ensemble.

"This song is very close to my heart and always will be. It reminds me of God’s unending love for His people, He will never fail us no matter what we do" - Sophie

In addition to singing, Sophie played French horn and trumpet in her middle school band and has been teaching herself guitar for the past two years. Her fifteen-year-old twin brothers also play instruments. One plays guitar and the other plays banjo and mandolin, and her father played trumpet while in school. A few of Sophie’s other interests include traveling, photography, drinking coffee, and art.

Who are your musical influences?

"My musical influences are my choir director, my youth minister, and my parents. My choir director and I were very close, I could go to her for anything. She was the one that made me realize that I had talent and made me excited about music. My youth minister has always been my role model – she is the holiest and kindest person I know. She has always been a huge inspiration to me – she studied sacred music in college. My parents are my biggest supporters, always reaffirming my faith and musical abilities. Never once did they question me when I told them I wanted to study music therapy instead of nursing (Sophie thought about studying to become a neonatal nurse). They always said that before I could talk, I could sing. Even though they didn’t have the greatest voices, they would always sing to me – I think this is what sparked my love for music."

What is something you’re looking forward to during your time at The Woods?

"I am really looking forward to my practicums. I have never actually experienced a music therapy session before, so I am very excited to see what it’s like, first-hand. I can’t wait to try out different settings, see different clients, and try different forms of music therapy."

How was your first SMWC concert experience?

“My first SMWC concert experience was absolutely amazing! I loved every minute of it! Being on stage and singing with my fellow classmates and with the alums was such an honor! I especially loved performing with the Madrigals- it was so lovely! This concert made me realize that I really have made the right decision in choosing SMWC. The music department here is like my second family and the Conservatory is my second home. I feel so blessed and grateful to be a part of such an amazing group!"

Lydia Huston, freshman music therapy major

Lydia Huston-

Lydia Huston grew up surrounded my music. Her older brother and sister both pursued music degrees. Following in their footsteps, Lydia has also felt a calling to further her education as a freshman voice primary in the music therapy program here at SMWC. She has taken voice lessons since middle school, played the piano for nine years, and recently picked up guitar and ukulele. The first vocal piece she learned was “Down by the Salley Gardens.” Additionally, she participated in her high school choir and handbell choir, singing solos at various concerts and talent shows. Her fondest musical memory was her first performance in front of other people as an audition for a musical. Lydia also performed with the Indianapolis Youth Chorale, an Indianapolis Children’s Choir, in high school at venues such as the Hilbert Circle Theatre, Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center, and Lucas Oil Stadium. Some of Lydia’s pastimes include spending time with friends, reading, and exploring.

Who are your musical influences?

“I wouldn’t say there’s necessarily one person who really got me into music just because it has been a part of my everyday life for so long. But I definitely would not be the musician or person I am today without my voice and piano teacher Amy and Patrick Fata. They taught both me and my siblings about music.”

What is something you’re looking forward to during your time at The Woods?

“I look forward to all the new friendships and memories I’ll make.”

If someone was considering studying music here at The Woods, what would you tell them?

“I think the department does a really good job of balancing having fun but being able to be professional.”

How was your first SMWC concert experience?

“I had an amazing time at the homecoming concert. It nice to have all of the alumni sing with us, and really see that music was what connected everyone. After the concert, I feel closer with everyone in the department, and I am excited that we'll continue to do so in the future. Ultimately, for me it wasn't just a concert, for me it made me realize this school, this department, is my home. And I don't have enough words to express the gratitude I feel that I was able to find and attend a school where I could have that.”

Tiffani Nunn, freshman music therapy major

Tiffani Nunn - 

Fort Wayne, IN, freshman music therapy major Tiffani Nunn participated in her middle school and high school choirs, including a show choir. At Bishop Luers High School, she was also cast in various musicals and participated in ISSMA contests for four years. One of her favorite pastimes is making pictures of encouraging quotes and Bible verses to help encourage others.  Her first solo performance was in sixth grade for Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) Solo & Ensemble, singing “Colors of the Wind” from Disney’s Pocahontas. 
“…I ended up getting a first place, gold medal for my performance and I had never felt better before” Tiffani

Who are your musical influences?

"The one person who really got me into music was my middle school choir teacher, Mr. Gerke. He never stopped pushing me when I wanted to give up and look where I am now."

If you could learn how to play any instrument, what would it be and why?

"I am really excited to learn piano because it is just a beautiful sounding instrument."

What is something you’re looking forward to during your time at The Woods?

"I am really looking forward to the choral performances, the theatrical productions, and hopefully the France trip."

Madeline DeBaun, freshman music therapy major

Madeline (Maddie) DeBaun –

Freshman music therapy major Maddie DeBaun has been playing the piano for eleven years after discovering how passionately she felt about learning the instrument. Although her three sisters used to play, she is the only one who has continued with the instrument. Once her piano teacher encouraged her to begin enrolling in piano competitions at a young age, she continued to compete in Hoosier Auditions every year in Terre Haute, IN, even getting the opportunity to go to state as a soloist and duettist. One of the first performance pieces she remembers was “Solfeggietto” by C.P.E. Bach. In addition to playing the piano, she sang with the St. Joseph’s University Ministry Choir during elementary and middle school where she attended St. Mary’s School in Paris, Illinois.

Who are your musical influences?

"A musical influence for me is my piano teacher, Lai Ping Jean Ho. She has been my piano teacher for almost my whole piano career, and I owe everything I know to her. She was an amazing teacher, and I'm very grateful to have her in my life. My dad is also a huge influence on me. He's my biggest fan and always pushes me to do my best in performances." 

What is one of your fondest musical memories?

"One of my fondest memories relating to music is during adoration this past summer while on a mission trip with my youth group. I wasn’t actually performing myself, but there was music playing in the background of adoration. I remember watching all of my friends - they all had their eyes closed and were listening to every word of the songs and praying through the music. We were all shedding tears of gratitude and love for God, and it was through the music being performed that brought this out of us. The music is what exposed our innermost emotions to each other, and because of this we grew much closer."

What is something you’re looking forward to during your time at The Woods?

"Something I am looking forward to at The Woods is the Ring Ceremony! Not just my own, but all of the juniors and sophomores of this year, too!"

If someone was considering studying music here at The Woods, what would you tell them?

"I would tell them to definitely come to The Woods! The music program here is one-of-a-kind; you really can’t find the close-knit relationships you gain with your classmates and professors at any other school. All of the professors work to make sure you are understanding the class fully and completing the assignments without issue and help in any way they can. The atmosphere of the school feels like a second home. You never feel alone, no matter where you are."

The new students mentioned being drawn to SMWC because of its small size, tight-knit community, beautiful campus, and faithful roots. As they realized their mutual passions for helping others and love for music, they discovered the SMWC Music Therapy Program. After applying to multiple other music therapy programs, Sophie felt most at home here. She describes the campus as “peaceful and inviting” and that SMWC is “different from other schools”. 

The combination of a challenging curriculum, supportive professors, and individualized attention for each and every student further drew her to attend SMWC. Maddie explained that her mother, an SMWC alum, encouraged her to look into attending the College. As the owners of DeBaun Funeral Homes in Terre Haute, IN, her family has helped the Sisters of Providence with preparing funeral services. As an active horseback rider, Maddie also looked forward to joining the equestrian teams. She said, “…After going on a tour of the campus, I immediately knew I wanted this to be my home for the next 4 years of my life.”

After music having such a large impact on their lives, all of the new students were guided here to further their education in an environment where they felt they could thrive. After being asked about their experience here so far, they all described feeling welcome, encouraged, and supported by upperclassmen, professors, and their fellow freshmen music cohort members. Interacting with genuine people who have a passion for music has made their experiences memorable.

New music and music therapy students - 
Row 1: Madeline DeBaun, Ethan Stattner (freshman music major), Sophia Ricard 
Row 2: Lydia Huston, Tiffani Nunn

Blog Post Author: Autumn Wilson, Music Therapy Student Assistant and music therapy major

Blog Post Editor: Sharon R. Boyle, MM, MT-BC, Associate Professor of Music Therapy and Coordinator of the Undergraduate Music Therapy Program

Photo Credits: Autumn Wilson, Music Therapy Student Assistant and music therapy major

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