It's pretty crazy to think that I am entering my senior year of college. Pretty soon I will be applying for internships, and before you know it, I will be taking my board certification exam.
Growing up, I almost always wanted to be a teacher. And as I fell in love with music, I decided that I would become a music teacher. But once I heard about music therapy, I was hooked!
Even though I fell in love with music therapy, I have faced many hardships throughout my three years of college to make my dreams come true. I've been faced with tough times when I question whether or not I am supposed to become a music therapist, which often brings up the question of "Should I be a music teacher instead?"
Often times, I have had several people (often role models in my life who are music educators) suggest that I would make a great music teacher or band director. And again, this challenges me to think about whether I should be a music therapist or music educator.
Each time I am faced with this challenge, God reminds me of his plan, and the fact that I am right where I need to be, studying to become a music therapist.
While I am forever indebted to my music teachers and band directors, there is a part of me that could never do that full time. I have taught trumpet lessons before, and it was a great experience that helped me grow as a player. But when I reflect on teaching lessons, I couldn't imagine myself doing that full-time. We need music educators in our world, and I love my friends who are music educators or future music educators...but I know that right now, that's not what God has in-store for me.
The thing with music therapy is that there are so many opportunities within the field. You can work with one population, or you can work with multiple. But no matter how many populations you work with, there are endless possibilities of goal areas and new experiences/interventions designed for each individual client or group. And that's what makes it so exciting! That's what keeps you coming back for more.
I want to help others accomplish tasks through music, instead of teaching music. Music therapy allows you to help so many individuals overcome obstacles and succeed in life, even when others don't have faith. Being a music therapist allows you help change the world. It allows you to help change the view of how some people look/think about those who may be "a little different."
There's just something so exciting about when your nonverbal client who has autism takes over the intervention while using full words. Or that moment when an elderly client finally shares about an experience in their life, such as losing their loved one. Not to mention that moment when a teenage client gets up and sings Katy Perry in front of the entire group! While those moments don't happen in every session, it's the hard work that happens in the sessions before the big moment that make being a music therapist so rewarding!
If we are being honest, the class that totally made me fall the most in love with music therapy that I have ever felt was Research Methods. Being able to finally understand a MT research article changed the way that I viewed and understood the profession. Understanding music therapy research opened up new windows of opportunity and growth that has allowed me to bring new ideas to my clients. The BEST thing about understanding music therapy research is that when I am faced with the challenge of "Am I supposed to be a music therapist?," I can pull out the latest issue of JMT or MT Perspectives and be reminded of the amazing opportunities in the field. (Yes, I know...this paragraph probably makes me seem like a huge nerd!)
These are just a few of the reasons why I have chosen to become a music therapist instead of a music educator. I am beyond excited (and nervous) to be preparing for my senior year of college! I still have a long way to grow as a music therapist, especially with some of my music skills needed for the profession, but I am ready to tackle these and make the most of my last year at WIU.
As always, thank you to everyone who has and continues to support me along this wonderful journey that God has created specifically for me!
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