The Top 10 Reasons to Attend IC Convention

I am fortunate in the fact that I have grown up in ESA..so much so that I have attended IC Convention every single summer. That's right-this year is my 22nd ESA IC Convention.

So as we prepare to head to St. Louis and be surrounded by our ESA Family, I thought I would share my family's "Top 10 Reasons to Attend Convention."

Reason 10: Food Adventures.

This one is special to my family and my close ESA Family, because we somehow always end up on wild food adventures.  From venturing to a pizza place in Minnesota where you end up eating big balls of sausage on your pizza that you scoop up with a foam to-go container macgyvered with a pocket knife, to hunting for good German restaurants so you can have pretzel's with cheese and schnitzel, my family has some of the best food adventures.  And I think it's safe to say that most people at Convention aren't afraid to hunt for the good food.

Reason 9: It's Family-Friendly!

Are you confused as to how I've attended IC Convention every year? Well, if you couldn't figure it out by my stories under food adventures, IC Convention is truly a family-friendly affair. There are things for ESA Members of all ages to do! My family knows that when we head to Convention, the golf clubs will be packed, as my dad goes with the golf group nearly every day that we are gone.  When we were younger, my sister and I had a babysitter that tagged along-whether it was a family friend or the daughter of my mom's fellow chapter member...and then for a while, my grandma tagged along to hang out with us! Once we were old enough, we gradually started attending meetings more and more each year. If you bring your family along, my sister and I promise that we will show your kids the ropes and introduce them to the best grandmas, moms, and aunts that are out there!

Reason 8: Flag Ceremony/Hope for Heroes Workshop

Some years, there are tears running down my face during the flag ceremony.  ESA is often fortunate to have had those who have served or are currently serving our country do the honor of bringing in the American flag.  And that is truly inspirational.  During the flag ceremony, we bring in the flags of each state represented in ESA.  We carry in the flags of the three country's where ESA is present: The United States of America, Canada, and Australia. We bring in the flags of St. Jude's Hospital and Easter Seals.  We bring in the All Faith Flag, representing that ESA welcomes people of all faiths. We bring in the flag of the ESA Foundation and ESA International. Each year during the Hope for Heroes Workshop, we are reminded of the countless efforts of the men and women who protect our country.  We are reminded of the many ways that we can continue to support and provide for those men and women, along with their families.

Reason 7: Easter Seals Workshop

In this workshop, we smile, because we are reminded of how our efforts of supporting Easter Seals go to use..we are reminded of the AMAZING services that Easter Seals is able to provide because of the support from ESA.  We hear stories of the individuals who benefit from the services provided by Easter Seals.  We share about new ways to volunteer with our local Easter Seals branch.

Reason 6: Opening/Closing Rituals

It's one thing to say the opening/closing rituals at a chapter meeting or local state convention..but it's a whole different thing to say them in a room full of hundreds of your ESA Sisters and Brothers.  Every year, I leave the closing ritual with goosebumps.  It's so moving to know that every person in that room have the same goals in mind-always working to "be the change" and "meet the needs of the ever changing world."

Reason 5: St. Jude Meet the Patient Workshop

There's a phrase that my sister, mom, and I say every year: don't wear make up on Friday. Just don't..unless it's waterproof mascara.  I'm pretty confident when I say that there is a 95% chance that you will cry during the St. Jude Workshop.  I mean, hearing the stories of patients and survivors from St. Jude is nothing short of inspirational.  These young children go through more than some of us will ever go through.  They fight the odds and attempt to beat childhood cancer, and we are just a small part of their story by donating items and raising money.

Reason 4: The friendships you make will last a lifetime.

You may think that you've made some incredible friendships throughout your life.  But let me tell you, until you go to IC Convention and meet some of the PICPA's, you have't made some of your most important friendships.  None of the ESA Members at Convention are your "average" member.  In some way, shape, or form, each member attending Convention does something that makes them stand out in a good way.  Whether you become friends with one of the inspiring Past President's, become friends with a fellow "first time attendee," or become friends with a member you meet in the coffee line, I can guarantee that you will meet some of your closest and most inspirational friends during your time at IC Convention.

Reason 3: Traveling to new places-but never alone!

Remember how "Reason 4" was about friendships? Well...even during your first Convention, I guarantee that if you want to explore a part of the city where we are at, at least one person at convention will want to go with you.  And every time you come back after the first, you will have so many new friends that will be willing to travel and explore new places with you.  I mean, the first year that I met my lovely Idaho moms, I went to the bone museum with them..so never be afraid to ask someone to do something with you..because if they don't want to go, I bet they will know someone who would want to go. You will never travel alone again!

Reason 2: Your life will be forever changed for the better.

If you haven't figured it out by now, all of these reasons add up to having one of the best experiences of your life.  Attending Convention and going to different meetings and workshops will forever change your life.  You'll never be the same, because your new friends will continue to mold you, push you, and encourage you for years to come.

Reason 1: Your overall love for ESA will grow more than you ever imagined possible.

I mean, if reading all of these reasons hasn't gotten you excited about ESA..then you are just going to have to come and experience Convention for yourself! I promise you won't regret it.  Your love for this amazing organization will grow from the moment you arrive and continue to grow once you leave.  Your idea wheel will be constantly spinning.  You will leave wanting to impact your community even more than your chapter already has-and I guarantee it will be epic.

Peace, love, and hugs to all of my ESA Family! I can't wait to see you all in St. Louis next week!

**I have a challenge for all of you attending Convention: let's see how many people I can get selfies with! Whether I've known you for my entire life or you have no clue who I am but just read my blog-find me and let's take a picture together!!

You can't tackle your faith by yourself.

Growing up, there's usually an adult figure in your life who encourages you and pushes you along your faith journey.  And as we get older and become more independent young people, we tend to drift away from those people, and perhaps even drift away from our faith.

Luckily for me, I was able to attend a private high school where we were encouraged to live out faithful lives.  A school where each week I had the opportunity to worship and share about my faith at HAFOC if I chose to. A place where I developed some new friendships and old friendships grew stronger.  A school where we started and ended our day in prayer.  A place where I was able to come to know Jesus in a big and bolder way.  A place where I was able to accept God's plan for me.

And most importantly, it was a place where I was able to witness the beautiful work that happens in the presence of the Eucharist.  It was through the support and love of my friends that during adoration  I was able to accept God's amazing plan for me, during a time when I was at my lowest.

As I went to college, my faith was pretty strong.  But I didn't have my close friends by my side encouraging me to go to mass each week or pushing me to be the most holy person I could be.  And throughout my freshman year, my faith was stagnant.  I didn't move forward...and if anything, it went a little backwards.

But as I prepared for my sophomore year, I made a promise to be more active in my faith and to live out His plan for me.  God knew I couldn't face this journey alone, so He provided me with a friend.-Lisa  A friend that I met on the elevator.  A young woman who was headed to Newman and was a music major who had transferred in.  And for almost two full years now, this friend has pushed me and encouraged me along my faith journey.  And because one friend pushed me, I have made even more friends who are on the same quest to live out God's unique plan for each of us. I have found a home at the WIU Newman Center where I am surrounded by people who know and love Him.  A place where I now sing in the choir every week.  A judgmental free place where I am surrounded by people who won't judge me if I break out into Christian music.

This idea of not being able to tackle your faith by yourself came to me this morning at mass as I sat with Lisa.  Sitting at 8am mass on a Sunday morning with Lisa before the second week of working #WIUSMI was a reminder that God placed us in each other's lives for a reason.  Because if I'm honest , I probably wouldn't have made it to church this morning if it weren't for the fact that I had already told Lisa I was going to be there. This is why we have friends who share in our faith..because they push us to grow in our faith, even when we don't realize it.

While you are out there searching for friends to share your faith journey with, make sure to get someone like my friend Lisa. Because today after mass, we went our separate ways.  But in the end, we both went and got iced coffee without knowing.  Find a friend that sends you a text reminder about not eating meat on Friday's during Lent.  Find a friend that sends you snapchat reminders about Bible Study.  Find a friend that sends you links to Christian videos and songs. Find a friend who texts you to make sure you are okay because you weren't at Mass at Newman.

So to those who have a strong faith or to those who are struggling with faith, find a friend or two and cling to them.  Cling to Jesus.  With friends by your side, you can continue to grow and discover God's plan for you.  I promise that you won't regret it.

Music Therapy > Music Education

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!

A Letter to Caitlin

I don't know where to start or where to end...but here is my best attempt:

From our love of grammar, to our love of music therapy, and everything in-between, I know that I have a life-long friend in you.

We've spent hours in the library together.  We've tossed around research ideas like nobody's business. We've laughed so hard we cried, and we've been there for each other during the tough times when we need a shoulder to cry on.  We've even shared food together, despite your little gluten allergy.  But most importantly, we have pushed each other to be the best person that each of us can be.

We've shared about our highest moments in music therapy, and we've share about our lowest moments.  We've traveled to conferences together, and I know we will continue this tradition for years to come.  We've shared about our dream jobs and populations served.  We've researched graduate schools together, and we've shared about our philosophies together.  But some of my favorite moments will always be the moments where we completely geeked out about a research article or when a client had a big break through.  

You've been there for me through thick and thin.  You constantly give me tips on how to improve my singing, and you are like a pesky little child with encouraging me to talk in my Minnie Mouse voice, because you know first hand how it will help me.  You listen to me butcher my songs for rep checks, and then help me to take them to a higher level.  You encourage and push me to hold myself to a higher standard.  You share in my procrastination, and then help me out when I'm in a last minute bind.

You remind me of why I love music therapy, and you help me fall even more in love with the field.  You put up with my questions when I can't remember what a certain term means.  You correct my grammar when I use a wrong term in my clinical writing.

You remind me that I am the only me.  That there is no other Michelle Bingheim out there.  You remind me that if I want to love music therapy and the trumpet, I can.  You remind me that God loves me.  You remind me that as long as I keep working, good things will come.  

More importantly than anything, you are my friend.  You are there for me no matter what, and I am forever grateful.  There are no words to express what you mean to me, or to express my thanks and gratitude.  

It has truly been a pleasure to watch you grow over the past two(ish) years.  You are an amazing human, and I can't wait to see where you go.  You have worked harder than most people I know, and it has all paid off! I am so happy that you are heading off to your dream internship, and I know you will kick some butt! 

Caitlin, I love you to the moon and back! Now go show those people in Ohio who the boss is! :)

(PS: to fellow grammar freak: I apologize if I made any grammar mistakes!)

Stubbornness

Over the course of the past year, and especially this semester, I have been working hard to build confidence and demand excellence.  It's taken me a long time to get to the point of wanting to work on my weaknesses, and the journey to get here has not been easy.

When I reflect on my journey of getting to where I am at today, it's completely evident that the only thing standing in the way of me conquering my dreams for the trumpet is myself.  I was/am the only thing holding me back...because I am a stubborn human being..and if you know me, you know that I'm not just a little stubborn, but that I am extremely stubborn.  If I don't want to do something, I am not going to do it.

When I decided to play Legende this semester, I was secretly laughing at myself on the inside; I couldn't triple-tongue, nor could I play a high C on a consistent basis....so how in the world was I going to play this piece??

That's when I realized that I didn't have a choice but to make myself work on these things; if I am going to play the piece, I obviously want to play it to the best of my ability. So that's when I set out to start working on my multiple tonguing and breaking down my stubbornness.

As I head into summer, I know that I have to keep working to continue breaking down my stubbornness. And if I am honest with myself, then it means that I have to work on breaking down my stubbornness in not only my trumpet playing, but also my stubbornness in terms of music therapy.

For music therapy this semester, I have realized that I let my music skills suffer.  I had worked really hard during the fall semester on these skills, and then I let them hit the wayside....why I let these hit the wayside, I'm not completely sure..but I have a few ideas.

One idea is the fact that as I found continued success with the trumpet, my love for it continued to grow and blossom each time I picked up the horn. A second idea being that so many of my family/friends know that I love playing and have been encouraging me to pursue more playing opportunities.  A third idea would be that the population I worked with this semester involved learning pop music, which I knew little about (and it's also harder for me to play/sing)...so instead of using that as motivation, I let it get the best of me.  I found ways to get around it..

I'm not proud of how I let my music therapy skills be put to the wayside, but the only thing that I can do now is transfer my knowledge and determination for trumpet to my work on music therapy skills.

I have finally accepted the realization that I have no clue where I will be in a few years; and honestly, I am OK with that. I know that I have to leave that in God's hands and trust in His plan for me.  God has tested me this semester in so many ways, and I have come out stronger than ever; it's time to continue getting stronger.

I love performing, and I love music therapy. Now it's time to show everyone, including myself, that I can love and be successful at both the trumpet and music therapy.

Fight Of Love

After what was easily one of the most stressful weeks of my college career, I returned home to hear the Chicago Staff Band perform. I was also fortunate enough to perform with them on two numbers as a member of the Quincy Park Band, which I will always treasure as a special memory.

I was reminded of how fortunate I am to have been playing at the Salvation Army in the brass band for nearly eight years. Being a part of the Quincy Corps has truly helped me to grow deeper in my faith, along with introducing me to some of my closest friends. But one of the most important things that I have learned is that the joy of helping others grow closer to Him by sharing the gift of music is never ending until the war is over, and I am constantly reminded that God is using me to help fight in the battle.

This weekend was a reminder that even when the storm gets tough, we have to trust in Him. If we need to cry, cry to Jesus...because when the flood comes, He will help us through. God doesn't put us in situations that we can't handle..and those hard/tough situations are often used to remind us to put our trust in Him and follow His plan for us.

The Soldiers Hymn is one of my favorite songs from the Salvation Army. And even though I am not a soldier, the concept of wearing a uniform holds true for all Christians.  We are all a part of God's army. We are here to share God's word and be victorious in the glorious fight of love. This song is a reminder of the fight that we, as Christians, are all fighting together. 

Peace, love, and blessings to all of my friends and family. Each one of you holds a special place in my heart, for which I am eternally grateful. ❤️ 

Why do I blog?

Over the past few months, I have had several people ask me about my blog...so I thought I would share a little bit about my blogging journey, and the reason(s) behind my blog.

My blogging journey actually started back in high school, but I never made my blog posts public...

Fast forward to spring semester of my freshman year of college.  I decided I wanted to start a blog for myself that I would feel comfortable sharing with others...which is how we get my current blog platform of "My Trumpet and What It Teaches Me."

The first couple of times I shared my blog, it was a little nerve racking..because when you post it for others to see, you are literally putting your thoughts/views out there for the entire world to see.  But the more I shared my blog on social media, the more I felt comfortable sharing.

SO..now for the question of "Why do I blog?"

I blog for myself.  And while I hope that I can touch other people through my blog, that is not the main reason that I blog.

I blog because I like writing. Sometimes when you write (type) things out, it helps to organize thoughts and clear your mind.  I'm also a bit of a grammar freak, so blogging fulfills part of the need for proper grammar in my life. (HA!)

I blog because it's fun.  It's an outlet outside of music where I feel safe.  It's an outlet outside of music where I can freely express myself. 

I blog because my life is busy...and sometimes I need some time for self-care.  I need time to express what I am going through..and sometimes that means expressing myself outside of music.  With that being said, I sometimes find it extremely hard to organize my thoughts into words...because words are hard...but as a future MT-BC, I know that it is extremely important to know how to put your thoughts into words.

Each blog post is simply about a thought or experience that I have had.  Sometimes I start a blog post and go back and finish it four months later...but sometimes I am driving home from school and come up with a blog post idea, and it only takes me twenty minutes to write that specific blog post..it all just depends.

God has blessed me with the gift of writing..and I am simply using that gift to share my life experiences with others.  One of the coolest things is when I write a blog post about something that is happening in my life, and then my friends come up and tell me: "I really needed that." or "I really enjoyed you blog post last night." because those are the reminders that God has a unique plan for me, and that He is using me to help others with their journey of life.  

So, thank you to all of my blog followers! XOXO