"Who Do You Serve?"

Lately I’ve been struggling with the question “who do you serve?”

While studying to become music therapists, we are taught about the vast populations that we could potentially work with. All the way from the very beginning of life to the very end of life there are so many directions that one could choose to go. Four semesters of practicum, which are required, assist us in making this decision by assigning students to different populations (schools/nursing homes/hospitals/hospice companies/detention centers/rehabs/etc.). While completing our practicum assignments, we learn how to interact with our clients, assess their behaviors, implement appropriate music therapy techniques, record the outcomes we observe, create treatment plans and so much more.

After completing practicum (and the rest of the required courses to graduate) students apply for a six month internship in their preferred population. Internships can be completed anywhere as long as it is approved by the American Music Therapy Association. During the internship, a music therapy intern learns more specifics to the population they are serving from.

Once the internship is completed, it is time to take the board certification exam and a music therapy intern is now a board certified - music therapist. This is when a music therapist really decides “who they serve.” Do they stay in the field that they worked in during internship? Do they try something new?

While I was in practicum, I was assigned to work with individuals at a school for intellectual and physical disabilities, residents in a memory care unit, children with emotional/behavior disturbances and patients on hospice. I then accepted an internship with a hospice company. I always pictured myself as a music therapist working with residents in a nursing home or individuals receiving hospice services.

I just didn’t know where to start. I knew that central Illinois wasn’t filled with music therapists or companies hiring music therapists and I knew that I couldn’t move to a city where music therapy was prominent. So I did what I had to and became self-employed with no idea what I was going to do.. Thus, the creation of Note By Note Music Therapy.

Over the last year and a half, Note By Note has provided music therapy and music activities/classes for several individuals and groups of varying ages and abilities, and I am so proud of the accomplishments that have been made over this short period of time as a business owner. The stresses of being a business owner are great, but the feeling of accomplishing goals for my business are greater.

But this still leaves me with the question “who do you serve?”

Here’s my answer.

I serve my community. I serve my community by using music to engage, encourage and enjoy. I don’t need to specify the population that I work with because I want to work with anyone who will engage. I want to provide music therapy services for the child who is learning how to interpret their feelings and behaviors, for the individual who is coping with their prognosis of six months to live, for the older adults who are struggling with the effects of dementia, for the children in schools who need educational assistance, and so many others. I want to teach and encourage others to play a musical instruments. Lastly, I want others to enjoy music and I, myself, want to enjoy music again.