I'm a Music Therapist

Music therapists are a busy bunch. In addition to leading sessions, we’re often on the road for hours a day driving between clients, and none of this includes time for documentation and planning for our next sessions. Many of us also have side hustles ranging from blogs, teaching, or other business ventures. (By the way, none of this includes our non-work responsibilities.) Every music therapist wants to work more efficiently and better, but sometimes we don’t have the energy or headspace to make this happen every week. Here are three passive (i.e., lazy) ways I’ve used to grow as a music therapist when my motivation tank was on low.

1. Listen to more music, especially styles you don’t prefer

Every music therapist has holes in his/her musical ear or knowledge. Oftentimes, we specialize in a clinical population that leads us to take a deep dive into a particular repertoire set. Assessing my clinical repertoire, I know a lot of songs from the early 20th century stemming from my first job with older adults. Tin Pan Alley, Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, and Rat Pack? Check. But, as my clientele expands I’m getting requests for artists I know embarrassingly little about like Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fun., Kendrick Lamar, and many more. Not to mention that the “older adults” I serve now are too young to enjoy many of my “go-to” songs. Perry Como is headed out to make room for the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. My clients span a greater cultural and chronological landscape; it’s my responsibility to be at least familiar with these artists and styles so I feel comfortable bringing their music into session.

Music Therapy Hack: Spotify has compiled pretty comprehensive playlists for almost all the styles and artists in its library. Some of my favorites right now include the “All Out 60s,” “All Out 70s,” “All Out 80s,” and “90s Rock Renaissance” to get a wide variety of decades-specific music. I listen to these playlists at the gym, on my commutes, or while doing chores as a passive way to get familiar with these songs.

2. Bring a random prop or instrument into your next session

Although we plan our sessions to be fit our clients’ goals and objectives, music therapists need to responsive in-the-moment to where our clients are in the moment. Having an unexpected prop or instrument in your clinical toolbox may be just the right fit for your clients’ needs. Case in point, during my last session I decided on a whim to bring along my ukulele even though I didn’t have anything particular use for it in mind. My older adult clients loved seeing it and many asked if they could try playing it. Turns out, the ukulele is just the right size to fit in their lap for strumming and it can easily be tuned to an open C Major chord. We spent the first 20 minutes of session with my clients taking turns “leading” the jam circle (I transposed all the songs to C Major) and each client had a chance to immerse themselves in a new experience.

Music Therapy Hack: There’s always that one instrument or clinical prop that always seems to sit on the shelf because we can’t figure out exactly how to incorporate it into an intervention. Trying bringing it into your next session and allow your client to explore. You never know how you client may use the item for some self-directed learning, which you can strategically work into the session’s underlying purpose.

3. Work a musical into your next Netflix binge

Music therapists are lucky to use music as a therapeutic tool because many times, music holds strong meaning for our clients. This meaning often derives from the cultural or historical context surrounding any particular song. Therefore, it’s not enough for us music therapists to be able to lead a song, we need to have a basic understanding of the song’s history and context.

Music Therapy Hack: Watch (or re-watch) some musicals your clients may be familiar with. This could include super early musicals (like Showboat and Porgy and Bess), mid-century classics (the entire Rodgers and Hammerstein library, West Side Story), or more contemporary musicals (Le Mis, Hairspray, Rent, Hamilton). Don’t forget all the Disney and Disney-esque (Anastasia for the win!) animated musicals out there. Take the guilt out of your guilty pleasure: it’s for the clients.

Bonus Music Therapy Hack: Watch a documentary, listen to a podcast, or read a book about popular music history. Our university educations often emphasize classical music survey classes, but an overwhelming majoring of the music we use is from the pop charts. Getting a basic overview of the rich history underlying this repertoire will help us integrate this music with more cultural responsiveness.