What’s My Next Professional Step?
Coming home at the end of the day has gotten a little boring. I get off my shift at 4:30pm, turn on the car radio (always a toss-up between NPR and the Top 40’s), and drive the 35 minutes to my apartment where I proceed to catch up on things that need catching up on. Then I go to bed (preferably before 11pm) and do the whole routine over again.
This is not how I want to spend the rest of my life as a music therapist.
Breaking Out of the Rut
As a new professional, it was difficult to foresee the days when music therapy would feel like work. It is work that I love to do, but (as with any situation) there are days that are more mediocre than others. I’m proud of the music therapy program that’s emerged from learning and encouragement and support of my facility. What’s been bothering me more is how conventional this 9-5 routine can feel. I’ve been feeling the need for a different type of challenge.
The plan was always to go to graduate school, but the timeline wasn’t always clear. After working for 1.5 years, now feels like the right time to start approaching that horizon.
Choices, choices, choices
As with anything new, grad school prospects offer an amazing array of options I’ve never thought of before. Straight to PhD or start with a Master’s? Clinical or research orientation? Should I even pursue a degree outside of music therapy?
Narrowing down the options can be daunting if there isn’t an end goal for which to strive. For me, I’d like to pursue a PhD in a degree outside of music therapy, maybe music cognition or neuroscience. To get there, I’ll need my Master’s to have a strong research background and strong ties to psychology and/or neuroscience departments. Places that offer grad assistantships wouldn’t hurt either.
Preliminary Scouting
If you’ll be looking into university programs too, be sure to hold your ultimate goal in mind. Do you want to be a clinician 15 years down the road or do you have administrative or academic desires? Do you want to have a very specific focus or would you rather be a well-rounded music therapist?
More updates on my graduate admissions pursuits as time goes on, but best of luck in thriving on your path in music therapy.