Almost one month in! As a new intern, my first few weeks here at Music to Grow On have been full of learning experiences. Observing multiple MT-BC caseloads has given me the opportunity to not only view different therapist approaches, but also how those approaches apply to different clients and different environments. In response to this wealth of new information, I find that a lot of my free time has been spent reflecting; on my personal experience, my educational background, and how that relates to what I am currently observing.

As someone who is unlearning my perfectionist tendencies, I am realizing that these moments of learning and observation are just as valuable as moments of doing, of providing music therapy services (under MT-BC supervision of course!). I’m reminded that, as I take in new information, it’s important to slow down, assess, and observe.

While I observe others, I am inspired to observe myself too. How I am feeling, what I’m doing, and what I need in each present moment. To do this, I’m challenging myself to be accountable for this. So, I’m committing to using a self-care checklist. If you would like to join in, here is a blank self-care checklist created by Caitlyn Houston (the entire blog post with the self care checklist is here).

Thank you for reading, I’ll “see” you next time!

The Development of the Cochlear Implant: A Timeline

I am currently reading the second edition of Choices in Deafness, edited by Sue Schwartz. In chapter three, written by Stephen Epstein, there is a brief discussion of the history of the cochlear implant. I found it fascinating, which led me to look further into the subject. From there, I created a timeline, ranging from the year 1800 to 2000. The timeline spans from the initial discovery of inner ear stimulation through electrical currents, to the FDA approval of the multi-channel cochlear implant for infants 1 years of age or older.

In order to increase legibility, the timeline is broken down into two parts:

Thank you for reading!

Self Reflection: A Little Over Halfway Through

For this blog post, I wanted to reflect on the past few months, and how things have changed as I’ve gotten to the second half of my internship. In some ways, it feels as if I just started, the time has flown by so quickly. 

When I started, it was nearly unfathomable to imagine myself taking on a caseload of clients, when my previous practicum experience consisted of one session per week, on top of my full course load. I remember my first solo session, how much time and planning went into one hour of my week, and the concept of adding nearly twenty times that sounded exciting, and overwhelming. But here I am, leading full sessions for all of my clients, and while it can be a lot of work, it doesn’t overwhelm me like I thought it might. 

It’s definitely been a strange time to be an intern (alternatively, a strange time to be anybody), as the world continues to change in response to the pandemic. It feels as if the structures that existed prior to the pandemic are old relics, even though it has only been a little over two years since the first quarantine was announced. It also feels as if the structures that came into place during the first year and a half have become obsolete, too. What we’re left with is this halfway point. I am hesitant to use the common terminology of “new normal”, because this doesn’t seem right. In my time in university, I was taught that one of the most important characteristics for a music therapist is flexibility. What I have learned in the past two years is that this concept of flexibility applies to much more than I initially thought. It is a challenge to determine the best way to go through the world, especially when providing support to others. 

As I reflect on my experience here, I am reminded of who I was in high school, when I first learned about the field of music therapy. I had no idea of how life would pan out in the following years, and I imagine that if I was able to talk with my past self, to tell her how things eventually worked out, her head would probably spin. But I am so happy that she chose this path, that she continued in the face of both triumph and disappointment. I can’t wait to reflect on this more as a board certified music therapist, to see what else is in store.

Thank you for reading!