Blog post # 2: To become a Music Therapist

To become a music therapist and maintain a certification is a lifetime of work and dedication. Becoming a music therapist requires extensive training and schooling in order to maintain and further develop our knowledge to provide informed care for our clients. This reflects my own experience in becoming a board-certified music therapist.

STEP 1: 4-year degree: BA in music therapy and minor in psychology

I went to Berklee College of Music for my undergraduate degree and worked hard for 4 years! Within my education I took classes reflecting psychology of music, abnormal psychology, clinical application of music, introduction to research along with developing my clinical skills with guitar classes, voice lessons, piano classes, and percussion classes. Each semester of my college career delved into a different population that music therapist work with and had classes reflecting each of these populations. These classes were accompanied by a practicum experience. This means, once a week throughout the semester I was in the field, running sessions with real life clients with the supervision of a credentialed professional. Throughout my college career I went through FIVE clinical practicums. Ranging from early childhood, geriatrics, medical, psych setting and a more community-based program.

STEP 2: Proficiency in voice, piano, guitar and percussion

As I said above my schooling consisted of developing clinical skills in each of these areas. These are specific classes you must take and be deemed proficient by your professors by reflecting your skills in performances (performances can mean just performing for your professor) and within clinical experiences with your credentialed professors such as mock sessions.

STEP 3: Minimum of 1200 hrs of clinical training. This is an association approved internship. (Average of 6 months if full time)

Now this step could be an entire blog post!! Internships are competitive and there is usually an application, interview and audition portion to begin this journey. It is extremely important to find an internship that reflects your goals and learning style so that you don’t get burnt out and can get the most out of this experience. I completed my internship with Snohomish County Music Project (SCMP). I had so many opportunities to work with several populations and expand in the areas I was curious and passionate about. I was able to do a special project reflecting a teen grief group that I organized and ran through SCMP. In internship you are under the supervision of a credentialed professional 100% of the time, I had weekly one on one supervision with my supervisor as well as team supervision with all staff. If you decide to dedicate full time for completing internship it is on average 6 months.

STEP 4: Sit for board certification. 150 multiple choice question exam with a 3hr time limit

This is a comprehensive test that reflects different populations, clinical skills, ethics, musicianship, treatment implementation, etc. You complete this test in a designated testing center. This is a 3hr test with 150 questions in which 130 are scored. Out of those 130 scored questions you must get 95 or more correct in order to pass. This is not an easy task, and many music therapists spend months studying before even trying this test. It is common for music therapists to take this test several times as it is so in-depth.

STEP 5: Continuing education: 100 recertification credits per 5 yrs required

This is a common step for many credentialed professionals! You must keep up your competencies whether that is taking a class, workshop, getting continued specialty certifications (such as my NMT certification), or expanding on research for your field.

STEP 6: Encouraged: Masters and/or doctorate in music therapy or specialty

Now, the final step is still an ‘encouraged’ portion of being a music therapist. This is not required as of now in the field of music therapy. In my journey as a music therapist, I would like to get a master’s in counseling. I would like to expand my knowledge and open more access to services through this master’s level education. Eventually, this will happen for me!

Again, these are reflections of my own experiences in becoming a music therapist. If you have questions, please reach out to me. I am always happy to discuss music therapy.

Blog post # 1: Chrysalis Story Time Series.

November 2nd, 2021; Part 1:

Butterflies have always had a way of following me around. I find them stunningly beautiful and find my breath taken away when I see one. When they grace me with their presence, I am immediately brought into this appreciation of how beautiful life can be. In high school our choir director had an end of year assignment, to write a song or perform your favorite song. I decided to write one. I named it, butterfly kisses, a song that represents all my favorite things in my favorite season, summer. Little did I know, this song would bring me into several pivotal moments in my life...

November 2nd, 2021; Part 2:

Berklee College of Music has an extensive application process that includes an audition. I grew up with stage fright to the point of forgetting everything when performing alone. My audition day did not go as planned; I had several commitments that overlapped. One thing after another was falling apart and failing so, to say I was stressed felt like an understatement. By the time it was my turn I was shaking, sweating and second guessing myself. I had practiced a Sara Bareilles song several times, but something didn't feel right. Right before I walked in I decide, I'm going to sing the song I know like the back of my hand, Butterfly kisses...

November 3rd, 2021; Part 3:

I got in. with a song that I wrote, on a day that I felt everything was going wrong, I got in. The next several years I went through several transitions. I had never travelled farther than California and I moved to Boston MA, across the country. I experienced life like I never had before. The highest highs and the lowest lows. I still always came back to butterflies and how beautiful life can be. But through my own experiences I started to see how our tribulations, successes, failures, joys, fears, heartbreak, loss, grief were like that of a butterfly's chrysalis. They don't start off as a butterfly, they start off as a caterpillar and they must go through hard and scary times to be the butterflies that take my breath away...

November 3rd, 2021; Part 4:

I started to see life as transitioning from chrysalis to chrysalis. I get to be different butterflies throughout my life. I get to develop the beauty of me. My values, ethics, how I treat other, how I take my own experiences and make them into how I shape my own life. I cannot predict the future and I cannot change the past but, in that chrysalis, I get to decide how I am transitioning to become my best butterfly. I can now respect the chrysalises in my life, I can feel when they are happening and even though they can feel scary and overwhelming I remind myself that I get to be my own butterfly in the end. I want to support others when they are in a chrysalis stage, I want to help others gain respect for their own chrysalis's as they are growing into their own butterfly...

November 4th, 2021; Part 5:

Chrysalis seemed like the most perfect name for my business. To honor my own experiences as well as show the perspective of life itself and how beautiful it can be. You don't have to go through a chrysalis alone, let us support you through it and explore the chrysalis together. Check out our social media pages in the top left corner to see the post sharing the song that started it all, Butterfly Kisses.