I can certainly appreciate Stephen's comments regarding Denise Grocke's column on Music Therapy Literature. What I think needs to be addressed, at least in terms of music therapy in the United States, is that undergraduate and graduate education are two very different "beasts." Stephen's response was well-thought and presented, showing his level of education (current graduate student) and perhaps his life experience and knowledge about the therapeutic process. I think undergraduate education presents a few more challenges.
As I was preparing to take on my first teaching position as an undergraduate educator in music therapy, I imagined my efforts in providing a eclectic, well-rounded experience for my students - one in which they would be exposed to and informed on a variety of music therapy philosophies and approaches. My hope was that they could then look inward and create their own belief system based on what I had given them and what they believed. I truly believe an educator's job is to facilitate the inner learning process.
What I found is that many undergraduate students do not yet have a sense of themselves, their place in the world, etc., and to ask them to formulate their belief system about music and music therapy is quite a challenge, if not nearly impossible. I feel that developmentally, graduate students have an easier time formulating such beliefs. I believe it comes down to life experience - you could have an undergraduate student who is older, with more life experience, who knows him/herself well and can grasp the theories at hand and align with them. Most often, I find that young undergraduates are still learning about themselves and have a hard time learning about what it takes to provide emotional support, etc. for someone else.
We do not send out bachelor's level counselors, social workers, or therapists and ask them to do the work that music therapy often requires. I wonder often if we are selling ourselves short when we do not require a Master's degree minimum for clinical practice.
I know that this will raise eyebrows and turn stomachs for some, as this is a constant area of disagreement for many music therapists in the United States. As an educator, I feel it is my duty to challenge the past, and look to the future. I have the great job of facilitating the education of hungry students - it's a challenge to provide them with as diverse experiences as possible so to prepare them for a myriad of challenges when they leave in only four years.
I hope my students will be well-informed, self-knowledgeable therapists who are ready and willing to provide the best music therapy services possible. I foster this through exposing them through a variety of readings, experience, and viewpoints, and by challenging them to critically examine past and present music therapy practices. I know I'm not alone in this endeavor. My concern is that what we currently provide is not enough for what our world needs and requires.
About Kristen M. Chase
Biography
MM, MT-BC, Director of Music Therapy, Mississippi University for Women.
I can certainly appreciate Stephen's comments regarding Denise Grocke's column on Music Therapy Literature. What I think needs to be addressed, at least in terms of music therapy in the United States, is that undergraduate and graduate education are two very different "beasts." Stephen's response was well-thought and presented, showing his level of education (current graduate student) and perhaps his life experience and knowledge about the therapeutic process. I think undergraduate education presents a few more challenges.
As I was preparing to take on my first teaching position as an undergraduate educator in music therapy, I imagined my efforts in providing a eclectic, well-rounded experience for my students - one in which they would be exposed to and informed on a variety of music therapy philosophies and approaches. My hope was that they could then look inward and create their own belief system based on what I had given them and what they believed. I truly believe an educator's job is to facilitate the inner learning process.
What I found is that many undergraduate students do not yet have a sense of themselves, their place in the world, etc., and to ask them to formulate their belief system about music and music therapy is quite a challenge, if not nearly impossible. I feel that developmentally, graduate students have an easier time formulating such beliefs. I believe it comes down to life experience - you could have an undergraduate student who is older, with more life experience, who knows him/herself well and can grasp the theories at hand and align with them. Most often, I find that young undergraduates are still learning about themselves and have a hard time learning about what it takes to provide emotional support, etc. for someone else.
We do not send out bachelor's level counselors, social workers, or therapists and ask them to do the work that music therapy often requires. I wonder often if we are selling ourselves short when we do not require a Master's degree minimum for clinical practice.
I know that this will raise eyebrows and turn stomachs for some, as this is a constant area of disagreement for many music therapists in the United States. As an educator, I feel it is my duty to challenge the past, and look to the future. I have the great job of facilitating the education of hungry students - it's a challenge to provide them with as diverse experiences as possible so to prepare them for a myriad of challenges when they leave in only four years.
I hope my students will be well-informed, self-knowledgeable therapists who are ready and willing to provide the best music therapy services possible. I foster this through exposing them through a variety of readings, experience, and viewpoints, and by challenging them to critically examine past and present music therapy practices. I know I'm not alone in this endeavor. My concern is that what we currently provide is not enough for what our world needs and requires.