By Bree Beynon, MT-BC
The fact that I now can’t get the Beatles “A Day in the Life” out of my head should give you a small idea of where this blog is heading. Prepare to enter the busy mind and schedule of a musician/clinician/business developer/supervisor/wife/pet parent.
It would be very difficult to give you a completely accurate picture of what every board certified music therapists’ day looks like because there is no such thing. Just as every music therapist and music therapy setting is different, every day is also different. Music therapists work in a variety of settings from pre-schools to senior centers, from addiction recovery sites to VA hospitals and everything in between. Music therapists plan each day, and each session, to specifically meet the clients’ needs. One day this could mean active drumming as a group for self-expression and stress relief while the next day could be focused on active singing to address breath support and postural stability. As a music therapist, it is imperative that you are ready to switch roles from a musician to a facilitator to a listener to a counselor from hour to hour, or maybe even from half hour to half hour. That being said, this is how I would describe an “average” day for a music therapist, which, as most of us know, is anything but average. Enjoy:
8 pm (night before): Binge watch all of the shows you have been missing because of your extra music related night jobs and ponder “What exactly am I doing tomorrow?”
7 am: Wake up with a song stuck in your head, likely from the 1940’s. Turn to Pandora to help cure you of your ear worm but let’s face it, you’ll just end up singing that song 12 times today anyways. “Don’t sit under the apple tree…”
8 am: Grab some coffee and a granola bar to go. Enjoy your breakfast of champions while commuting to your first site.
9 am – 11:30 am: Arrive at your first session/group. Take on the roll as “energizer” and “motivator” as your clients prepare to start their day. Take a moment to look at everyone’s smiles, especially those who don’t usually smile or even lift their head, and think “This is the best job ever.”
12 pm: Documentation, documentation, documentation….oh, and maybe some lunch.
1 pm – 3 pm: Time for the afternoon sessions! The best time to see clients with their families. See the comfort and surprise on family members faces when their loved one is calm/relaxed/smiling/singing/remembering/engaging. Remind yourself, “This really is the best job ever.”
3 pm: Start heading towards your car/office to document and get stopped by a teacher/nurse/parent. There is someone else in need and they are not responding to any other disciplines/medicine. Fill that need.
4 pm: Documentation! Also a little of “Don’t sit under the apple tree..”
5 pm: Take a deep breathe and play music for yourself, all the while thinking of intervention ideas with every lyric and melody line you hear.
6 pm*: Come home, pretend to be exhausted and beat when really you just can’t wait to share all about your day with your SO/roommate/parents/pets. They may not always understand it, but they can see by the glow on your face that you made a difference today and your positive energy will inspire them.
Lather, rinse, repeat!
*Time home will vary based on day of week