6 things that I wish I knew

Okay, so I've been here 2 1/2 weeks and I feel like I've learned a lot!  Which is good, I guess.  But I spend a lot of my time in class stressing out because I feel like I know absolutely nothing about music.  Even the things that I thought I knew, it turns out that there's so much that could be expanded on.  But anways, I've made a list of general things that I wish someone would have told me ... or things that people told me and I didn't believe until I got here!

Carry an umbrella ... always.  It's not fun walking ten minutes to class in a downpour.  Did I learn the first time?  Apparently not, because today I waltzed into class looking like a drowned rat.

Expect to spend $100 EXTRA in books that your professors decided you needed when you showed up on the first day of class ... and $80 on a black chiffon feed sack masquerading as a dress for choir.  Hopefully this is just me!

It doesn't matter how thoroughly you think you packed, there will always be something else you discover you need.  Sugar and silverware, really?

Everyone shows up to class early.  Seriously, I walked through my classes the day before and still sat down in the wrong classroom on the first day of class!  I still showed up to my class five minutes early, but I was one of the last ones there.

Call your family once a in a while, your mom gets lonely.  And expect it to take, on average, forty five minutes.  I love you, mom! :)

It's okay if you doubt everything you've ever known about playing piano and music after the first day.  It will get better.  Then again, it may take a couple days and you might seriously start regretting being away from your family and your friends and your wonderful boyfriend who you haven't seen in four months and especially your mother who did your laundry for eighteen years and your nice job that paid you enough to actually increase your bank account every month and your comfortable life where you actually knew what to expect and ... yeah.

But I think I'm adjusting.  Then again, I had a good day ... despite the fact that it was a Monday and I had classes from 9-1 and 4-7:30.  On a bad day, my attitude would be completely different!  But soon the good days will outweigh the bad days.  I know when I've been holed up in my room too long because then I start getting all lonely and sad!  And I'm sure by now that you've figured out that this turned out to be one long pep talk to myself.  I hope some of it applies loosely to someone out there in cyberspace ... or I hope I at least made someone laugh from my conundrums :)  Maybe my next post will have some relevance to music therapy.  Or, maybe not.

I am quite fond of you all!
Amanda

the beginning

In three days I will be at college, ready to start a new adventure.  It's one part terrifying, one part exciting and two parts emotional!  I am realizing just how much I am surrounded by wonderful people.  It's not all butterflies and rainbows, but I have such a great support system and I know that I will always have people here that care about me.

I wish I had the perfect answer for people when they ask me about music therapy.  Umm ... it's therapy utilized through music?  Lame, I know ... but that's usually what comes out.  Here's the official definition from the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA):

Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.

Did that clear things up?  Let me try to explain my understanding ... which I know will change as I actually start learning more!  Music therapy is used to help people emotionally, spiritually (so cool!), physically and mentally.  It is in the healthcare field and is recognized to help people not only cope, but also heal.  Honestly, it is so cool!  It's a relatively new field, and the power of music is being recognized more and more all the time.  Hopefully that will mean that music therapists will be in more demand four years from now!  Music therapists meet with clients in one-on-one and group settings and use music to accomplish goals.

Like I said, this is my understanding, and even that is very limited.  In eighth grade I knew I wanted to help people, and I really felt like God has given me musical talent.  Put the two together, and tada!  I did a research paper on music therapy, and ever since then it has been the career that I kept coming back to.  I am so incredibly excited to see how God wants to use me in this field.  I truly believe that he has placed this desire in my heart.

I want this blog to be a place for me to keep record of my journey, and for you to share in it as well!  I hope to be posting some things that I have been learning, as well as keeping you updated on everything.  I can't promise that I will be faithful in writing as music therapy is an intense major, but it's the thought that counts, right?  Thanks so much for listening to me try to share my heart!

~Amanda

For more information, check out AMTA's website: musictherapy.org