Alas

Darn it, we didn't get enough students to make it to Germany this summer. Maybe it's for the best, given the current exchange rates...

Leider hatten wir nicht ausreichende Studierende fuer die Studienreise im Sommer 2008.

I hope we can do it again, maybe around the time of the next chord change in the John Cage Project.

Update for 2008: dates changed

In late November 2007 I got some exciting news from one of the hosts for the trip. Whereas in 2007, we were able to observe therapists (speech, music, occupational, physical) at the "Arbeitskreis fuer Sozialmedizin" for just part of one day, in 2008 we are going to be working at the "Therapiewoche" ("therapy week") that the AKS offers for an entire week! This means much more hands-on work, kind of like an intensive day-camp setting for kids with all kinds of therapeutic needs.

AKS is an agency that provides services to children with disabling conditions and to adults in rehabilitation. It operates in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg, and is considered a model provider of therapeutic services.

In order to accommodate this option, I made the decision to change the dates of the program. It now runs from mid-June to mid-July. I hope this won't exclude anyone from participating, but I do think it will be a meaningful enrichment of the program.

There are also going to be some other changes from the 2007 program, naturally. We may not go on QUITE as many hikes this year, for one, and may spend more time in the West. I think it's going to be a great trip and I look forward to a great group of students, just like in 2007.

Summer/Sommer 2008

The study-abroad program in 2007 went so well that we decided to do it again in 2008. This week I received approval for the program, which will run from June 3 - 26, 2008. This is great news, and I am looking forward to taking another great group of students to Germany and Austria. There are still a few details to be worked out, but for now, students who are interested in a summer study-abroad program in music therapy should contact me. You can reach me and find more about music therapy at GCCU here.

And now a word to our many German-speaking blog visitors:
An die deutschsprachigen Gäste unseres Blogs: Vielen Dank für Ihren Besuch. Wir freuen uns, dass Sie sich für unsere Studienreise interessieren. Falls Sie StudentInnen aus den USA für kurze Zeit bei Ihnen als HospitantInnen haben moechten, im Juni 2008, können Sie gerne Kontakt mit mir aufnehmen auf der Web-Seite unseres Fachbereichs.
Viele Grüsse aus Georgia!

Hiking the "Klangweg"

During our time in Dornbirn, Austria, our hosts took us to Switzerland, where we hiked on a beautiful and interesting trail, the "Klangweg" ("sound path"). This is a must-see if you're ever in that part of the world.



Thanks to our hosts at AKS!

Rueckschau

My experiences in Germany this summer on the music therapy study abroad program were invaluable. By learning about music therapy in Germany, I developed a deeper understanding of my own views of music therapy and the education that I have had. I found myself explaining to both the Americans and the Germans what I do at Baldwin-Wallace, which deepened my own understanding of the music therapy approach at my college. I discovered just how strongly my education focuses on behavioralism. Before this trip, I did not realize how strong the emphasis was. I did not think of it as “behavioralism” but “music therapy” as a whole, because it was all I knew. After this study abroad experience, I have not only heard about but actually experienced other approaches in music therapy, including psychoanalysis and Nordoff-Robbins.

Psychoanalytic music therapy especially seems to be on the other end of the spectrum from what I have experienced in my education. At first when learning about it in Magdeburg, I was skeptical. No defined goals, no objectives set in numerical terms, no session plans laid out in front of you, no tallymarks on data sheets. How could this possibly be music therapy, an evidence-based practice? Where was the evidence? The Baldwin-Wallace music therapy program does an excellent job teaching this aspect of music therapy, and I am so glad that I am developing this important skill. However in Germany, music therapists do not need to show data to insurance companies because of the different system. The research being done is qualitative, focusing on case studies and how music therapy can used, and does not have the quantitative research stress like in the United States. “Evidence” is not the emphasis.

At first, I could not comprehend psychoanalysis. Throughout the two weeks in Magdeburg, I learned about the theory behind it through lectures, as well as the practical use of improvisation during psychoanalytic music therapy. However, it did not all come together for me until the end of our trip. In Duesseldorf, we spent a day at the psychiatric hospital where Dr. Keith did his internship. After completing a 40 minute improvisation, the group of Americans sat down with Franz, the music therapist. I made a joke, because during the course of the improvisation, I managed to collect five mallets, none of which I wanted to let go. I wanted to play the glockenspiel, but I didn’t want to lose access to the gong. So I said, “Isn’t that funny, I had five mallets, haha,” and Franz looked at me seriously and said, “What does this mean to you?”

And then everything clicked for me. At that moment, I understood not only what psychoanalytic music therapy was, but also its value. I could have talked for hours, answering the question, “What does this mean to you?” Because I was in a room full of my colleagues, it would not have been appropriate to expand on this question (as it would also be in a blog post). But I experienced first hand how a musical experience can trigger reflection in a different way then exclusive talk therapy can. Also, I saw how the unplanned, free form in this type of session can be extremely effective.

I feel that with more experience, I could be a very successful therapist using the psychoanalytic approach (although I doubt I would ever lose my American MT roots). I talked with Franz about completing my six month internship at his hospital in Duesseldorf, and I would very much like to follow through with this plan.

My perspective of music therapy has expanded and my understanding has grown deeper. No matter where in the world I end up, the experiences I had this summer in Germany will contribute to my growth as a music therapist.

Video

You can view the video I made here:


It's over 20 minutes long. Enjoy! :-)

What you didn't know.

So yeah, this trip has been just the first step on my road to an international understanding of Music Therapy. Next week, I'll be heading over to Argentina for the semester/year to study music therapy at the first institute to officially offer it in South America, La Universidad del Salvador. This trip, in Germany, has helped prepare me for what's to come and some things to possibly expect as differences that arise from the music, the culture, and more so, the people. Anyhow, since I had to plan one trip while participating in another, I was unable to find much time to blog about the trip, in Germany. So now, I'm going to fill you in on a few things that weren't posted on earlier.
Throughout the trip, Chuan and I found ourselves doing a lot of traveling and together. One one occasion we took a weekend day trip over to Leipzig, Germany. For those of you who don't know, Leipzig is famous for being the burial place of the late, great, J.S. Bach in the Thomas Church (Cathedral). This church is absolutely beautiful and definitely part of one of my favorite Germany experiences. However, one must note (this is for Chuan) that YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO VIDEO RECORD/TAKE PICTURES IN THE MIDDLE OF A CHURCH SERVICE, we went on Sunday. On this trip, me and Chuan left the train station and found the church with no problem. Right next door to the church is the Bach museum, which told a lot about him and other great composers that passed though the historic city. Next, we tried to make our way over to the Instrument Museum. However, it took us 3 long hours to find it. The reason for this is Chuan, great girl but poor navigator, refused to take directions from the locals and would much rather hunt it down on her own. In reality, it was only about a 15min walk away from the church, but it was well worth it when we got there. After taking a peek into the past, seeing the evolution of today's instruments, we were able to go upstairs to a sort of "playroom" to try out some great instruments (harpsichord, organ, etc.)
Another adventure that I had with Chuan took place in Austria. Well, on our way home after a day of viewing MT at AKS, a music therapy facility in Dornbirn, we were advised to take the bus back to our host family. So yeah, we made our to the bus station, picked out our bus, and got on. So far, so good. However, me, not speaking any German and not knowing much about public transportation did not realize that the flashing red light at the front of the bus that said "warren" or something like that, meant "stop." Anyhow, me and Chuan sat separate for no apparent reason and she claims to have known how to stop the bus (the button on the handle), and what the "warren" at the front of the bus meant. However, after passing our house, she didn't do anything. So yeah, about 20min later she came to me to see about where we were and we decided to just ride the bus back around to the station and try again. Little did we know that the bus didn't go back for the night *gasp* We were on the last bus of the night and its route ended in a different town, about 75km from where we were supposed to be. Anyhow, we butchered through the German language to explain this to the bus driver who was very confused because he didn't speak any English. Next thing you know, we're hitching a ride back with the nice bus driver who gladly helped correct our mistake, thanks to us non-German speaking internationals. Apparently, it happens all the time...but usually in the winter :D

Once again, sorry for the delay in posting, but I'll be sure to post more as I begin to relive the moments. Hope you enjoyed the stories ;D

The many faces of MT

Altogether, I think it is safe to say that my interactive experience with the Music Therapy programs, clinics, and general services offered has been of great benefit to my overall view of the field. Prior to the trip, I noted that I wanted to gain insight into the methodology of MT (Music Therapy) in Germany/Austria. Throughout the trip, a lot of information with piled onto us about the approaches, philosophies, and even the priorities that came with the title "Music Therapy" in Germany. Before this trip, I percieved that I was doing a pretty good job understanding my place as a music therapist in the US. However, after a discussion at the beginning of the trip, I felt like I was merely playing a passive role in the development and understanding of my own field. Before, I had really no interest in the "politics" of music therapy and all of the controversial concepts that it bought up. What I'm trying to say is, after this program, I received sort of a WAKE UP call to push me to get involved and be more active in the development of a field that I believe in so strongly to be a benefit to mankind.
On top of this new process and way of thinking, I was driven to notice some of the similarities and difference in the structure/layout of music therapy in Germany/Austria. I noticed that in Germany, there seems to be a much stronger pull to the use of impovisation in all types of MT. Also, I noticed how there seemed to be a "main" set of populations that received MT, which seems to be pulled away from in America. With all of these observations and more, my outlook of MT was put though a form of "identity" check. Basically, I was pulled to re-evaluate my previous concept of MT.
Coming from a very laid back approach, this trip prompted serious interest into the happnenings/approaches/methods of MT all over the world. Luckily, I will be fortunate enough to study MT in another country this fall and hopefully gain even more insight into the many faces of MT and be able to apply them to what already know. For me, this program has focused my aim in MT to give me more of a serious and well-rounded take on the field as a whole. I would definately recommend this program to anyone who is interested in music therapy or even learning how something as music therapy has such a versatile place in the health care system. This program has met my expectations and so much more. My hope is that it'll grow to become one of the favorite MT study-abroad programs.

Final thoughts

This program actually exceeded my expectations. I must confess when I first spoke to Dr. Keith about going to Germany I was only half serious. I knew that the trip would be wonderful, but I was not sure if I should go. Needless to say after talking with Dr. Keith, seeing how excited and helpful he was I was sold on the trip. For me to explain all of the incredible adventures, misadventures and wonderful learning experiences would take forever so I will do my best to keep things short and sweet.

I learned a great deal about music therapy in Germany and Austria. One of the biggest differences was that in Germany and Austria music therapy has more of a psychoanalytical approach whereas in the U.S. we tend to have more of a clinical approach. Music therapy seems to be focused more on psychological disorders and children in Austria and Germany.

Music therapists use a great deal of improvisation in Germany and Austria. At Georgia College and State University we do not do a lot with improvisation and at first I did not like improvisation and I was not comfortable with it. As time went by I learned more about improvisation and became more comfortable with the techniques and ideas behind this method. I found myself really enjoying improvisation and trying to find more ways to incorporate it into my clinical experiences.

Another aspect that I found very interesting about music therapy in Germany was how the sessions were done. In Germany it seemed that music therapists did not always play music during a session. They would often just use talk therapy and no music at all. I found this a bit odd, because I always assumed that in music therapy sessions there was music of some kind. Also, in Germany and Austria music therapy sessions appeared to be less structured than in the United States. My experiences are very limited, but in the sessions that I have done we had to follow a set format. We always have at least a hello song, some activities and a good-bye song. I did not see as much of a structure in Germany or Austria. I was surprised to find out that there is not as much documentation done in either of these countries when compared to the U.S. One aspect of the sessions that was strange to me was how little the guitar was used. In the sessions that I have done we always use the guitar in some way. The experiences that I had during the sessions in Germany and Austria were wonderful and helped open my eyes to some different approaches that can be used during a session. I like the idea behind the talk therapy, but I do not see myself doing sessions with no music at all. I liked the feel of the sessions the flow seemed very natural most of the time and it was a nice change.

Despite the many differences between music therapy in Germany and Austria and the U.S. I did notice several similarities. One similarity was the passion that the therapists had for their clients and the work that they are doing. Most everyone seemed very genuine and had the clients' needs foremost in their minds. I think this is a very important quality and one that carries over from country to country (or at least the few that I have seen). Although every clinical site is different, most of the sites that we visited were similar to some that can be found in the U.S. A similarity that I noticed about music therapy in general was that in all three countries it seemed that most people outside the field do not know what music therapy is or how it is used. I think that this is a problem that we all need to try and fix through education and informing the general public about this field and all of the benefits that go with it.

I learned a great deal about music therapy during this trip. My personal definition of music therapy has changed some, but I think that my view of the music therapy profession changed the most. My experiences helped me understand more about music therapy in different cultures. I am very new to music therapy and I love learning new aspects of the profession. I have found that the more I learn about this incredible field the more passionate I become about music therapy and the many ways that it can help improve a person's life. I will use techniques that I learned to become a more cultured and competent music therapist.

There were so many wonderful experiences during this trip and I cannot pick just one as my favorite. I will say that I enjoyed the group that I went with very much. It was great getting to know some people better and meeting new ones. Everyone was fun and made the trip very enjoyable in their own unique ways. Here they are in Berlin at the first restaurant we ate at.























I thoroughly enjoyed the different places that we went to. There was so much to see and so many beautiful things that it is impossible to show all of them. I love nature and enjoyed our bike rides, walks and hikes immensely. Here are a few of the moments that were captured.




A picture taken on one of our many night walks in Magdeburg.

















The reward after a very difficult hike in Austria.
















The Alps in Switzerland while we were on the sound path.













Of course there were many, many other experiences that I enjoyed including the beer, ice cream and the beautiful buildings and history of the towns/cities we visited. I would recommend this trip to anyone who wants to learn more about music therapy, themselves and music therapy in other countries.

Kym's Corner: after thoughts

This program did meet my expectations. I still feel that it is early in processing what I learned and have taken away from this program. I feel that I have gained a lot of knowledge about methods but also about the way Music Therapy can work through these methods with clients. I am still going back through my notes and sifting through what I believe and what will be useful for me in the future. It is amazing how much information we received over only three weeks. I really think it will be another four or five weeks before I can really grasp the concepts and the overall ideas of what I learned.
To write about everything I learned about Music Therapy in Germany and Austria would take many pages and no one would read it. I did find however that there were a few very big differences in the way that music therapy is practiced in Germany and Austria compared to the US. The differences start in the education process with the fact that here in the US we concentrate on the clinical end and in Germany/Austria they work a great deal in theory. In the overall practice, the differences are in the focus on music within the session and the methods used. In the US we typically focus on the music, bring the session back to music, and try to revolve other experiences and talking around the context of the music. In Germany/Austria, the music is used in therapy; if the client wants nothing to do with music that is fine; if they want to do something else or talk that is fine. In terms of methods used, in the US, generally, recreation is used the most, then compositional and receptive, and last is improvisation. In Germany/Austria, improvisation is used first, then receptive and recreative; we did not see any use of compositional methods. A very important similarity, maybe the most important in understanding Music Therapy anywhere, we were working towards the same goals of helping our clients the best way that we can. There are so many ways to try and reach the client and help them, and everyone that we met was just as interested in helping the clients the best way they could. The fact that all of us are trying to help the people that come to us the best way we can, says more than the differences between the methods. There are, however, many ideas and some new methods that I am now aware of, that I can now draw from in the future to better the process that I can give to my clients.
My definition of Music Therapy has not changed at all because I already believed that the more options and ideas that I have the better I can respond to the peoples needs that I am working with. The program has added to my knowledge and ideas that I can draw from to help my clients. I will continue to try and learn more about the methods I have been introduced to because the all could be useful in my practice. I will also continue to explore other methods and types of experiences to better my abilities as a music therapist.
I would recommend this program to other students. It seems to be a program for students who have an understanding of who they are as music therapists and who are interested in expanding their views, ideas, and definitions of music therapy. This program is a wonderful opportunity to see how another culture uses Music Therapy. It is not a program that comes about everyday and it can give a student new ideas on how Music Therapy can be used.