Intro

Introduce Yourself:

My name is MaryAnn and I am a music therapy graduate student at GC&SU. I graduated from Jacksonville State University (Alabama) in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in music education. My primary instrument is euphonium, but I also play trombone and some tuba. I taught band for a little while before deciding to return to school in the fall of 2006 to study music therapy.
I have been interested in studying music therapy since 1999, but did not have the opportunity to do so until recently. My dad and one of my close friends have been very influential in my decision to pursue music therapy as a career. My dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease about 16 years ago and my friend was diagnosed with cancer about 2 ½ years ago. They are both fighters and are very inspiring people. I have often felt very helpless watching them go through different treatments and dealing with their illnesses. I wanted to do something to help them and other people in similar situations. I am not a doctor or a miracle worker, but I am compassionate and a musician so music therapy seemed to be the right career choice for me.
As far as my personality goes, I am usually quiet when I first meet people, but once I get to know them I don’t shut up. I am a go with the flow person and avoid confrontation.

What Interested You in this Program?
The first aspect of this program that caught my attention was the opportunity to learn about music therapy in another country. I thought that it would be very interesting to learn about the differences and similarities between music therapy in Germany and music therapy in the US.
The next point that interested me was the chance to travel. The only places that I have been outside of the US are Canada and the Bahamas. I thought that this program would be the perfect opportunity to visit another country.

Expectations:
Through this course I hope to gain a better understanding about music therapy practices in Germany, the German culture, form connections and meet some interesting, fun people along the way. Also, I tend to be technologically challenged and I hope that this course will help me become more competent.