Maleea Roy

Music Therapy Practicum I

4/3/17

Chapter 9

Borczon, R. M. (2004). What Goes Around. Music Therapy: A Fieldwork Primer

(pp.141-149). University Park, IL: Barcelona Publishers.

Summary: This chapter is a collection of advice from many music therapists. It is

the last chapter and gives reflections as well as warnings about the profession of music

therapy. As the author puts it, this chapter is a result of a mass email sent to many music

therapists with varying years and levels of experience. This is in hope that I, too will

have the ability to pass on words of advice to others. Music therapists helping music

therapists is also a theme in this chapter. There is also multiple words of advice regarding

how to avoid burnout- the feeling of overstimulation or too much stress from the

profession. There is also a general consensus of continually educating ones self as well

as receiving some kind of therapy for music therapists. One therapist cites the

therapeutic relationship triangle that Bruscia uses to describe the interconnections

between the client, therapist, and the music. It is also important to network which means

to make connections and relationships with other professionals and feed off each others

ideas and experiences.

Favorite Passages: 1) You need to be passionate about this vocation- it is not a

job but a lifelong journey during which you will discover as much about yourself as the

clients you work with. Listen to your clients for they are your teachers. I believe that this

is an important aspect of music therapy- passion. Ive always heard that if you love your
job, you will never work a day in your life. I believe this is true and as a young student in

music therapy, I need to make sure that this is my passion. I will always be learning and

music therapy will become my life. While I cannot let it define who I am, loving music

therapy will make my job much more enjoyable and will help fuel the success of my

sessions and my actions. Another aspect that this therapist mentions is the fact that there

is much to learn about from the client. In a music therapy setting, there is as much to

learn from your client than what you are teaching to your client.

2) Another really important thing is to keep (or return to) playing music that nurtures.

YOU. Jam with people. Perform. Write. Do whatever you loved about music that made

you want to be a music therapist in the first place. We often get so busy (and tired) from

giving all the time and we forget (or neglect) to keep our creative reservoir full and

abundant and flowing. This is so important to me and I hope that I never forget this

piece of advice. I think a big fear I have is that I will tire of music and music therapy and

burn out of what I once was so excited about. I will make it a priority to keep creating

and return to the fact that I am a music therapist but also a musician and a creator. I can

help others (my clients) create as well by being the best creator I can be.

Point to Ponder: If you lose funding, it may be because you havent proven the

efficacy of your field. I never thought of this before, but it is essential that we as music

therapists represent our profession excellently. This would be a terrible thing to be out of

a job because I didnt represent my profession well enough. Music therapy is such a new

profession and it is imperative that music therapists do everything in their power to keep

a good reputation. However, it is also acceptable to make mistakes and Im sure there will
be many as a new music therapist. This was a piece of advice that I had never heard

before and I think it is good to reflect upon your successes and failures.

Reflexive Response: This chapter included helpful advice that I will definitely

return to throughout my career and training as a music therapist. I especially liked the

quote by the books author which included that music should be the focus of everything I

do for the simple reason that music is what began the desire to enter the glorious world

of music therapy. There were many themes in the chapter and the main points that I

garnered included the need to be: flexible, attentive, creative, and connected. I can

definitely agree that having other friends who are also music therapists can be

monumentally helpful. Even in my collegiate experience, I constantly find it useful to

talk to other music therapy students. They can inspire me in my own practicum sessions

as well as give me an outlet to express my thoughts and frustrations. I am excited to learn

more about music therapy and growing in this field.