MT Advocacy Month

Hello everyone! My name is Zoe Levine, and I’m Annapolis Music Therapy’s new intern. It’s my turn to tackle the #MTAdvocacy challenge and decide what my music therapy advocacy anthem is. I honestly had a hard time picking, because there are so many things that go into advocacy. You could pick a song like “I’ve Got the Music In Me” by The Kiki Dee Band that’s upbeat and about how wonderful music is and its potential to completely affect a person, which is what I’m always trying to communicate when I advocate. Every time I excitedly start telling someone in a related health profession about cool new MT research or I talk to the person stuck next to me on the plane about all the amazing clients success stories I’ve seen, it always comes back to music’s power to create change.

However, I don’t think that encompasses the entire advocacy experience. Songs like “Fight Song” by Rachel Platton are also relevant. There are times when advocates are turned away and it can feel like you’re just a “tiny boat in an ocean.” The song talks about being in too deep and not caring if anyone else believes in you. It’s the semi-combative anthem a tired advocate sometimes needs.

I went through quite a few options for my #MTAdvocacy song, but I finally settled on “Conqueror” by Estelle. The song’s verses are subdued and sober and feature lyrics about making mistakes, having a vision that no one else sees, and people cutting you out of conversations. The verses are then balanced by a big, powerful chorus about standing up, being a conqueror, and not accepting defeat. Estelle’s song is all about accepting challenges and rallying to pursue your vision, which for me includes a world where everyone has access to music therapy.

Yours,

Zoe Levine

January is Music Therapy Social Media Advocacy Month.

AMT is participating by selecting and sharing songs that serve as advocacy anthems for our profession.

January is Music Therapy Social Media Advocacy Month, and this year we are selecting and sharing songs that could serve as an advocacy song for our profession. Before choosing my song, I wanted to consider the American Music Therapy Association’s definition of an advocate. In their words, “a successful advocate is someone with passion and commitment to an idea, who tells a convincing story expressing their beliefs and passion.” With this in mind, I selected the song “Sing” originally by My Chemical Romance as my advocacy song of choice.

I believe the song showcases a passion for singing out in any circumstance, despite any adversity that may stand in the way. Music therapists similarly need to speak out to anyone who will listen to further inform the world about our profession. While music therapy has been an established, credentialed profession for many decades, many people still have not heard of music therapy or the many benefits it can provide. Through advocacy efforts, music therapists can continue to educate their communities and increase accessibility to music therapy services.

The chorus of the song mentions singing for all (the boys, the girls, the Deaf, the blind, to name a few). As music therapists, we should “sing” for, and more importantly, sing with, those who may have difficulty standing up for themselves. We advocate not only for our profession, but for the rights of our clients. Another stand-out section of the song comes in the second verse, where the band sings, “You’ve got to make the choice if the music drowns you out. And raise your voice every single time they try and shut your mouth.” Music therapists have to carry on with our advocacy efforts even when other professions, legislation, or members of the community may try to silence our words. Music therapists must persevere to continually speak up for the importance and validity of our profession.

I think “Sing” encapsulates this overall sentiment of standing up for your beliefs quite well. “Sing” was also covered on the hit show Glee, which provides a pop-style arrangement that further popularized the song. My Chemical Romance gives the song an alternative rock feel, and the intensity of the emotion behind the lyrics really shines through. I encourage you to listen to the full song from the link below!

Yours,

Valerie Kamen, Senior Intern

#MTAdvocacy Month, Part 2: What’s Your Advocacy Song?

#MTadvocacy Month: What’s Your Advocacy Song?

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