The Power of Music
For nearly eleven years, I have been associated with West Music Company from Coralville, Iowa. I remember how impressed I was when I first got on board here and read our mission statement: ENRICHING PEOPLE'S LIVES THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN MUSIC At the time, I had no...
Music for Me and My Pal Group
West Music is proud to introduce a program designed to meet the needs of children with autism and other special needs in Cedar Rapids/Marion area. This music therapy group will contain 3-4 children and meet 1 time a week to work on a variety of goal areas. Open to...
The Goodness of People
Would you like to hear a story that will warm your heart? Recently this music therapist met a new hospice client, an elderly woman who is dealing with advanced dementia. When her daughter answered the door she directed me to go upstairs where her mother was...
Deck the Halls
This year I went to the mall on Halloween morning. They were putting up the Christmas displays. I was dismayed. I am someone who enjoys Halloween and Thanksgiving, before I want to see Christmas decorations. This is not the way it works elsewhere in America, however,...
A Guide to Baritone, Euphonium and Tuba
Deanna Swoboda, former tubist with the internationally recognized Dallas Brass, is Assistant Professor of Music at Western Michigan University where she teaches tuba and euphonium and performs with the Western Brass Quintet, a resident faculty ensemble. Since 1994,...
Helping Ship the Sound of Music Around the World
Every other Friday is payday at Westco, the fulfillment center for West Music Company. That fact is particularly exciting for three of the company's newest employees, who recently gained their first taste of community employment through Westco. Paul Harmsen, Buddy...
Lessons Learned from My Internship
I started my internship in July and have 2 weeks left. The time has gone so fast! When I began applying for internships, the main characteristic of the internship that I was looking at was experience with populations that I had not worked with. I did not have...
Within the Walls of Music Therapy
Let me take you on a mental journey inside the walls of a music therapy session (picture a small closet, a conference room, the end of a hallway). Today our subject will be a 4 year old with autism. His goals (from his Individual Education Plan) include using 3-word...
Hard To Be Humble
Today was not hard to be humble. I think most people who know me would say that needing to be perfect is not a huge issue for me. But today I received a true gift as a music therapist …. And all I had to do was follow the lead of others. I walked into a care center...
Where is Your Music Therapist?
Music therapists, in general, have to wear many different hats throughout the week, and for those individuals who receive music therapy they generally don’t see their music therapist more than once a week or once every other week. So where is your music therapist...