We Interrupt This Programming....

No, no important announcements or anything of that sort, I wanted to use this opportunity to take part in Music Therapy Advocacy Month. Many of those who know me know that I am a music therapist and that I work with children who have special needs. Some of you have heard my spiel on music therapy and some of you have seen it in action. Then there are some of you who scratch your head and wonder just exactly what kind of "new age hippy dippy stuff" I am involved with.

So what is Music Therapy you might be wondering? According to the American Music Therapy Association music therapy is "the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program." That is the official "text book" definition, if you will, but I prefer to tell you about music therapy in my own words.



Music therapy is a wonderfully diverse field and can cover many areas—I have colleagues that work with individuals who are elderly, are recovering from strokes, who are in psychiatric facilities, who are receiving hospice care, and who are recovering from traumatic brain injuries (US Representative Gabrielle Giffords and her music therapist have made the news very recently). There is a lot of growth in the area of wellness lately as the Baby Boomers are getting older but are working to maintain their cognitive fitness.

I work within the Special Education Department of a large suburban school district in the Dallas area. I use music to help students who have special needs work on goals that are typically non-musical in nature. We use music to help students with speech and communication skills, to work on fine and gross motor skills, to learn how to function in a group with appropriate social skills, and with general academic skills.

I serve these students in conjunction with speech therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, counselors, behavior specialists, and teachers. A big part of my job is teaching the teachers how to use music in their classrooms so that they can continue to utilize my strategies continuously in their learning environments. I work with students ranging in age from 3 years old to 22 years old. Many of my students have Autism, Intellectual Disabilities, Auditory/Visual Impairments, Speech Impairments, Emotional/Behavior Disturbances, and Physical Disabilities.



You may wonder how I discovered such a unique an interesting career. I started playing the clarinet in middle school and immediately fell in love with band and music, but I knew that I did not want to teach music or be a band director. I had a strong interest in psychology and human anatomy and considered studying physical therapy—but I didn’t like the idea of “giving up” music in order to study those other fields. While attending a college night at my high school I noticed a check box on an information card…it said “music therapy.” I was pretty certain that I had found the perfect career for me and set out to find more information. I attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas where I received my Bachelor’s of Music in Music Therapy, then I completed a six month clinical internship at a state psychiatric facility, sat for my Board Certification exam and the rest is history! My first job was in a nursing home and I worked there for two years before coming to the school system.

I am so fortunate to have found a career that is more than just a "job". I am so lucky because I have been working with students when they have uttered their first word or sound. Music is such a motivating thing for most kids so their faces usually light up when they see me come in the room with my guitar. Sometimes music is the only thing that will work for a student and the teachers and other therapists will come to me when they have tried everything that they can think of. One of the physical therapists calls us “magic therapists”. I get to sing and play with kids all day…who can beat that? There are very few drawbacks to my job and that is another reason that I am lucky.



I think that people are surprised at the level of musicianship a music therapist must possess. In order to be an effective therapist you have to be completely in the moment with your client. That means that you can’t be thinking about what lyric comes next or how to play a chord on the guitar. The music must flow so naturally from you that it is like second nature. You must have a lot of skills in your “bag of tricks.” The more instruments you can play with ease the more tools you will have when working with a client and thus more opportunities to reach them.

My coworkers and I call it the “Iceberg Theory”—a casual observer might simply see singing, music games, instruments, and fun but there is a lot going on under the surface—communication skills, motor skills, social skills, academic skills….the list is infinite! Music therapy really requires a wonderful mix of skills—psychology, education, human interactions, and musicianship.

So there it is in a nutshell, there is more to me than just running! I love to talk about music and music therapy, so if you have questions or want to share your thoughts I would love to hear from you!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled (running) program....

Remembering September 11, 2001

There has been so much media coverage this week about the events of September 11, 2001. I was amazed at how much seeing and hearing the footage from that day rocked me to my very core. I had no idea that so many thoughts and feelings would come rushing back. I have been thinking alot about how my own experience played out on that day and what a big role music played in my processing of the event.

I was in a somewhat unique position that day as I saw seven music therapy groups on four campuses that day. The 2001-02 school year was the hardest one I have experienced due to an exceedingly heavy caseload and this day was a prime example of that. I got most all of my news from the radio in my car that day and I wasn't able to see a TV until almost noon. When I walked out of my apartment on that beautiful morning the world was pretty normal and it seemed as if fall had arrived, but by the time I started my car the events of the day had already started to unfold. I remember going to my first school where my teacher and her students did not know what was happening. I didn't want to tell them so I conducted my group in an ordinary fashion--it was a relief to me to have a little bit of "normal" on what would be an extraordinary day. By the time I got in my car to go to my second campus, the first tower had crumbled and I think that the second fell before I got to my second school. The news of the crash at the Pentagon was also coming in by that time. I was working in the direct flight path of DFW Airport and I remember sitting in my car watching plane after plane head into the airport. Everyone felt so uneasy that day and lots of parents were coming to pick their kids up from school and only a few of the afternoon students came to the preschool classes that I was working with. I remember looking at the classroom calendar--they were putting a paper apple with the number of each date on it during the class calendar time--and seeing the apple with the 11 on it...thinking that 9/11 would forever hold a significant place in history.

My day continued in the same manner with trips to two more campuses. I felt insecure and very alone that day as I traveled from place to place. I love the freedom that my job allows, but I was craving the company of others on that day. My last stop was at a high school, they had a blood drive scheduled for that day (just a coincidence) and had to stop taking donations because they ran out of supplies...people were wanting to help in any way that they could.

I finished my day at the home of my clarinet student for our usual Tuesday lesson. Alan was probably about an 8th grader at the time--a very bright student who was a joy to teach. We could hear the news coming from the TV in the other room, but neither of us spoke of the it. Making music was the most comfortable and normal thing that we could do. Looking back, I realize that cancelling the lesson--or any of my groups that day--was never a thought. Making music was seemed like the most natural thing that we could do that day and for that I am grateful.

I lived near Addison Airport at that time and had grown very used to the sound of commuter planes landing all day and into the night. When I first moved in it was a little unsettling and maybe annoying. However, I longed for those sounds in the days following 9/11. It was just so quiet...too quiet.

Lots of images stand out in my mind from that day and the days that follow. Who could forget the Congressmen standing on the steps of the Capital and singing God Bless America? Or when baseball came back to Yankee Stadium? Or Dan Rather crying on the David Letterman Show? I found myself lost in my work during those days--my students could not grasp what was going on in the world so things seemed pretty "normal" when we had our music therapy time together. I could almost loose myself in our music and fun and forget what was going on in the world. The innocence and trust in their eyes reminded me that we had such a responsibility to be strong for them.

Erik and I were supposed to fly to Nashville at the end of that week for a family wedding. Needless to say, we would not be catching any flights--I didn't see a plane in the sky until that Saturday when we were already in Nashville. It was an amazing time to be out on a long road trip, something that I will never forget. We saw flags and banners hanging off of random overpasses on interstate highways and patriotic messages written on cars and trucks. The radio stations were all playing fairly somber music and the DJs spoke in hushed tones. There was a feeling that we were all looking out for each other on those crowded highways.

There was an incredible spirit that arose in our country in the days following 9/11. I was sad that it took such tragedy to bring about such a great unity, but I loved it. People were taking the time to look out for each other and we stopped taking our time together for granted. I hope that the 10th anniversary of 9/11 will bring some of those feelings back to us and that we will take the time to reach out to our fellow man. I think that would send the loudest message to the terrorists...you can knock us down but we will just emerge stronger in the end.

Too Hot To Handle 15K: Adventures in SLOW

Sunday was another one of those days where running and music collide. It started bright and early with the Too Hot To Handle 15K and continued with a matinee performance at the Meyerson Symphony Center with my wind ensemble, the Metropolitan Winds, and ended with me in a lump on my sofa.

When I noticed that the Metropolitan Winds concert would be a matinee performance (unusual for the group) I considered not running Too Hot To Handle because I knew that the schedule would be very hectic. However, Too Hot To Handle is a favorite of ours and a tradition as well--not to mention the great race swag (nice tech tank and a sweet running cap). This is one of the bigger races and that means that it is a great opportunity to meet up with running friends both old and new.


With Mark L. Pre Race

The alarm sounded at 5:00, of course, I checked the weather--I'm not sure why I bother these days because it will be the same from now until mid-September. Yep, 83 degrees at 5:00 am...survival is the name of the game today. Erik and I arrived at the race and spent most of our pre-race time in the potty line. It looked like most of the other race participants were there too so it gave us a good opportunity to chat with some friends. We lined up with the rest of the crowd and were on our way and I immediately thought "I'm so not feeling this" my body felt heavy and slow from the very beginning. We held a good pace for the first couple of miles, but began to slow a bit as we went. I really think that our running speed was pretty good and consistent, it was the stops at the water stations that slowed the overall pace. We really took our time to get a good drink and spend a bit of time under the sprinklers. I have never poured water on my head during a race...until now, and it felt so refreshing as it rolled down my spine.

We crossed the finish line several minutes behind my goal for the day and I was so thankful to be finished. At the finish line they were handing out towels that had been soaked in ice water. I had to brace myself for the cold as I put the towel over my head...oh my! I am pretty sure that this is the best idea ever for a hot weather race.

Total Time: 1:32:35
35 out of 102 in Age Group

My summer mantra is "miles are miles" but I found it hard not to be disappointed in myself after this race. I ran the same race 5-6 minutes faster last year in the same kind of weather and this is likely a new personal worst for the 15K distance. I know that I am capable of running faster, but I felt that it was more important to try to stay cool and hydrated...that and the whole concert thing---that takes some energy too and I didn't want to be a zombie on stage. I signed up for this race as a chance for a focused run before El Scorcho next Saturday and El Scorcho is still my main goal for the month. Running in the heat is no joke and I know that I am not a great hot weather runner. Case in point: I ran this same course 13 minutes faster in January at Too Cold To Hold. How many days until the first freeze?


Smiling With Elaine Post Race

We spent some time talking with friends and cooling off in the shade and then it was time to rush home. In an hour's time I transformed from my running look pictured above to this:



I spent the afternoon performing American music with my colleagues in the Metropolitan Winds. It is always a thrill and an honor to take the stage at the Meyerson....and I realized that this was my 10th anniversary concert with the group...how is that even possible? We had a great crowd and I was happy to look out from the stage and see my mom and dad, brother and sister-in-law, and Erik in the audience. Making music is a wonderful thing to do, but it is even better when you can share the experience with family and friends. Erik took this picture during the concert, you can see me on the end of the top row on the left side-above the harp.



There isn't any reprieve from the summer heat--next up El Scorcho 25K. What is El Scorcho, you ask? Pure craziness....a race that starts at midnight at a park in Ft Worth. At 15.5 miles it will be my longest race ever and it will be filled with friends, tutus, blinky rings, water guns, and a showdown between the Ninja and Drum. I. Can't. WAIT!!

(Special thanks to Mark L, Mark O, EW, and Erik for the pictures)