Keep the momentum!
MTA Hayley was created as a place for community. One that celebrates diversity and difference with respect and humility. Open, honest, and constructive conversations have been engrained in the fabric of this venture since it's launch.
My first slogan was "Your story. Your song. Your strong." I fell in love with this from the lens of a music therapist because it connects the therapy element with the music element AND the goal of achieving a more empowered outcome. Although I decided to make a change a few months ago, I still hold true to these.
When I revamped my website, I had been reflecting a lot about the way I wish to grow and connect with my community beyond the role of direct client contact music therapy work. My reflections were grounded in 3 recurring themes: celebration, advocacy, and collaboration.
1. Celebrate.
I want to celebrate our stories as humans and our journeys as music therapists. I believe we all have something unique to share! Whether I am working with a client, promoting anti-oppressive practices, recording tea time chats for social media, or recording content for Able Voice Podcast - this is always my aim.
2. Advocate.
I mean... come on... this is why I created Mandy's Mom, The Music Therapist. I have yet to meet one music therapist that hasn't - at some point - grown tired of giving their elevator speech. We need more accessible methods of advocacy and I just happen to have a passion for brainstorming ways to accomplish this.
3. Collaborate.
With accessibility comes a greater opportunity for us to collaborate with creative arts professionals, healthcare practitioners, and allied health professionals. However, we first need to have a united front. We need to connect more as a music therapy community so that we can collectively move the profession forward. COVID-19 has demonstrated this to me in so many ways. We have come together to support one another and I am so proud to be a music therapist during this period in history but... there's still so much further left to grow.
Speaking of history... and growth...
This has been a very uncomfortable time for many. In some contexts, we have been deemed unessential, and in other contexts we are seen as valuable. With the recent visibility of social injustice, I can definitely relate this same dichotomy with my experience as a black music therapist.
And so, I had a call to action placed on my heart, with the help of my dear friend Priya Shah, to create a FREE resource for people needing more tools and guidance around the topic of anti-oppressive practice in music therapy. The reception of this resource has been incredible! I am excited for the future of this profession if this is any indication of our willingness to keep the momentum going with these tough but necessary conversations.
Staying true to my core pillar of advocacy within MTA Hayley, I wanted to move beyond this resource and provide even more opportunities for music therapists and creative arts therapy teams/faculties to grow and learn. This resource was always intended to be a starting point of reference. So... I have developed a workshop that includes:
A worksheet,
A brief overview of our resource guide,
A brief overview of language and terms around the topic of anti-oppressive practice,
Useful tools/steps specifically relating to our work as therapists, and
Lots of opportunity for constructive dialogue.
If you would like a hosted workshop for yourself and a few of your music therapy colleagues OR if you are part of a creative arts therapy team/faculty interested in this workshop you can contact me at mtahayley@gmail.com.
Keep the momentum! Join the discussion.
With hope,
xoxo Hayley
