unnamed.jpg

Spring 2022

Maramta_logo.jpg

Greetings from your editors

Ahola.JPG

Mark Ahola, MM, LCAT, MT-BC

Melissa Srolovitz .JPG

Mel Srolovitz, MM, MT-BC

Here is the spring edition of your MAR-AMTA newsletter, Tuning In to Rx Music. In this edition, you will find reports from appointed officers of the MAR-AMTA Executive Board.


So please enjoy your spring read and...thanks for Tuning In to Rx Music!


As always, feel free to give newsletter feedback by emailing:

editor@maramta.org

assistanteditor@maramta.org

Table of Contents

Sponsor Ads

(click on ads for direct links)



Reports

President

President-Elect

Immediate Past President

CoreValues Committee

Vice President for Membership

Public Relations Chair

Government Relations

Vice President for Conference Planning

MAR Assembly Chair

Student Affairs

Professional Advocacy

Continuing Education

Distance training program flyer_Revised 4_21_22.png
AD MAR January 2022 _Music Therapy Online_1024_1.jpg
CMR FLYER Website Announcement1024_1.jpg
Howard University.png

Howard University, founded in 1867, is the only HBCU with a music therapy program within the MAR! The music program started at the school in 1870, and as of 2021 has been renamed as Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts in honor of the great alumnus. Follow this link to learn more about the rich history of the School of Music at Howard University: https://music.howard.edu/about


MAR-AMTA wants to take time to help raise awareness of and provide support to this impressive and innovative Music Therapy program. Join us in spreading the word about this program and consider providing support via donations through the links below: 

Black Music Therapy Network Student Scholarship fund - Donations collected are used to fund scholarships through the BMTN that can be awarded to music therapy students at Howard that apply: https://www.blackmtnetwork.org/donations-center

Other Support for Howard University MTs- Howard University has identified a need for support from the music therapy community with clinical placements, networking/mentorship for students, guests lecturers, and mentorship/support for faculty. Please fill out this Google Form to indicate any support you are able to provide in these areas: https://forms.gle/39mxLNp6MkKDmesN9


If you are interested in learning about other ways to support students and Howard University, please reach out to Jasmine Edwards at Jasmine.edwards1@howard.edu or PR Chair Cheyenna Eagle at Publicrelations@maramta.org

member spotlight robert miller.jpg







President's Report


Robert Miller, MS, MT-BC

Dear members of the MAR-AMTA,


I hope this spring finds you well! It felt like a long winter, and I’m happy to see the return of longer days and warmer weather. I think - I hope - we can finally put away the snow gear and ice scrapers and enjoy the unfolding of green and new growth all around! 


It’s been a busy few months since our last newsletter. The biggest news, by far, is the first in person conference we’ve had as a region since 2019! It was amazing to get to see so many of you and to gather in Harrisburg to share, learn, create, and celebrate music therapy and the MAR! My deepest thanks and appreciation to Timothy Doak, Vice President of Conference Planning; Ian Vereen, Vice President of Conference Planning-Elect; the conference co-chairs Gene Ann Behrens and Meng-Shan Lee, and to everyone who helped on the conference committee or served as a conference volunteer. It took a lot of work behind the scenes and extensive preparation to make the conference happen! Please look for the Vice President of Conference Planning’s report for additional conference details.


Every year we host an Awards Ceremony, and I am honored to share the names of those we recognized with you here:


Janet C. Murphy Conference Scholarship

Rocco Roguskie


MAR-AMTA Scholarship for Racial Minority Students

Sophia Choi


MAR-AMTA Research Grant

Meng-Shan Lee


MAR-AMTA Honorary Research Grant

Heeyoun Cho


MAR-AMTA Research Poster Awards

Professional and Quantitative Research Award: Amber Eade, Jenna Duncan, Nicole Hahna, Vern Miller


Outstanding Undergraduate Qualitative Research Award: Laura Bill


Outstanding Undergraduate Quantitative Research Award: Hunter Eshbash, Cara Warntz


MAR-AMTA Advocacy Awards

Jamie Dunlap, Amy Gabriele, Mary Marshall, Elizabeth Murray


MAR-AMTA Service Award 

Gene Ann Behrens


MAR-AMTA Benedikte Scheiby Innovative Spirit Award

Natalia Alvarez-Figueroa

MAR-AMTA President’s Award

Clarissa Lacson


There are a number of students that were recognized as part of the ceremony. Please check out the Student Affairs Advisor report for more details!


We continue to be a region undergoing transformation and growth, and with that comes some important conversations and considerations. One of the larger discussions focused around the Anonymized Voting process that was adopted by the region in 2021. An amendment was brought to the floor to request that bylaws related to anonymous voting be sent back to membership for reconsideration. After discussion the motion was voted upon and did not pass, keeping anonymous voting in place. The Nominations Committee held a concurrent session to discuss current practices, outline the process in place for evaluation and continued development, and to invite feedback. The MAR-AMTA Executive board hosted a Town Hall where we shared updates from our board members and provided opportunities for feedback, questions, and discussion with those who were at the conference as well as those who attended the meeting virtually.


This dialogue is always vital to our process. As always, please feel free to reach out to me at president@maramta.org or to any of our board members with your thoughts, questions, concerns, or ideas. I hope to connect with you again soon!


In Service,


Robert Miller

President, MAR-AMTA

Audrey Hausig photo.jpg




President-Elect's Report



Audrey Hausig, MMT, MT-BC

Greetings MAR Community,


Thank you all for your contributions to the 2022 Constitution and Bylaw Revisions and to all who voted. All the revisions have passed. We are looking forward to some exciting revision proposals for next year including combining the Constitution and Bylaws into one more accessible document, applying a critical discourse analysis from an anti-oppressive lens, and creating a glossary and plain language summary. We'll also be looking into suggestions that didn't fit into this year's revisions and we will be working with other committees and with community members. We invite your feedback and participation.


Please feel free to reach out to me at presidentelect@maramta.org at any time with questions, suggestions, and concerns. Wishing you all justice, health, and peace, Audrey

Deyermond head shot.jpg


Immediate Past President's Report


Beth Deyermond, MA, MT-BC



Dear members and friends of the MAR-AMTA,


The Nominating Committee continues to be hard at work in reviewing the MAR-AMTA 2021 election and making further steps to improve equity, efficiency, and transparency throughout the process.  I again would like to 

thank the members of the Nominating Committee, (Bethany Lindenblad, Rebecca Warren, Audrey Hausig, and Nicole Hahna), for their willingness to serve and the work they have done thus far. Also, thank you to those members who have reached out and met with members of the committee to share their thoughts. 


At the recent MAR-AMTA Regional conference, the Nominating Committee (NomCom) presented a concurrent session titled: MAR-AMTA Nominating Committee Presents - Nominations and Elections: Building foundations for equitable processes. This presentation included a brief overview of feedback the committee has received from the previous election, an overview of the regional election process, a preview of the upcoming election process, and some ideas (nothing definitive) for the upcoming election cycle. To view the information presented, please visit the following link: Nominating Committee: Building Foundations for Equitable Processes


As our work continues, we will continue to keep you informed as much as possible. As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns at pastpresident@maramta.org


In service,


Beth Deyermond, MA, MT-BC

Immediate Past President

colors_people_group.jpg

Expression of Interest: MAR-AMTA Core Values Committee

The MAR-AMTA is in the process of developing a Regional Core Values statement. As part of this process, we will also be reviewing the region's mission statement and possibly creating a vision statement. Members of this committee will include music therapists and music therapy students from around the region (both members and non-members of AMTA). If you are interested in possibly serving in this capacity, please feel out the form below. Thank you.

https://forms.gle/ssQ9QY3p1MHvrYW9A 

Clarissa_Lacson-sq.jpg


Vice President for Membership Report


Clarissa Lacson, MA, MT-BC

Thank you to everyone who applied for and reviewed scholarships over the past few months! We would like to congratulate Sophia Choi on winning the MAR-AMTA Minority Student scholarship, as well as the winner of the Member Support scholarship (awardees for this scholarship are confidential). 

In the coming months I will work on organizing a panel on telehealth practice in music therapy. Once a date is selected, it will be announced via email and social media platforms. Stay tuned!


Please feel free to reach out to me at vpmembership@maramta.org with any questions, suggestions, or feedback. Wishing you all a healthy and productive spring!


Chey Eagle Photo.png



Public Relations Chair Report


Cheyenna Eagle, MT-BC


Executive Board photo _PR Report_.jpg

Happy Spring, MAR-AMTA! 


It has been just about a month since our Regional conference in Harrisburg, PA, and what an exciting time it was! Our social media pages, snapchat filter, and hashtag (#maramta2022) were used so many times throughout the conference, and it was a wonderful reminder of how lovely it can be to come together with our MAR community! 


One of my personal goals as Public Relations Chair has been to increase communication with the region and maintaining an accessible and frequently updated online presence is a key part of that goal. Our social media pages and visits to our website have been growing slowly steadily, but if you have not already, I invite you to join our Facebook Group or like our page and follow us on Twitter (@MARAMTA) and Instagram (@MARMusicTherapy) to make sure you always know what’s going on in our region! 


Another fun update for Public Relations: We are bringing back our MAR Membership Spotlights! There are so many wonderful music therapists in the Mid-Atlantic Region and we want to thank you all for the hard work and dedication you have for our profession. These features will be made as posts on our social media pages and website at the beginning of each new month. Right now, Clarissa (VP of Membership) and I are planning for one feature per month, and we will be adjusting the process as needed. If you know anyone in the region that would you like to submit for our MAR Membership Spotlight, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/nXEZQHuTsvDgaEE69. If at any time you have questions or comments about the Spotlight, feel free to contact me at publicrelations@maramta.org. We look forward to hearing about the amazing things everyone is doing in our region!


I have been working closely with our Webmaster, Joseph Madejski, to keep our website looking fresh! We have made a lot of progress with our website (mar-amta.org) so far, but we still have a long way to go. I encourage you to check out the updates that have been made and to let us know your thoughts! Our goal is to make the website the most beneficial, and functional, it can be for our community, so if there are changes and improvements you would like to see, or if you ever run into any issues, please do not hesitate to contact the webmaster (webmaster@maramta.org) or myself (publicrelations@maramta.org).


That is all for now from Public Relations! A quick reminder that if there is ever anything that we as a board can do to better support you, please let us know. I hope you enjoy the springtime as it slowly starts to roll in and flowers begin to bloom again! Thank you!


Cheyenna Eagle, MT-BC, NMT

Chey- (She/her/hers) 

MAR-AMTA Public Relations Chair 


Website: MAR-AMTA.org

Twitter: @MARAMTA

Instagram: MARMusicTherapy

Facebook: Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy association

Sofield 2021 Headshot.jpg
TatyanaMartin-photo.jpg


Government Relations Chair Report



Stephenie Sofield, MM, MT-BC (she/her/hers)






Government Relations Elect Chair


Tatyana Martin, MT-BC

Regional Updates:


As a result of the MD MT Licensure Assistance Support Grant (co-created by MAR/MDSTF to meet the needs of MD MTs), the MAR EB proposed and implemented a conference raffle where donations towards the new MAR-AMTA Licensure Grant. The raffle prize is a free conference registration fee for 2023.


*Licensure Achieved (in hand or in the process of writing regulations)


DESTF (Chair: Gina Greeson) 


  • No current activities.



MDSTF* (Co-Chairs: Tatyana Martin, Elizabeth Smith) 

  • Licensure: 
  • Licensed Professional Music Therapist (LPMTs) Running Total in State: 110, as a result of the SB 82 the music therapy licensure went into law June 1, 2021!


  • Effective January 1, 2022 all Music Therapists need to obtain licensure in order to practice within the state. Deadline for applications extended thru April 20th, 2022 for all practicing Music Therapists.


  • Maryland Music Therapy Licensure Assistance Grant
  • Collaboration with Maryland Association of Music Therapy (MAMT) and private contributors provided financial support for music therapists who have expressed hardship with the original 30-day timeline and expense of obtaining licensure within the state.



NJSTF* (Chair: Paula Unsal) 

  • NJSTF helped art, dance/movement and drama therapists in getting their remaining members appointed to the State Board of Creative Arts and Activities Therapies. Those final 4 members took the Oath of Office and on January 18, 2022, the Board met with all therapists in the creative arts members in attendance.


  • The sub-committees assigned to write the regulations have not met in the last 3 months, so no progress has been made.  


  • NJSTF launched a social media campaign in February of 2022. The purpose of the campaign is:To raise awareness of the profession of music therapy in New Jersey and to elevate this awareness to the understanding that music therapy is a healthcare profession, and as a healthcare profession, only qualified professional music therapists may provide treatment. Music therapists, students and interns are asked to contribute videos relating anecdotal successes, and quotes from all sources and research.


  • In conjunction with this campaign, NJSTF created 7 New Jersey specific documents about music therapy covering 6 clinical areas and information about music therapy and music therapists. Each document covers generalized information related to the clinical area, what music therapy addresses that is unique, what approaches music therapists might use, research that supports the use of music therapy, comparison of music therapy to other disciplines, what people say about music therapy, a map which shows by county where music therapy services are offered pertaining to that clinical need, reimbursement sources for New Jersey and the reference list. These documents are currently under graphic design and will be available on the state music therapy association’s website for the general public.


  • NJSTF continues to follow-up with New Jersey Civil Service to update job listings for music therapists. The current goal is to require the MT-BC until licenses are available.



NYSTF (Chair: Donna Polen) 

  • Currently having a letter-writing campaign to members of the Senate and Assembly Higher Education Committees.   


  • Held numerous meetings in March with staffers in the offices of our Senate and Assembly bill sponsors (NY Senate Bill S21A and NY Assembly Bill A5027A) and the offices of the Chairs of the Senate and Assembly Higher Education Committees


  • Submitted several proposed revisions to our licensing bill which were completed by bill drafting and approved by our bill sponsors; these revisions included:
  • Addition of language negotiated between AMTA, CBMT and ASHA clarifying scopes of practice between music therapy and speech therapy.
  • Removal of references to the National Music Therapy Registry, which ended on 1/1/2020
  • Removal of ADHD and ASD from the list of “serious mental illness”


  • Continuously monitoring LCAT activities, as well as legislation that affects LCATs



PASTF (Co-Chairs: Michelle Muth and Nicole Hahna) 

  • House Bill 2573 was introduced with 32 co-sponsors!!!!


  • At MAR conference, PASTF hosted a successful Hill Day, CMTE, Student Leadership Academy, and Town Hall Meeting.  All of these events have virtual options. 


  • The Task Force has completed and submitted final responses to questions from the Pennsylvania Department of State related to our Sunrise Review.


  • Phase 1 (Southeast region) of the Statewide Music Therapy Initiative for Health Care Workers is under way with Phase 2 being introduced on March 24th for the Southwest Region. This is a collaboration with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) and the Pennsylvania Music Therapy Task Force.  This  500,000 grant is the first ever; statewide initiative that is being rolled out in 3 phases. It is also the largest grant the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts has ever given and largest funding initiative to date for music therapy in the USA. For more information see: https://www.haponline.org/Public-Health/Nurturing-Health-Communities/Music-Therapy 


  • We are pleased to report that the task force has a full compliment of members. Our new members are: Bethany Wentling, Chris Morrison and Kristine Becker (student representative from Temple). Seasoned  members of the Task Force are: Nicole Hahna and Michelle Muth as co-chairs; Noah Potvin and Madison Frank.



VASTF* (Co-Chairs: Tracy Bowdish and Shelby Reynolds) 

  • VASTF is meeting regularly with the MAR and national GR teams for guidance with decisions regarding regulation writing and reimbursement.

 

 

  • The VASTF is in correspondence with the regional and national teams to review drafted recommendations for regulation.


  • Thank You Tracy Bowdish for your amazing service on the VASTF! Tracy has stepped down from Co-chair and we wish her the best!



WVSTF (Chair: Nancy Marmorella) 

  • Nancy Marmorella is the new WVSTF chair! We are excited to work with her and national to revitalize the work in WV.
Timothy Doak_ VPCP.jpg
Ian Vereen VPCP Elect.JPG


Vice President for Conference Planning



Timothy Doak, MS, LCAT, MT-BC






Vice-President Elect for Conference Planning


Ian Vereen, MT-BC, NMT

Hello MAR-AMTA! 


First and foremost, thank you to those who attended (live or remotely) the 2022 MAR-AMTA Conference in Harrisburg, PA! Without your participation we would not have had such a successful event! 


We would like to once again thank the local conference planning committee for their tremendous support, efforts, and dedication to ensuring this conference was a hit! The local conference committees take on an enormous amount of responsibility and each of the individuals below made sure the entire region was safe, healthy, and had an enjoyable conference experience! If you know the individuals below, please reach out and thank them for their dedication!


Co-Chairs: Gene Ann Behrens, PhD, MT-BC, CTSS 

Meng-Shan Lee, MMT, MT-BC


Entertainment: Lauren Rowe, MT-BC

Ashley Howson, MT-BC 


Registration: Melanie Walborn, MT-BC 

Mingyue (Terence) Xu, MA, MT-BC


Exhibits: Melissa Ward, MT-BC

Bethany Wentling, MT-BC 


Government Relations: Emily Boyce, MMT, MT-BC 


Publicity: Stephanie Strauss, MT-BC 

Andrea Giraldo, MMT, MT-BC 


Volunteers: Beth Ghiorzi, MA, MT-BC


Instruments: Cassy Schoffstalls, MM, MT-BC


We would also like to thank other individuals who helped contribute to the success of the conference! Without these individuals, conferences would not be the same!



MAR Exhibits Chair: Christopher Gold, MA, LCAT, MT-BC


MAR Events Planner: Allison Broaddrick, MT-BC


Ignited Light & Sound: AV Company


MAR Conference Sponsors: 

     Gold: Washington Adventist University & Shenandoah University

     Silver: AMTA, Yamaha, WBMT, & Anonymous Donor 

     Bronze: Expressions by Gene, The Spiegel Academy

Donations: Music Works Publications, Spence Candies, Erica Fisher-Metzel, Sheetz, Giant, MARS, Hershey


David’s Fund: Tom & Lucy Ott


MAR Executive Board


The 2022 MAR-AMTA Conference brought in a total of 479 registrants. Further breakdowns can be found below. Financial information will be provided at the next Executive Board meeting, as the finance committee will be meeting to discuss total costs.


In-Person: 395 

Virtual: 58

Non-Member of AMTA: 223

Member of AMTA: 180

Professional: 211

Student: 231

CMTEs: 49

Total: 479


Many people have been emailing in reference to the recorded videos from the conference. An additional announcement will be made for those who registered when the recordings are ready. It is taking significant time to edit the videos and then upload them onto our virtual platform. Please be patient, and we apologize for the delay! 


The 2023 MAR-AMTA Conference location has been announced, and we will be in Niagara Falls NY March 7th-9th, 2023. The hotel will be the Sheraton Niagara Falls and the conference will be located at the Niagara Falls Conference & Event Center just across the street. The local committee is beginning to form, so if you are a music therapist in the Niagara Falls area (within 1.5 hours) and are interested in serving on the local committee, please reach out to Timothy Doak (vpconferenceplanning@maramta.org) as soon as possible! Announcements regarding the “2023 Call for Papers” will be issued sometime in July 2022!


If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Timothy Doak (vpconferenceplanning@maramta.org) and Ian Vereen (vpconferenceplanningelect@maramta.org). Once again, thank you for your continued support! 


In Service, 


Timothy Doak, MS, LCAT, MT-BC

VP for Conference Planning, MAR-AMTA


Ian C. Vereen, MT-BC, NMT

VP for Conference Planning-elect, MAR-AMTA


Donna Polen - Assembly.JPG


MAR Assembly Chair Report


Donna Polen, LCAT, MT-BC

2022 MAR Regional Conference, Harrisburg, PA

A concurrent session, “What’s New? Your Delegates Offer Some Answers,” was facilitated by members of the 2022-2023 MAR Delegation.


AMTA Assembly of Delegates Updates

Assembly Speaker Brian Jantz and Assistant Speaker Spencer Hardy are working with the regional Presidents and Assembly Chairs to identify a date in the near future for the inaugural meeting of the 2022-2023 AMTA Assembly of Delegates. They are working to confirm an Assembly Secretary and Assembly Parliamentarian.


2022-2023 MAR Assembly Delegation


DELEGATES, in alphabetical order

Brian Abrams  

Danielle Barbera 

Beth Deyermond

Lynn Gumert 

Audrey Hausig

Scott Horowitz

Andi Hunt 

Clarissa Lacson

Conio Loretto 

Bob Miller

Kate Myers-Coffman

Kristen O’Grady

Donna Polen

Lauren Stoner


ALTERNATES, in order of being called

Melinda Korte 

Nicole Hahna

Shawna Vernisie

Ian Vereen

Kendall Joplin 

Kim Drabik

Bailey Hunter

Cheyenna Eagle

Cassie Byers 

Melanie Walborn 

Mary Claire Holiday

Vacant

Vacant

Vacant

Meghan Smith photo.JPG



Student Affairs

Advisor Report


Meghan Smith, MT-BC

Description of position


The Student Affairs Advisor (SAA) holds an important role in supporting the MARAMTAS executive board (Mid Atlantic Region American Music Therapy Association Students), student chapter representatives, and study body at large. The SAA is responsible for providing guidance and advocacy, connecting the student e-board with the professional board, and assisting with student centered engagements throughout the two year term. Additionally, the SAA is responsible for executing the process for three student scholarships, annual Passages Conference, guiding the student e-board with regional conference duties, collaborating with the MARAMTS Treasurer and MARAMTA Treasure with the student budget, and advocating on behalf for them as needed.  

The SAA works closely with not only the student e-board, but also with the Professional Board, Music Therapy Department Professors and Directors, Internship Supervisors/Directors, and selected co-chairs. It is the duty of the SAA to attend all necessary meetings and conferences for MARAMTA and MARAMTS, be an AMTA member, report to the professional board and MAR Region of their happenings/accomplishments, and abide by all AMTA professional ethics and standards of practice. 


2021-2022 Accomplishments


  • Support Student Fundraising Efforts! Please see the link below if you’re interested in wonderful music therapy themed gifts. All proceeds go to MARAMTS and their fundraising efforts! 

      https://www.bonfire.com/store/maramtsmerchandise/


  • The High School Advocacy Project took place on April 23rd. Our outgoing MAR-AMTS Executive Board reached out to high schools all across our region to offer a free informational zoom presenting all about music therapy. 


  • 2021 Student Leadership Academy took place on Thursday, April 7th during the MAR Conference. I would like to extend a huge thank you to the Pennsylvania State Task Force for meeting with students to discuss “The Role of Advocacy in your Music Therapy Career”. 


  • Thank you to each of our schools who raised funds for MAR-AMTS Gives Back organization this year, The Tutti Ensemble at Marywood University.


2022 Scholarships:


Congratulations again to each of our scholarship recipients this year. Your outstanding service and involvement in the region is so exciting to see, and we are thrilled to celebrate your achievements with you.


The Jenny Shinn Memorial Scholarship Awards were awarded to…

  • Hannah Stevens, West Chester University of Pennsylvania,
  • Kathryn MacGown, Molloy College

The Sophomore, Junior, Graduate Scholarships were awarded to…

  • Andrew Wolfson, SUNY New Paltz
  • Anaya Baptiste, Roberts Wesleyan College

The Music Therapy Club Awards were awarded to…

  • Nazareth College Music Therapy Club
  • Marywood University Music Therapy Club

And our Chapter Representative Awards were awarded to…

  • Madeleine Berkle, Shenandoah University
  • D’Ambra Galvin, Marywood University


2022-2023 MAR-AMTS Executive Board


Congratulations to our newly elected MAR-AMTS Board:

  • President: Dana Shafranek, Montclair State University
  • President-Elect: Nina DeMilta, Nazareth College
  • Vice President: Christina Mihalik, Nazareth College
  • Treasurer: Katelyn VanLanen, Marywood University
  • Secretary: Anaya Baptiste, Roberts Wesleyan College
  • Parliamentarian: Elise Kohler, Montclair State University
  • Government Relations Chair: Zacharia Arsalane, Temple University
  • Public Relations Chair: Nazarene Campodonico, Nazareth College
  • Historian: Nicole Pinnella, Elizabethtown College
MMuth_HeadshotSmall.jpg


Professional Advocacy Report


Michelle Muth, MT-BC

The Professional Advocacy (PAC) committee continues to evaluate representations of music therapy in various media sources and in the public. The committee compiles and maintains a resource file of various instances of misrepresentation and advocacy support provided to members and uses this information to track trends in misrepresentation issues. To assist us in collecting this data, we encourage members to reach out to us through our advocacy email that can be found on the AMTA website (amtaprofessionaladvocacy@gmail.com), or through our private Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/2548574255430389). You can also reach out to your regional representative (professionaladvocacyrep@maramta.org) to receive consultation about education and advocacy issues.

 

The committee has a private Facebook group with a variety of advocacy resources, including recorded presentations, readings, and blogs that help educate group members on advocacy. One initiative this past year has been to better utilize the FB group by offering bi-weekly engagements posts to provide guidance for advocacy issues. These issues included burnout, practicing growth mindedness, and strategies for interacting with the public.  We continue to seek ways to help or provide guidance for advocacy issues.  You may request access to the Facebook group at this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2548574255430389 or search FB for “American Music Therapy Association Professional Advocacy” and request to join.

 

The committee has provided several regional and national advocacy related presentations to disseminate committee information and on gaining public support of music therapy. If you have suggestions for future events where you feel it would be beneficial to have someone on our committee present, please reach out to Michelle Muth, MAR regional representative to arrange this (professionaladvocacyrep@maramta.org)

 

During the past year we have had several members transition off the committee and we would like to acknowledge the work of Kalani Das, Jessica DeVillers, and Sharon Graham. We would like to thank them for their service to the organization and wish them well in their future endeavors. We welcome Kaitlin Ridgway from GLR, Brea Murakami from the Western Region and Dean Quick from the Southeast Region. If you have interest in serving on our committee, please reach out to the president of your region for more information.

 

Submitted,

 

Michelle Muth, MT-BC

MAR Professional Advocacy representative to the Mid-Atlantic Region

professionaladvocacyrep@maramta.org


HollidayMary.jpg

Continuing Education Coordinator Report


Mary Claire Holliday, MS, LCAT, MT-BC

Hello MAR Community,


Thank you to all who attended our recent conference! It was a pleasure to see you there. This year we were able to offer four five-hour courses in person with more than forty participants, and we hosted two other continuing education opportunities during the year as well.   

Please feel free to reach out to me at continuingeducation@maramta.org at any time with questions, suggestions, and concerns. I look forward to hearing from you!


Mary Claire

continuingeducation@maramta.org

Maramta_logo.jpg

We hope that reading the latest news and reports from within the MAR region benefited you. The submissions deadline for the summer edition is July 1.