So, you’re stuck at home, huh? Well, we are too, but that’s not stopping us from bringing music into the homes of our clients and students!
Our Muzique music team is working from home, just like everyone around the US is doing right now. Telehealth, or therapy online, isn’t new to the music world. This is something we never imagined HAVING to do, but it is something that has been out there as an option for a while. Although these are not the most ideal circumstances to discover how to use video chat for music therapy and music lessons, our therapists and instructors came together quickly in order to make sure our clients and students were as successful as possible! We wanted to feature them, so we gathered up a few of their thoughts during this time, and thought we’d share them with you!
Stephenie Sofield, MM, MT-BC
1. My first (work related) thought when we got the stay at home order was: how am I going to see my clients? I was not connecting the dots and realizing that I COULDN’T see them in person anymore. I think I, like many, didn’t fully grasp the situation for a few days.
2. The hardest part about suddenly providing Telehealth services is that not all of our clients have the capability to do telehealth. While many schools districts did the right thing by making sure school-aged children have access to technology and internet, those individuals who’ve graduated that didn’t have access to these things still don’t.
3. My best Telehealth win so far was the very first session I provided to a client I’ve had for several months - the family and I were nervous that she would not respond well. She recognized my voice right away and actually sang more than usual! I felt a lot better about Telehealth after that.
4. One thing I am not going to take for granted when I can see my clients in person again is: MICROEXPRESSIONS! I had no idea how much I rely on microexpressions, especially non-verbal clients. Right now I am just hoping that I’m taking the session in the right direction, and really relying on the clients’ family members to let me know if the client is happy with what we are doing.
5. Working virtually has changed me as a music therapist by forcing me to think not just out of the box, but forcing me to build a completely new box with new materials that I’ve never seen before, and thinking outside of THAT box.
6. The most difficult part of Telehealth as a music therapist is the lag. I miss being able to improvise spontaneously with my clients - improvising together is very difficult over technology, and I can miss key musical elements over telehealth if we improvise together. Instead, we are having to do a lot of turn taking so that all musicking can be heard and honored.
Alexia Lekos, Music Therapist
1. My first (work related) thought when we got the stay at home order was: Get all the instruments and disinfect everything before everything closes!
2. The hardest part about suddenly providing Telehealth services is: The feeling that I am starting from scratch considering I was not trained or prepared to provide services via the internet. I have now learned to adjust to lag in connections (which makes it harder to make music together with clients/ students) and how to give more verbal instructions instead of relying on hand over hand guidance. Also, I have been feeling a sense of loss and stability between my home and personal life. I prefer to separate home and work for the sake of myself being able to concentrate/ not getting distracted.
3. My best Telehealth win so far was… getting a great flow with my client during the music making. I felt I was successfully supporting their music while they sang without getting distracted by the internet lag.
Also, some news: I got a full-time music therapy job during a recession! Big personal win :)
4. One thing I am not going to take for granted when I can see my clients in person again is: Making music in the moment! NO INTERNET LAGGING!
5. Working virtually has changed me as a music therapist by/because… I have learned to give direct and clear instructions to help move the session along better online.
6. The most difficult part of Telehealth as a music therapist is… The loss of work and being able to see my clients/ students in person.
Sarah Troutman, Music Instructor
1. My first work related thought when we got the stay at home order was "this is going to be interesting-a new experience for sure!"
2. The hardest part about suddenly providing online music services is " making new lesson plans, various internet connection issues from call to call, placing the device just the right way for piano students so I can see their fingers and faces.
3. My best online music win so far was "making music bingo charts and playing"
4. One thing I am not going to take for granted when I see my students again is "their sweet little smile and positivity through this whole experience."
5. Working virtually has changed me as a music educator because it has made me more tech savvy, it has forced me out of my comfort zone and has allowed me to try new things."
6. The most difficult part of holding music lessons online as a music educator is "not being able to sit next to my students and correct them by moving their fingers or pointing to a specific spot in their music. A lot of more words go into online learning which can sometimes be complicated for young kids."
Karly Muzalier, MT-BC- Owner of Muzique, LLC
1. My first work related thought when we got the stay at home order was how in the WORLD are we going to adapt our sessions for all of our clients to be online?!?
2. The hardest part about suddenly providing TeleHealth services is not having the time to plan and prep all of my therapists for utilizing the online video platform.
3. My best TeleHealth win so far was watching my clients enjoy music no matter what! Most of the time, the fears of change are ours and not theirs.
4. One thing I am not going to take for granted when I see my clients again is being able to share in the physical moments of vibration and music making without delays.
5. Working virtually has changed me as a music therapist because I now see how this avenue of online services can be used with individuals of all ages and abilities and it has opened so many new doors!
6. The most difficult part of TeleHealth as a music therapist is the delay. Depending on the client’s WiFi connections, many of my sessions have a disconnect, call drop or delay, but I have learned how to work around this in a positive manner!
The world has changed, but our ability to provide continuity of services has not. We as a team are so grateful to be able to continue to provide services online during this difficult time. Where so many activities have been postponed or cancelled, we are able to adapt, adjust, and move forward! We give a HUGE shout out and thank you to our therapists and instructors for being the best!
Muzique is even taking on new clients through our online services and offering FREE 20 MINUTE consults! If you are interested in learning more about our services and how they could be beneficial to you or your loved one, reach out to us HERE!
Special thanks to Association Headquarters for their article that was the inspiration for this one! Find their article here: https://associationheadquarters.com/blog/instant-virtual-teams-how-navigate-new-normal-association-professional