“Intro to MT” Course Taught at Community College
After 30-plus years clinical experience, music therapist Linda Bosse “retired” and embarked on some new adventures in the field. She became a visiting lecturer at Berklee College of Music and adjunct faculty at Anna Maria College. In 2007, she started working as adjunct faculty at Naugatuck Valley Community College, teaching a Fundamentals of Music course each semester and an Introduction to Music Therapy course each year. Because the course is well received among students, this AMTA-Pro podcast allows Linda to share what she has learned and to encourage her colleagues to consider teaching similar courses in local community colleges and other higher education settings.
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Teaching an “Introduction to Music Therapy” Course at a Community College
Linda Bosse, MT-BC
We never know where things may lead. Several years ago, I joined a music ensemble at our local community college. That volunteer music experience eventually led to my teaching a music fundamentals course at the college, and later to my teaching an Introduction to Music Therapy course. Several of the students in that introductory class have chosen to pursue music therapy as a career.
Teaching an Introduction to Music Therapy course at a local college, community college, or university can be beneficial to individuals and to the music therapy profession as a whole.
1. Even if the intro course does not eventually develop into a full music therapy program at that insititution, it helps raise awareness and “spread the word.”
2. Occasionally a student decides to pursue music therapy as a career as a result of their taking this Introduction to Music Therapy course.
3. Course participants who are entering education or health care professions gain a basic understanding of music therapy, helping them become informed and loyal advocates for music therapy services.
4. In colleges and universities with an active music program, the Intro to Music Therapy course allows potential music majors to become more knowledgeable about music therapy as a career option for themselves or to speak intelligently on it to others in the future.
5. In some cases, the Intro to Music Therapy course may plant a seed, introduce an idea to decision makers, and eventually germinate into a music therapy program.
AMTA Education & Clinical Training Standards allow for any board certified music therapist with a bachelor’s degree and two years of experience to teach specific music therapy courses part-time as an adjunct faculty. The Standards for Staffing (Academic Faculty) section of that document reads as follows:
Adjunct Faculty: An individual employed by a college or university to teach specific courses in music therapy on a part-time basis.
• Holds an appropriate professional credential or designation in music therapy;
• Holds a bachelor’s degree in music therapy or its equivalent;
• Has at least two years of full-time clinical experience in music therapy or its equivalent in part-time work;
• Pursues continuing education relevant to his/her teaching responsibilities
• Demonstrates specific competencies appropriate to the teaching assignment
Although each situation has a unique set of circumstances, I recommend considering several procedural steps when proposing an Introduction to Music Therapy course.
Curriculum approval. One process that proved valuable over the long term was having the curriculum for the Intro to Music Therapy course go through the official curriculum approval process. Pursuing official curriculum approval allows the course to be offered routinely. In contrast, experimental approvals may limit the number of times a course can be offered.
An advocate. My experience taught me the importance of having an advocate, a colleague who is knowledgeable and well-connected within the college setting. Not only does the advocate provide advise about potential students, course design, prerequisites, and other critical planning factors, but they are often the key to success when guiding the proposal through the administrative and curriculum committee processes.
Campus presence. Since an Intro to Music Therapy course is rarely a required course for non-music therapy majors, we must take steps to increase awareness of the course and encourage registration. Pamphlets, bulletin boards, and other announcements are helpful, but the presence of a “real” person is even better. A music therapist is often the best promotional device, so I encourage teaching other courses, participating in ensembles, or otherwise enhancing your visibility to both students and faculty.
I encourage my music therapy colleagues to consider teaching an Introduction to Music Therapy course at a local community college or other institution of higher learning. This is a rather unique, but rewarding way to increase awareness of music therapy, build a strong foundation of informed music therapy advocates, recruit new music therapy students, and, in some cases, plant the seeds for a future music therapy degree program. I’ve included some materials that may be of some help in the process, including the Curriculum Approval Packet (Fall, 2006) and a recent course syllabus (Spring, 2010.) You can find a description of my Introduction to Music Therapy course on the website of Naugatuck Valley Community College at www.nvcc.commnet.edu
About the speaker: Linda Bosse, MT-BC, earned a Bachelor’s of Music Education and Therapy from the University of Kansas in 1972. She has worked as a music therapist, rehabilitation supervisor, intern and staff trainer and case manager in mental health and addiction treatment residential settings in New Jersey and Connecticut. She has been a member of various NAMT/AMTA committees and Ethics Boards throughout the years, has served several terms as an Assembly Delegate for NER-AMTA and twice as President of NER-AMTA. When Linda “retired” from her clinical positions, she became a visiting lecturer at Berklee College of Music and adjunct faculty at Anna Maria College. In 2007, she started working as adjunct faculty at Naugatuck Valley Community College, offering an introduction to music therapy course there periodically, as well as teaching a fundamentals of music course each semester. Contact Linda via e-mail <[email protected]>