5 Reasons to Attend Conference
Posted from Denton, Texas, United States.
TOP 5 REASONS WHY STUDENTS SHOULD ATTEND CONFERENCE
by Kimberly Sena Moore, MM, MT-BC
I attended my first music therapy conference in St. Louis in 2000 as a junior in college and second-year music therapy major. And that’s all it took. After that conference, I was hooked. The energy, the excitement, the learning, the people–since then I have only missed two national conferences and only because I had week-old infants at home.
As a student, I was fortunate to have professors who stressed the importance of joining AMTA and attending conferences. And I feel I have benefited greatly from making it a priority, both when I was a student and now as a professional. But that’s just me…what about you?
Music therapy students were recently invited to fill out a survey that asked them to list the top benefits of attending conference. Here are the top 5 as mentioned by you:
#5 I can learn from interns and other professionals.
#4 I love the networking opportunities.
#3 I am introduced to new intervention ideas and techniques.
#2 I get to meet and listen to leaders in the profession.
#1 I feel inspired about being a music therapist.
All of these benefits are things that help you not only as a student, but later as an intern and a professional. Learning new intervention ideas, networking with other students and professionals, and being inspired by the leaders in the field…those benefits stay with you, even if you’re only able to attend one conference as a student.
I feel that attending the national AMTA conference opened up a new world for me and it was inspiring to see all the different facets of music therapy. It was also great to see there are so many different approaches, perspectives, and people that are very successful with what they do, even when they are all so different.
Originally published in the MusicTherapyENews letter.
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About Us
Members of the Student Association for Music Therapy engage in educational and promotional activities in the field of music therapy. Members also provide service to the community and participate in regional and national conventions.
What is Music Therapy?
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.”