The AMTA national office, AMTA Board of Directors and other volunteers respond to thousands of questions, requests for information, member concerns, and more each month to help further AMTA's mission and to educate others about the music therapy profession.  We love hearing from you and always appreciate knowing what was helpful or particularly effective.  Here are some of our favorite comments about the services AMTA provides.

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"I just wanted to thank you guys for the payment plan option for member dues.  And also for the new journal options for credits that are included in the member price. xo"

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"You guys are awesome! It is a pleasure to work with an organization that responds so quickly. I have fought other places to get simple receipts like this. Thank you again!"

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"You are the cat's meow AND the bee's knees!!  Thank you for your 'few thoughts'!  Your email is a gold mine... Know that on top of your multitude of accomplishments you can add to your host of admirers one more maturing, grey-haired, senior-moment-MT-BC - - me. Ever so grateful."

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I was having printer issues while trying to prepare for an interview in which I planned to justify asking for a higher salary.  Though I had the information I needed, I wasn’t able to print it and called the AMTA office in desperation. The person on the phone helped me with suggestions and went above and beyond by walking me through how to do it.  It worked AND I got a raise! Thank you!"

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"Your very fast response, sensitive guidance and expertise are so much valued and appreciated.  Your mentoring has… demonstrates that AMTA is a responsive organization which respects and supports its members."

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"AMTA is fantastic. This is perfect. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly!"

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"I can't thank you enough for taking the time to send this information; your support is truly appreciated! I completed a letter and sent the information you provided to the Superintendent with the hope she will review all the data and see how important it is for my son to continue music therapy to make appropriate progress towards his goals."

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"You are ALL that and a bag of chips! Thank you for your tireless work on this document the past several days."

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"You are amazing!  Thank you so much.  This is certainly worth the next ten years of membership in AMTA!"

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"Oh, thank you so much for calling me back... it's so great to actually talk to a real person because it makes ME feel like a real person. I'm definitely gonna join as a professional when I can; you called me back and addressed my problem and I'm just a student. I know you'll pay attention to me as a professional."

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"Thank you for giving me the time out of your busy day to give me information about Music Therapy and the effects it has. This information will be very useful for my paper. Talking with you made me more interested in Music therapy and how it is beneficial to society. Thank you once again and I hope you have a wonderful day."

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"["I can't tell you how much I appreciate your tireless work, your friendly and cheerful attitudes, and your willingness to go the extra mile for all of us AMTA members. I heard so many comments from "average" members about the smooth logistics, the numbers of quality sessions, and all the special events and happenings. Every year I go home thinking you won't be able to top that year's conference event, and every year you prove me wrong. No kidding. So, please accept this heart-felt token of thanks, a well-deserved, ENORMOUS, pat on the back. :-)"

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"I am honored once more by your public recognition of my retirement.  It has been a wonderful journey where I've learned so much from those with whom I've been privileged to work (and play!).  Ours is a passionate profession, and I don't plan to walk away from my involvement.  …  It has been so delightful getting to know you and to be bolstered up by your ongoing spirit of excellence."

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"I wanted to tell you how great the preliminary program looks - content-wise and stylistically!! It looks like another great conference and great job that you all have done!!!"

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"I was telling a 94 year old friend of mine about my grandmother, testifying before the Senate about music therapy when she was 90 years old.  I thought I had brought an article with me to show my friend, but it was only a picture.  So I decided to google her to see if anything would come up.  I can't tell you how thrilling it was for me to find her on the Internet with her quote, "Music is better than medicine."  I don't know if any of you knew my grandmother or were at the hearing when she testified, but I was there and I was never more proud!  She wrote her own testimony and delivered it like a pro.  She was treated like a real celebrity and was so very proud when the bill passed in the Senate.  My grandmother was a tough old lady and charmed people wherever she went.  I used to take her to Ocean City every summer until she was 93.  She liked the board walk.  She would go find a bench and tell me to go ahead and look in the stores and when I would come back she always had a huge audience around her.  The therapist at the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington who suggested that she testify could not have found anyone better or more suited to the task.  Thank you for your work with music therapy.  It made a huge difference in my grandmother's life."

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"Thank you so much for your phone call and sending this to me.  I have been very pleased in the support that I have received as a member of AMTA.  You all do an excellent job of keeping the organization's mission in mind as we strive to provide and increase access to services."

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"I wanted to personally thank you for all the work you did putting our book together.  It is stunning.  I'm so proud of it.  I walk around with it at work like it was my binky!  Thank you so much."

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"I just want to again say THANK YOU -- you are so quick in following up on these requests that keep piddling in from me, and I know that there is a ton of other things requiring your attention at the national office."

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"Thank you all for your assistance in my salary negotiations!  I was offered the position of Director and I accepted it.  I am pleased with the salary I negotiated.  …Wish me luck!  I know it will be a lot of hard work, but I am very excited!"

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"I really appreciate your professionalism and that of AMTA on the whole.  Sometimes it's tough operating a "contract" music therapy business and it's a pleasure to work with you."

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"I spent some time this weekend reading through the latest edition of the newsletter and wanted to thank you for your excellent work on that!  It is so professional looking, full of information, and most of all,  a very positive look at all we do as an association and profession.  I also spent a bit of time this morning cruising through the AMTA website, and once again, am so impressed with your work.  You have made that site well organized and easily accessible.  I always send prospective students to look through the AMTA website, and I am proud to have that as a reflection of our association."

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"As a blind person who became a music therapist in 1988, there was no really practical way to read any of the literature unless I could pay someone to read to me. Even then the concepts, terminology, and even the general subject matter were difficult for the average person to read with any feeling. Later the organization began sending out tapes of journals and other publications--better, but still not great. Thanks to the Internet, screen readers, and other advances in technology, I am now able to access much of the literature formerly unavailable to me--and I can do it independently; on my own time and at my own pace. I have purchased the CD-rom of the back issues of all the publications, and I am looking forward to making use of this "members only" page. Please keep adding features such as the ability to completely fill out the directory survey online. The more material the better! Thanks again."