Wilson Trust Music Therapy Project Update

Calculus of a Legacy Gift: Update on the Wilson Trust Music Therapy Project

What do twelve music therapists plus one program announcement offering funding for projects add up to? A lot of creativity and a diversity of music therapy activity! Puget Sound Area music therapists answered the September, 2011 Program Announcement with varied and creative projects that will enhance the quality of music therapy services in the region. The program announcement invited therapists to submit project plans, requests for funding up to $750.00, and to include ways in which they would "pay the loan forward" through actual service to their music therapy colleagues. Congratulations to the 12 recipients! Here is a list of the therapists with their projects and their very important "pay-it-forward" activity, noted in parentheses.

• Sha’ari Garfinkel - Music Transcription & Notation Project (Create Practicum Experience in connection with SPU)
• Rebecca Wu - Tone Chime Choir for the Residents of Assisted Living Facilities (Involvement in advocacy and support of MTAW events)
• Nancy Houghton – NMT Training (Serving as MTAW President)
• Jen Hastings - Bringing Neuro Rehab Music Therapy to the Northwest (MTAW Conference Planning, offer assistance to the State Recognition Task Force)
• Jim Couture - Encore: MT Internship (Service to the Washington State Recognition for Music Therapy Task Force, Presentations to MTAW, SPU students, related agencies)
• Barbara Dunn - CD Recording: "More Than a Song: Exploring the Healing Art of Music Therapy" (Continuing education training component for local music therapy community)
• David Knott - Adaptive Use Musical Instrument (AUMI) Technology (Service and management of MTAW listserv and website)
• Dr. Carlene Brown - Camcorder Training (Documented practicum sessions can be reviewed by MT practicum supervisors to inform students’ training needs, camcorder equipment made available for MTAW events)
• Wendy Zieve – Music Therapy Services for Greenlake Elementary and Wonderland Development Center (Work with State Recognition Task Force and on MTAW Board)
• Wendy Woolsey - Technology in Music Therapy Workshop (Service with the State Recognition Task Force, Spring Conference Planning and Liaison between MTAW and Sigma Alpha Iota)
• Kirsten Hutchison - Music Therapy for At-Risk Youth in the Puget Sound (Practicum Supervision)
• Patti Catalano - Public School Pilot Study (Practicum Supervision)

A thirteenth submission was received from the Music Therapy Association of Washington (MTAW) related to their upcoming Music Therapy Symposium 2012 – "Emerging Trends in Research and Clinical Applications" on May 4 and 5th. Dr. Andi Farbman and Barb Else invited MTAW officers to think strategically and create a three year plan for continuing education for music therapists in the region, and beyond, and to reapply for funds based on that planning process. The submission was withdrawn as a Pay-It-Forward Microloan Application and resubmitted by Nancy Houghton, President of MTAW on behalf of the Board as part of the Wilson Trust Music Therapy Project technical assistance and training programming. The proposal included a request for funding to help MTAW host professional development in the form of annual music therapy symposia and annual professional institutes, to become a CBMT pre-approved provider, and to pursue non-profit status. The proposal was approved at the end of February by the Oversight Committee for the Wilson Trust. "The MTAW board is grateful to the Wilson Trust for providing professional development funds for our upcoming symposium as well as support funds to help MTAW become a significant source of education for therapists. With this grant we are able to bring in a keynote speaker and cover our preliminary costs. This will set the tone for further growth of music therapy in our region," said Houghton.

Dr. Carlene Brown submitted a proposal on behalf of Seattle Pacific University (SPU) for the Program Announcement: Program Grant on Music Therapy Practica Services. Her request addressed the original program grant on music therapy practica with an additional request for funding to further enhance ways in which quality music therapy supervision can be maintained for music therapy students from Seattle Pacific University. The request included support for developing practica as well as helping MT-BCs in the area provide supervision to music therapy students at new facilities where there currently are no MT-BCs providing services. A portion of the funding request, in the amount of $10,000, was funded in earlier 2012 with the opportunity for continuation funding. On February 24, 2012, a site visit at SPU was held with Barb Else, Judy Simpson, and Patti Catalano along with SPU faculty Dr. Ramona Holmes, Dr. Carlene Brown, Nancy Houghton and Wendy Woolsey. The meeting focused on technical assistance and long term planning for sustainability of practica services given the rapidly growing student census in the music therapy training program. Dr. Holmes indicated they were very pleased with the support received so far and spoke of the importance of the program as part of the SPU community.

Work continues on anchor projects to increase access to quality music therapy services in the region. The focus of anchor projects is with hospitals and major agencies in the region. Finally, the WTMTP team began work on the next program announcement which will be an opportunity for music therapists to create and build partnerships to provide direct services and build program sustainability. Stay tuned for updates.

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