Friendships - KEEP IN CONTACT

This past weekend, I went back down to Virginia to go to my friend/brother Joel's 21st birthday, and to see everyone. It was such an awesome weekend because seeing everyone was the greatest joy that I could have. I thought I would talk about this point in this blog today. 

This internship, is the first time that I have moved somewhere where I didn't know ANYONE! When I moved to Virginia, my friend Maddie from high school also went there. Then I moved around Winchester, but this is the first time I don't know anyone! Moving away from the people I love and care so much about has really taught me that I need to keep in better contact with people. Calling, texting, emailing, skyping, facbooking, twitting, etc. 

I have always been someone that has not kept in contact very well with people. My school of thought is that, I don't need to because my friends and I just jump right back in, like we were never apart. Why should I call or text all the time if this is the case?! Well - when you have nobody that you know where you live, and are starting all over again, you need that support system behind you to keep you moving and encouraging you to do what you came to do. My friends/family are my greatest support system in the whole world! 

I never really realized just how important some of my friendships and my brothers (fraternity) were until I left. I guess that is how it is with anything, you never realize how wonderful it is until its gone. The amount of love that comes from those friendships is nothing that I have ever encountered. I don't really know how to explain it, but its something that I will now always have. 

Point of this blog post - never let those friendship go. Work at them because they matter! No matter how far away you are from those that love you, you will be able to feel their love and support. I know I do, and I tell my friends/family that I miss them, and truly love them when ever I get the chance. 

Week 1 - DONE!

Made it through my first week being an intern...YES! Made it through the orientation and through my manual and all that jazz. CRAZY!!!!! 

So I got to taste my first music therapy experience here at Matheny. Once a week on Wednesday nights, we hold "Open Mic Night" where any patients in the facility can come in and sing what ever they want to sing for other clients. It was amazing to watch these clients just get up in front of each other and just sing their hearts out. It was very heart warming to watch this all happen. 

I also got to sit in on my first group session as well. It was very different from any music therapy that I have done before. The therapy part is very much about getting the client involved, and just being in the experience in itself. It was amazing to watch the therapists here work with the clients and see how each of them are so different in their styles, and approaches in the music therapy session. 

I am starting to get to know the clients, and their personalities. They are all so wonderful and so excited for Sabrina (other music therapy intern) and I to be here. We also got our case load, and I am so excited to start with those clients and getting to know them! 

Even though these clients may not have the communication skills that we are all used to, they are still people and have personalities. Having the background that I have at Double H, has really helped with being able to communicate, and interact with these clients. These are by far the lowest functioning clients that I have worked with, but all of them have the biggest personalities that I have ever worked with! 

In the next coming blogs, I want to discuss the different diagnoses that I will be working with! I knew a lot about some of the diagnosis, but I am learning something new every time I pick up a journal article or read a book about it. 


"Where words fail, music speaks" - Hans Anderson

The Start!

So the time has come! I am now in my 6 month music therapy internship!!! It's crazy to think that it's time for me to be doing this. I thought I was just moving into my freshmen dorm last week?! 

I am a music therapy intern at Matheny Medical and Educational Center in Peapack NJ. We serve clients with Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, and Lesch-Nyhan Disease. If you would like to learn a little bit about Matheny, here is a link to our website: http://www.matheny.org/

What I have decided to do, is try and write a post at least once a week to keep people up to date with what I am doing here. Maybe I will even write more!!! I can not wait to learn more about Matheny, and about the people that we serve. These 6-months are going to be such a learning experience and one that I will never be able to forget.