Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Kennemer.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a Board Certified Music Therapist currently in my 20th year of practice. I have been working in special education, with students who have special needs for 18 years. Before coming to my current job, I was a music therapist in a nursing home. By definition, 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 (American Music Therapy Association, 2005). But to put it simply, I use music to help people accomplish goals that are non-music in nature. In my job, I help students work on things like speech and language, fine and gross motor skills, social skills such as working together in a group and general academic skills. I serve these students as a part of a team along with speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists, counselors, behavioral specialists and teachers. A big part of what I do, consulting with teachers on how to use music in their classrooms so that they can provide a rich learning environment for their students. I work with students ranging in age from 3 years old to 22 years old and many of them have Autism, intellectual disabilities, auditory/visual impairment.
Impairments, speech impairments, emotional disturbances and physical disabilities. I became interested in this field when I was in high school because I enjoyed being a musician and performing on the clarinet but I also wanted to work in a field that helped people. Music therapy is the perfect combination of the two!
Has it been a smooth road?
I have had a wonderful and fulfilling career thus far. I think that the biggest challenges I have faced come from working in a career that is not well-known or common. Occasionally, I have thought that it would be easier to have a more traditional job because I would not have to constantly define and justify what I do. This has gotten better of the years as music therapy has become more widespread and well known. When I first started 20 years ago, there were about 3,000 board certified music therapists working in America. According to the Certification Board for Music Therapists, there are nearly certified 7,500 music therapists in America today. I have had to forge my own path a few times over the years but I think that challenge also makes it fun as it provides another way to be innovative and creative.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Board Certified Music Therapist story. Tell us more about the business.
I work for a local school district, so I don’t have my own business, but there are many music therapists working in private practice. It is exciting to see their business plans come to life, grow and flourish. Some of them have their own clinic space and some of them work in the homes of their clients.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The field of music therapy is growing so fast, it is a challenge to educate and train therapists fast enough to fill the needs. There is a growing demand for music therapists to work with members of our military who are returning from war, with people who are in hospice care and with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients. The aging Baby Boomers will also provide a huge need for therapists who are interested in working with an other population. There is also a big need for music therapists who are trained in neurologic music therapy to help patients who have suffered strokes and traumatic brain injuries. The growth of social media has also made it possible for therapists who are in private practice to reach a larger audience and provide podcasts and webinars in order to train other music therapists in specialized techniques.
Contact Info:
- Twitter: @MKmusicTX (school twitter)
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