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In July, my friend Cheyenne and I studied Spanish in Costa Rica to complete some requirements for our minor in Spanish. However, one night, we traveled on a bus to another part of the country to learn about music therapy. We are both music therapy majors at the University of Louisville in KY, USA and our professor, Dr. Petra Kern, encouraged us to meet with Laura Mesén, the principal of the Music School of Peréz Zeledón.
It was an awesome experience and I learned a lot about the differences and similarities of music therapy in Costa Rica and the USA. For example, I realized there are many aspects of my future career that I take for granted. While there are over 80 degree programs in the United States, no universities in Costa Rica offer music therapy. Meaning, students must travel to other countries if they want to become music therapists. Currently, there are only five or six music therapists living in Costa Rica, compared to over 8,300 board certified music therapists in the US. It’s difficult to even share music therapy research to increase awareness in Costa Rica as most of the publications are written in English – a language barrier that I have never considered before.
However, many populations that could benefit from music therapy in Costa Rica are the same as the populations I have worked with during practicums. Prisons, hospitals, nursing homes, and schools, specifically for children with emotional and behavioral problems, are all settings that need music therapists but don’t have them due to the lack of professionals and resources. Overall, the interaction with Laura Mesén inspired me to make use of my language skills to support Spanish speaking clients in my and other countries.
by Kerry Mullaney
