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Dr. Anita Gadberry
Regional Liaison for North America
Contact: northamerica@wfmt.info[/caption]
The Southeastern Region of the American Music Therapy Association (comprised of the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee) held its annual conference March 21-23, 2013 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The theme was “Music Therapy: Entrain for the Future.”
I corresponded with two attendees: Andrew Littlefield, Assistant Director of the George Center for Music Therapy and Dough Keith, Assistant Professor of Music Therapy at Georgia College and State University. Andrew said that he attends conference “to network with other professionals in my area, pick their brains about concerns and questions I have regarding professional practice, and offer my assistance to them regarding their concerns. To me, regional conference is all about the connections made with my colleagues” (personal communication, May 20, 2013). Doug attends regional conferences, as he wants to set an example for his students; he hopes they will be active and help develop the profession. Doug attended a few research presentations this year and thought they were presented well and yielded valuable information. He enjoyed learning about the different methodologies and the results. Andrew presented for the first time and from his great experience, he is inspired to present more in the future. Not only did an engaged audience attend his presentation, he said that the participants’ questions helped him shape his focus for his future research and professional endeavors.
In addition to presentations, both Doug and Andrew enjoy seeing a diverse crowd of professionals and reconnecting with people. Doug mentioned that regional conferences are typically more affordable than national conferences and Andrew stated, “I find that regional conference draws a more diverse crowd, in regards to populations served and locations” (personal communication, May 20, 2013).
Of course, music therapists may attend the conferences of other regions and find that each region has unique features. Doug mentioned, “I attended a conference of WRAMTA last year--what a difference! I really enjoyed the encounters I had there, and I would like to see that region highlighted more. They have many challenges, geographic among them(!), but I observed a lot of good leadership while there. It was refreshing” (personal communication, June 1, 2013). Be sure to check the dates of all the regional conferences in the United States athttp://www.musictherapy.org/about/regions/ to find one that interests you!
Anita Gadberry
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