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Dear Colleagues,I don’t know about you, but I always begin the New Year with great hope and anticipation. I look forward to what lies ahead – the known and unknown, discovering new potentials and possibilities, and even new challenges. You may have gathered that I am an optimist. That doesn’t mean I don’t face or deal with challenges; I do. I find that I learn a great deal in those moments, even when it isn’t easy.I hope you are looking forward to all that lies ahead. As you do just that, I want to encourage you to consider the World Federation of Music Therapy. I invite you to consider how you would like to be involved. As Interim President, I have the privilege of emailing, calling, and Skyping with people from all around the world, asking them to be a part of and to serve the WFMT. I enjoy those moments when people share they are flattered to be asked or are excited to get involved. I also understand when the timing is not quite right to serve in a formal role. I always encourage people to consider the less formal ways of being involved or engaged in the WFMT as well.Now, you will see that we are accepting nominations for various positions on the WFMT Council. So if you are eager and interested to be involved in a more formal way, being nominated is a great opportunity to begin the process. I hope you will take time to consider how you want to be involved and what talents you have to share with the WFMT. If you don’t feel ready for a formal role on the Council, maybe you would like to consider serving on one of the WFMT commissions. This is a great way to bring your interests, gifts and talents into the organization and to collaborate with colleagues from around the world.These are not the only opportunities to engage with the WFMT. You can attend a World Congress of Music Therapy (Krems/Vienna, Austria in July 2014); volunteer in a variety of ways; talk with WFMT Council members about opportunities for engagement; or follow the WFMT website, Facebook group, and Twitter account. The possibilities are endless and we continue to work to think outside the box of ways to engage people. I hope you will join us in this outside-the-box thinking.Thank you for considering how you can be involved. We all start by considering. That’s how it began for me; I got a call back in 2008 simply asking if I would consider getting involved with the WFMT. Well…the rest is history. I am truly thankful for that call and for the courage to say yes. It has allowed me the great opportunity to encounter so many wonderful people, enjoy fascinating experiences, and learn valuable lessons. So, be courageous and get involved.Cheers,Annie Heiderscheit, Ph.D., MT-BC, LMFTFellow of the Association for Music and ImageryInterim President, WFMT
