When the opportunity presented itself for me to get to spend time with my bestie (I heart you Amanda Burchfiel!) and present my blog series “There’s An App For That” at the Mid-Atlantic Region’s Music Therapy Conference I jumped at the opportunity.  With hubby and puppy in tow, it turned out to be a great conference experience!  I’m “technically” a practicing music therapist in the Great Lakes Region of Music Therapy, but happiest when I get to network to the “nth” with MT’s from all across the country.  I guess that’s what happens when you start connecting with amazing MT’s on Twitter! =)  Speaking of Twitter, here were my three FAVORITE parts of regional conference:

1)  Connecting with new #MTTweeps!  Networking is one of my favorite parts of conferences and MAR didn’t disappoint.  Whether it was meeting new Tweeps for the first time (Hi @victormorious @CJShiloh @JParkerNeal) or scheming how music therapists will take over the world, it was fantastic to feel supported and give encouragement to new friends. =)

2)  Presenting!  What an awesome experience to present my online penchant for incorporating the iPad into Music Therapy with over 100 participants.  It was so exciting to have a packed room full of iPad enthusiasts hungry to learn. Even better was hearing them share their expertise on this amazing device with the group!  Needless to say, I have several new apps I will be blogging about very soon. =)  Fingers crossed the presentation is accepted for the #AMTA12 national conference this October.  Hope to see you there!

3)  Attending the MAR Town Hall Mtg! By now you have heard about or participated in the discussions regarding our profession’s move to Master’s Level Entry (and if you haven’t I urge you to voice your opinion even if you are on the fence).  Having read the proposal submitted to the AMTA by the Educational Training and Advisory Board (ETAB) and the ongoing discussions in the Music Therapists Unite FB page, I was very interested in participating in this meeting.  And so was everyone else!  I was never so proud to be in a packed (and hot!) room where insightful and passionate opinions were expressed.  Even though I’m still on the fence about this move, I’m thankful for the free flowing dialogue and care that the ETAB and AMTA are taking in this important matter.  Our field continues to change and grow at an enormous rate and it is important that we hold ourselves to the highest standard when it comes to educating future MT’s and the recognition and validity of our work at the state and national level.  I do believe that change is necessary to grow and strengthen our profession just as it is our job as music therapists to adapt to the needs of our clients to help them learn and grow.

So how about you…Did you attend one of the AMTA Regional conferences this year?  What were YOUR favorite parts of conference?  Chime in with your thoughts below!