Choral Podcast Spotlight: Music Therapy Chronicles

Please introduce yourself and your podcast!

Hello, my name is Tricia and I am a Board Certified Music Therapist I work primarily in schools and have a clinical mental health focus In 2019, I started Music Therapy Chronicles to inspire and connect listeners through meaningful conversations from diverse perspectives Like a Music Therapy Conference you can listen to anywhere! Since then, I have hosted and produced around 200 episodes, created several continuing education courses, and launched a self care community Podcasting has been a wonderful way to connect with other professionals and listeners from around the world

What audience does MTC hope to reach?

My hope is that the podcast reaches anyone who can benefit from listening. Music Therapists, teachers, allied health professionals, future Music Therapists and students, parents and carepartners, etc. I think we can all learn from each other. Some of my favorite conversations on the show are with non-Music Therapists because I learn so much from them.

What is the mission of the Music Therapy Chronicles podcast?

The Music Therapy Chronicles is a podcast aimed to inspire and connect listeners through meaningful conversations from diverse perspectives. Music Therapists are often rather isolated professionally. Many of us are the only Music Therapist at our place of work, and may even have to travel to many locations during the work week. Annual Music Therapy Conferences are a special place where we can all gather, share ideas, connect, make music, and celebrate the wonderful work we get to do. I wanted to capture and share that experience all year round, so I created the podcast in the hope that the weekly episodes would encourage my colleagues throughout the year. Ironically, I have not been to a conference since starting the podcast due to the pandemic.

Have you personally learned about any new areas of music therapy through your podcast interviews?

Since our scope of practice is so large, I have always been aware of the many ways a Music Therapist can practice The podcast has allowed me to connect with people who are creating amazing resources, offerings, books, media, etc about Music Therapy and/or for MT’s I love hearing about collaborative projects; either between MT’s and other professionals, or of MT’s overlapping disciplines within their practice (reiki, sound healing, speech therapy, etc )

What was your journey like getting into music therapy?

My journey to becoming a Music Therapist was very organic. I always say, ‘I didn’t know where I was headed, but I’m glad to be here.’ To become a Board Certified Music Therapist, one must a 1.) get a degree in Music Therapy, 2.) complete a 1200 hour internship, 3.) and pass a national board certification exam. Like clinical therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and other healthcare professionals, we work with people to improve their lives and wellbeing. Our specialty is to use the medium of music. You can learn more about what Music Therapy is by listening to the podcast; Music Therapy Chronicles.

How do personal development and self care intersect? What do these themes share in common?

I argue that personal development is true self care. Personal development is anything you do to grow as a person. To develop a skill set, knowledge base, or idea takes time and effort. The same is true for our development as people. Personal development might not always feel great in the moment, but the effort spent serves us tenfold in the long term. It is a lifelong process to achieve our highest potential. We've all heard about how important self care is, filling up our own cup allows us to overflow and care for others. Unfortunately, self care is often viewed as this ‘feel good’ concept, and has become a huge industry. I think refocusing on personal development and how that fuels our self care is important for our personal sustainability and growth. When we learn about ourselves, we better understand how we perceive the world and interact with others. When we grow as individuals, we have more skills to use as professionals. When we spend time on our personal weaknesses, we improve them while improving our strengths simultaneously.

In what ways do you see the field of music therapy changing?

I think Music Therapy is both ever-changing and consistent. We are always uncovering more research to explain the phenomena we see every day as clinicians. I feel a majority of us are eager to see more systemic changes within our field, and they can’t come soon enough. For example, having the terms ‘Music Therapy’ and ‘Music Therapist’ widely recognized and valued so we can spend more of our energy on our clinical work instead of explaining and justifying what we do. I welcome anyone reading this article to learn a bit about Music Therapy (perhaps by listening to the Music Therapy Chronicles) and join our advocacy efforts. Any and all support is welcome and appreciated.

Any personal favorite moments from your podcast?

I don’t think it’s possible to choose singular memorable moments from the show So many of the interviews have been insightful, inspiring, eye opening, and meaningful One of my favorite things about the process is seeing how the episodes connect They often have similar themes (sometimes with contrasting opinions) or sentiments, and I enjoy connecting the ideas over time It’s significantly impacted my clinical practice and my personal life

What about podcasting brings you the most joy?

I love connecting with the guests during the interviews. I’ve met so many wonderful people and had some amazing conversations. I always leave an interview feeling inspired and connected, which I hope translates to the listeners. I’ve learned so much about both my professional and personal selves and I couldn’t be more grateful to have the opportunity to share that with the world.

Could you talk a bit about advocacy and spreading awareness for neurological disabilities through music?

One of the most magical things about using music as a clinical tool is that music is experienced globally in the brain This means that multiple areas of the brain are activated when we experience music (listening, singing, playing, composing, etc ), which makes music a very powerful tool for improving the lives of people with neurological disabilities Through music we can get a more holistic picture of how the brain is functioning, and we can take advantage of this global activation to create new neural pathways - neuroplasticity Music is a great tool to help people grow and show how much one can overcome when given the opportunity and tools

I am interested in getting my own podcast started... what should I know? Do you have any tips?

My biggest tip is to just start. You don’t need any fancy equipment (my microphone came from a high school trash can), your logo doesn’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to have the whole feel of the show figured out... If you wait for everything to be perfect, then you’ll never start. Analysis paralysis definitely kept me from starting my show for a long time. So, just start. You can always pivot and change things later. Your podcast will grow with you, embrace that and start where you are right now.

How can our readers find your podcast?

Right now, you can find the podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts. We are MusicTherapyChonricles on all the social media platforms and MusicTherapyChonricles.com is the hub for everything. Subscribing to the show and our newsletter are the best ways to stay up to date - and there may be some exciting changes to come!

Tricia Caiati, MT-BC is a board certified Music Therapist currently serving clients in three states across the New England Region of the United States. Tricia co-founded the Music Therapy Podcast Collective (MT-PC) to provide CMTE opportunities for podcast listening in the form of pod-courses. She is also the CSO for The Tutti Ensemble, a non-profit adaptive band program providing individual lessons and ensemble experiences for diverse learners. Tricia enjoys spending her free time exploring outdoors, reading, and creating through different mediums.