How did I get here?

Today I had a Psychology of Music Test.  I am pretty nervous about the grade.  I studied for a few hours yesterday but I still don't think it was enough.  I guess I will find out.  Also, I had a group project to present in my Introduction to Special Education class.  Our topic was Emotional-Behavior Disorder and I think it went very well.  Myself and another girl in that class are both music therapy majors so we made sure we were in the same group.  We were in charge of the class activity during the presentation.  We ended basically coming up with a music therapy intervention for emotional disorders.  We had everyone get into a circle and pass a ball around.  We had the guitar, tone chimes, egg shakers, and an ocean drum to represent different ways to pass the ball including: heavy, hot, silly, sad, and happy.  The activity turned out great and I believe that the class really enjoyed it.

So today I want to talk about why I chose to become a music therapy major.  Ever since I was little, I have always loved music.  My parents surrounded my sister and I with it and then my sister exposed it to me as well.  When I was 9 I started doing pageants.  Besides a couple times at church, these were my first experiences with performing in front of people.  I really enjoyed singing and kept doing it.  When I was about to be in junior high, my mom got a job offer.  The school I would be attending had a choir so that was a big plus because I had never been in a choir before.  So I started attending school and became a big part of the music department.  When I got into high school, I was able to start competing in choir competitions which eventually led me to receive a chair all four years in the TMEA All-State choir.  During high school I was torn between teaching music and music therapy.  I had gone with my sister a couple times to nursing homes to sing for the elderly men and women.  I really enjoyed the way their faces lighted up when we sang to them.  But I received a  5 year scholarship from TMEA for music teaching and that quickly made up my mind about what I was going to do.  So I headed to my junior college to begin the journey of music education.  For some reason, I just was not looking forward to becoming a choir director or music teacher one day.  I tried talking to my mom about switching my major but she explained it would not be a possibility because I would lose the scholarship.  So I was stuck with the notion that I would just have to come back to school later and get my music therapy degree.  So when I finished my second year at the junior college, I applied to Texas State.  I made it into the school of course but I had to make it into the school of music as well.  I went there and sang a solo and took some theory and musicianship tests.  It turns out that I was not accepted.  This was really hard for me to take because I have a lot of experience and made All-State choir four years.  It was a big punch to my pride.  But it turns out that because they did not accept me, my mom was more open to me doing music therapy now.  She really thought that it was God that was in the middle of all of this.  If I would have made it into Texas State music school, I would be a music teacher.  Thank goodness that I didn't because now I am going to get to do what I love.  So I believe that God works in very mysterious ways sometimes.  When we want to go our own way and won't listen to what He is trying to tell us, He will make us listen, even if we have to get over our pride.

Here are a few pictures of music therapists in action.

Have a great Day!!!!

Ashley @ SHSU