Every November for the last 8 years, I’ve spent a few days with 1,000+ other music therapists learning, presenting and exhibiting my work. I’ve met countless therapists from all over the country, and built friendships with many of them through my conference experiences.
Tomorrow I’ll be heading to my 9th national music therapy conference, held this year in St. Louis (yay for convenience — it’s only a 90 minute drive!). Katey and I will be presenting on Friday evening as well as hosting a booth in the exhibit hall, so it will be a busy 4 days.
The week leading up to conference is always a whirlwind, between all the work required to prepare and things to do at home before I say goodbye to my husband and kids. But once we arrive, I’m quickly reminded just how valuable and fulfilling of an experience it always proves to be.
There are new techniques to learn, instruments to buy (the exhibit hall is a dangerous place!), and colleagues to meet. I love running into people I’ve connected with online, either through social media, or Listen & Learn, or who have listened to my podcasts, and getting to chat face to face. I get to see many of the professionals who inspire me, and hear about how I am inspiring others.
I’m a total introvert, so conference is always pretty overwhelming for me. But I have gotten used to stepping out of my comfort zone and challenging myself in this way every year, and it is totally worth the exhaustion I feel at the end of each day.
If you’re heading to St. Louis this week, I would love to see you! Connect with me through the conference app (which is AWESOME, by the way) and definitely plan to come visit me at the Music Therapy Connections booth in the exhibit hall.
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This post is a part of my 23 Days of Gratitude series. Click here for the full list of posts. Thank you so much for reading and helping me celebrate the spirit of Thanksgiving!
