Red Flags of Music Therapy Businesses
A group chat and survey discussion
Ever been in a job that took the life out of you? …a job that made you question why you took it in the first place? …a job that promised you so much and delivered so little? …a job you hoped would bring fulfillment but instead brought burnout and agony?
I find that many of our first jobs are like this. It takes a good year on the job to see if we’re going to stay in the profession (or in music therapy, a good 5 years, I hear). Is this normal of all professions? We question if it’s the job or just us. We wonder if we’re the only ones having so much trouble.
Well, you’re not the only one. So many of us have been there. It may seem like it’s the nature of the “first job,” but I wouldn’t say that always rings true. I want to believe that there are some new professionals who land jobs that are supportive and fulfilling.
Unfortunately that wasn’t true for me… and many of you, too. And it’s not just the “first job.” It’s those jobs you hear about that work you to the bone, ask you to go above and beyond, expect excellence and people-pleasing tendencies. It’s those jobs that look so glamorous on the outside, but you hear rumors of their rotten cores. It’s those jobs that really don’t compensate you for all the work you’re doing. It’s those jobs that you pour your soul into that seem to lose sight of your value after the first day.
A few of my music therapy colleagues and I got together to talk about it. These three music therapists (plus one who couldn’t make it to the recording) compiled a survey for music therapists to find some common denominators. From personal experience and conversations with others, they found that many of these less-than-ideal jobs were related to music therapy businesses - those companies owned and operated by music therapists with many music therapists as employees.
They gathered some initial data about music therapists’ experiences within these jobs (whether as employee or owner) and shared the results at the AMTA Mid-Atlantic Region Conference in March of 2023. We recorded this episode a few months after that.
>>>>>>Take a look at the Survey Results<<<<<<
Topics from the episode:
What are the worst things you went through in music therapy jobs?
What kept you in music therapy?
How to fall in love with it again.
Why it doesn’t work (MTs having employees)
Is happiness in our jobs possible?
Business ownership solo vs having employees
Abundance mindset vs scarcity
Thoughts for the music therapy business owners
Advice for new professionals:
Sense of self outside of music therapy
Network and support system
Trust yourself and your experiences
Personal wellness checklist at the end of the survey
I absolutely loved having this conversation with these fellow music therapists. Unfortunately we’ve been through less-than-ideal work situations, and you likely have as well.
We would love for you to tell your story as well, whether publicly here or privately in email or direct message. We are stronger together, and there is power in honest conversations. It’s also a super helpful feeling to know you’re not alone in the experiences you’ve been through.
If you listened to the episode…
What stood out to you?
What resonated the most?
Are you still doing music therapy?
What helped you continue through the hard times?
Where do we go from here?
If we share our experiences, feelings, and thoughts on the matter, then maybe, just maybe, another music therapist won’t go through what we’ve each been through.
Head over to kimbest.substack.com to share your thoughts and see what other people are saying about this episode!
Links from the episode:
Shannon’s podcast, Casually Green on Spotify
Pros and Cons of Subcontracting, episode with Tricia Caiati from Care Chronicles Podcast
Connect with the guests in this episode!
Jules Joyce
Pronouns: she/they
FB: Juliana Rose
Instagram: @_jujujules11
Cheyenna Eagle
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Email: cheyennaeagle@gmail.com
FB: Cheya-Rain Eagle
Instagram: @cheyarain
Shannon Ogden
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Instagram: @shannon_mtbc
If you’d like to share your story, email hello@kimbest.com.
If you’d like to join the “pod” that supports this podcast, go to patreon.com/kimbest.
And here are some extra links for you:
kimbest.com for resources and added support for music therapists
Instagram: @kimberlyjanebest, @musiccanhelp, @nymusictherapy, @musictherapistpod
Kim Best is a board-certified music therapist, calligrapher, Jersey girl (at heart), and avid tea drinker. She lives in Rochester, NY with her husband and loves exploring new spots around town.