CBMT and Musicianship

[MT-PRO Music Therapy List]

Lori et al, 
 
Glad this discussion is continuing- its obviously important. Thanks again for all the responses.
 
Lori wrote:
"I don't know if you've read all the posts but I did write about the 
supervisor's evaluations as being a very important part of this process, and 
I don't see why they couldn't be utilized in application for the CBMT just as
they were used in part of my application process for my CMT. 
The first section on the CMT evaluation asked the supervisor to evaluate 
musical skills on keyboard, piano, guitar, voice, nonsymphonic instruments, 
and composition and arrangement on a scale of 1 to 5 plus a comments section."  
 
This is a great suggestion. The AAMT competencies were well thought out and have been, in large part, 
incorporated into the old NAMT and new AMTA competencies. This was a great evolution, and even 
though the CMT is not a "credential" persae, the emphasis on musical competence requirements for 
completing an AAMT program went a long way toward addressing the current problem at hand.  
Certainly a good deal of learning- musical learning, takes place at the internship, and supervisors should 
critically evaluate each student's musical skills- and insist on remediation for skills that are inadequate 
before approving their exit from the internship. What do others think? Clinical supervisors? It sounds like 
a natural, but we all realize (AND APPRECIATE) how busy clinical supervisors are. Its a tough problem.
 
Internship supervisors, it seems, may appear to be an "end of the line" approach, but a good one. 
Perhaps during academic work there could be yearly evaluations of musical competence in the form of 
juries or auditions in order for student to be allowed to move on to practicums or higher level course 
work. (harsh, eh?) This places the responsibility for gaining the skills in the student's hands and the 
responsibility of having nurtured musically competent students before sending them off to internships in 
the academic supervisor's hands. 
 
Lori also wrote, 
"I do think musicianship is crucial to work as a music therapist and it's an 
area I constantly work on improving for myself.  I am not familiar with the 
CBMT exam, but I have to be completely honest here in contributing to this 
ongoing dialogue:  just as a written exam can't adequately judge 
musicianship, how can it possibly judge a person's skills as a therapist?  
Isn't a written exam more about knowledge than therapeutic process?  Would 
love to some thoughts on this."
 
I have to agree on some level, but not entirely. Afterall, the exam is entry level and is an attempt to 
acertain basic knowledge- vocabulary, and so on. But I also have to say that the exam is overly 
simplistic in that it touches on "process" issues in an extremely limited fashion. 
How do other professionals prove clinical competence before being awarded a credential? Any insights 
would help this discussion. I know Social Workers have strong supervision requirements- which points 
back to the mentorship/supervision piece I think I mentioned earlier in this discussion.
 
Thanks so much to all.
 
With admiration to all you hard working music therapists out there!!
Jim Hiller MMT,MT-BC
-- MT-PRO Music Therapy List, mtpro@multipro.com on 10/27/1999 at 10:58:32 PM


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