Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Weithers, and I am the new music therapy intern at Rhythm Garden Music (RGM). This is the first of the monthly blog posts I’ll be doing during my time here, and wanted this post to act as an introduction before I begin documenting my experiences and reflections as an intern. I am originally from Frankfort, IL, which is a Chicago suburb. I’ve lived in Indiana before – when I attended the University of Evansville for my undergrad – and am excited to be back here in Terre Haute for the next six months (although not so excited to be here during the heat of the summer). In addition to learning about music therapy, while at UE I also studied psychology and cognitive science, and am interested to continue to explore the overlap between these fields. My main instruments are voice and piano, and I am excited to expand and develop those skills with these and other instruments while I am here with RGM.
I first learned about music therapy when I was in high school when I was trying to decide what I wanted to study/go to college for. I’ve always had a passion for and have been involved with music for as long as I can remember, but knew I did not want to go into performance. At the time I was also taking a psychology class and had fallen in love with that disciple as well. When I learned about music therapy and how it could be used to help others, it seemed like the perfect place to continue to use my passion for music and to help better others’ lives. To this day, being able to see how music can connect people and affect positive change is my favorite thing about what music therapy can do.
Coming to Rhythm Garden, I am excited to be able to work with many different clients in a variety of settings, and to better myself as a musician and as a future music therapist by diversifying my skills along the way. To this end, I will complete my required 1200 clinical hours over the next six months to finish the training for my bachelor’s degree and to be eligible to sit for my board certification. I have learned so much from the clinical hours and experiences I had while at school (particularly while participating in telehealth sessions during the pandemic) and cannot wait to get back to new in-person music making experiences. I am already so charmed by the clinic and the people I’ve met here, and cannot wait to see what these next six months have in store!
Outside of any music-making, I enjoy almost all forms of crafting (currently am working on a new quilt), playing D&D and storytelling with my friends, and experimenting with any new baking recipes in my kitchen! I am excited to document and share my internship experiences here, and hope you enjoyed reading!
Until next time,
Sarah
