themes.

So, the conference was far more than I could've asked for, and I went into it expecting one thing and got something else entirely. I came out with knowledge, yes, but I came away inspired, awed, exhausted, and fulfilled. There were a few themes: Neuroscience, Bilingual Music Therapy, Improvisation, and Nurturing my Creativity.

In the Neuroscience corner, we have the wonderfully inspiring lectures given by Dr. Aniruddh Patel, who was a major influence in my thesis work. A neuroscientist working on research in mirror neurons that was just...way super cool. Plus he was wicked accomplished and YOUNG which is inspiring in itself. And then there's' Dr. Iversen, who I spotted at every function all week long. It was cool to have the neuroscientists there so we could have conversations about what each of our fields was up to. They had no idea what we were doing and we had no idea what they were doing, as I suspected. I also decided that instead of doing neurologic music therapy training, I am going to start working toward a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. Maybe they'll start having drum circles at neuro conferences.

Wouldn't that be a trip.

leavin' on a jet plane

Tomorrow my friend Maria and I are heading off with the rest of the music therapy world to our national conference! These things are always so refreshing, rejuvenating, and FUN!

I know what you're thinking: conferences aren't supposed to be fun. Well, sometimes when participating in presentations they can be a little stressful but seriously - one is almost guaranteed to sing, play an instrument, or see how someone sang/played instruments for a client population that is interesting, and then after all that, we get together and do drum circles, chanting, dancing, music making, songwriting...I got hooked on music therapy at the 2004 national conference in Austin. I walked in to registration where a band was playing and it was like my entire being sighed, "I'm home!"

What is super amazing is that all the music therapists that can make it from all over the country get together and such a strong community is built when we all make music together in some form or another. On top of that, with the help of twitter, the MTs from around the country have scheduled a "tweetup" and it'll be so cool to meet people face-to-face that I only know online. Anyway, the community that is built for a few days is always rather powerful and moving, and I hope to take lots of videos and pictures so I can show y'all.

For now, I'm going to go see if I can get a shot in the bum because I woke up SICK yesterday :( and I for sure need it gone by tomorrow!

there's no place like home(town)...

I always tell people that NB is a great place to be from, but it was sometimes a difficult place in which to grow up. Everything closing around 9 or 10 on the weekends, small town mentality, racism, all that. There were good things too: dear friends that have been in my life more years than haven't been in it, facing the rivers at night for the sheer thrill of it (and as mentioned above, we were bored at about 10:05pm), and knowing a place so well it - less like just the back of your hand and more like part of your entire skin. I'm having trouble describing the tingling I felt when I saw the workers putting the lights on the courthouse or encountering an 8 pt buck on my morning run through the old neighborhood.

I went back this weekend for Wurstfest and I swear, every time I go back, for either a holiday or a weekend trip, I learn something new about myself, my friends, and sometimes a little light gets shone on something. I came away from this weekend reassured that the more things and people change the more they stay the same. For me that means I can look back on and appreciate the stronger friendships with people I love, and joyfully renewed connections, along with a reinforced confidence in the choices I've made since leaving.

Has it really almost been 10 years?

Halt.

So, my running, and much of my life has been hindered by the destruction of a plantar's wart on the bottom of my right foot. Usually it hurts for a few days but today marks a WEEK of pain and limping :( It had better be gone soon - I've got lots of polka dancing to do this weekend :)