Interview Blog

Person Interviewed

Laura Buckner (they/them/theirs)

Music Therapy Student

Date

February 26, 2022

Length of Interview

Thirty minutes

Questions

1) How many semesters did you do practicum hours at Build Inclusion?

2) What were the settings of the sessions?

3) What were the most common goals you addressed?

4) What types of interventions were most successful?

5) What types of interventions were least successful?

6) What interventions did the jobseekers seem to like the most?

7) What do you wish you had known going into this practicum setting?

8) What would you do differently now if you were to offer more music therapy services at Build Inclusion?

9) What would you tell future music therapy students beginning their practicum at Build Inclusion?

10) What would you had done differently if the sessions were conducted in person instead of on Zoom?

Interview Blog

         My service-learning project is focused on offering music therapy session plans for future practicum students completing hours at Build Inclusion.  The session plans will implement ideas and strategies of both Universal Design for Learning and Social-Emotional Learning.  Build Inclusion is a Lexington-based non-profit which helps young adults with disabilities find meaningful, competitive, and integrated employment.  Music therapy has been offered to jobseekers for the past three semesters led by a board-certified music therapist and music therapy practicum students.  I interviewed Laura, a fellow classmate, who completed two practicums at Build Inclusion.

         Laura’s first practicum at Build Inclusion was with a single female adolescent and the second practicum was with a group of two-three young adults.  All sessions were conducted via Zoom due to COVID safety protocols.  Laura stated that during both practicums, the jobseekers were willing to try new things.  They created their interventions to address mainly communication and social skills.  Things like taking turns, following directions, and paying attention were also addressed.  The jobseekers were most engaged when they a chance to be active participants.  Groove Pizza, body percussion, and song writing were successful means to address goals and objectives. 

         When asked what they wish they had known going into the practicum and what they would do differently if given another chance, Laura talked mostly about wanting to gain a deeper understanding of cognitive disabilities.  Laura placed emphasis on making interventions age-appropriate but wish they had more knowledge of the jobseekers’ impact of cognitive disabilities to create cognitive-appropriate material.  For example, lyric discussions were something Laura talked about wanting to try again if given the chance.  Now that they have a better understanding of cognitive disabilities, they would adapt the lyric discussions to be not only age-appropriate but cognitively appropriate.  Laura felt that they could have simplified instructions and offered more concrete options/ideas to the jobseekers during lyric analysis.    

         Laura would tell future practicum students at Build Inclusion to not be afraid to try new things because it is a safe space to learn and make mistakes.  They urge practicum students to go in with an open mind and to treat everyone with kindness and respect, to honor their need for autonomy and to learn about the jobseekers’ goals and aspirations.

         Looking forward as I create session plan samples for future practicum students, I see the need to offer adaptations and modifications to interventions.  Using elements of UDL will help ensure that all jobseekers’ have a better chance of benefiting from the interventions.  Creating content that addresses cognitive goals as well as the social and emotional goals will be included as well.