Music Therapy Updates

Amy Furman was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Music Therapy Association of Minnesota (MTAM). Amy served our state as the Hennepin County Special Needs Coordinator from 1984 until 1991 and has worked as a music therapist in MPS since 1991, where she is now the lead music therapist. Amy continues to serve our state as an appointed Member-at-Large on the MTAM Board and a member of our music therapy licensure task force. In addition, she continues to lead workshops for area music teachers and to serve as a state mentor for the Minnesota Music Educators in the areas of urban education and students with special needs. Amy has presented around the country and the globe and has authored and co-authored book chapters and articles for a variety of professional journals. She works diligently behind the scenes to encourage the next generation of music therapists to serve in leadership roles on the state, regional, and national level. Her leadership and mentorship within the Minneapolis Public Schools’ music therapy team have led to tremendous growth in the number of music therapists employed by the district and the number of students receiving music therapy services. She continues to be an advocate for music therapy in the MPS district, in the state of Minnesota, and beyond.

On November 24^th, the MPS music therapy team presented at the American Music Therapy Association’s National Conference in Minneapolis about the use of technology to engage students in meaningful, interactive learning in the music therapy environment. The presentation, Beyond Visual Aids: Innovative Technology in the Music Therapy Setting, highlighted interventions and songs to support Social emotional learning, literacy and issues of accessibility in the classroom. The presentation was supported by the MPS Promethean team and Connecting Point, who lent us a Promethean device so we could demonstrate our work for music therapy colleagues from all over the country.