How to make the internet your greatest music therapy ally
Let’s make sure we are making the internet your greatest music therapy ally. I can see you scratching your head saying “well, duh”. You’re checking out the Online Conference for Music Therapy. Of course you use the internet.
Let’s be honest. We use it as a tool. You go online to find an idea or a lyrics. It is a tool for cutting our prep time. You use social media to share a post or to complain about how music therapy is viewed. The internet is a tool for sharing views.
Tools are important. Tools serve a purpose. Yet a small change in our relationship with the internet can improve the quality.
Ever go to an optometrist? There is a point in the exam you are asked if lens one or two is better. They may be only slightly different. It is a fine-tuning of the corrective lens to your eye. It improves the quality of the correction.
That’s what is needed – a fine-tuning on your view of the internet. By changing our view from a tool to an ally, we can change the quality of our relationship with the internet.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, ally is a verb. It means “to join (yourself) with another person, group, etc. in order to get or give support.”
Why is an ally view important?
By viewing the internet as an ally, you are adding the quality of relationship. The internet is not a person. We do connect with people over it. And, people form opinions about music therapy by what the see.
Let’s use the discussion about music listening being viewed as music therapy. You know music listening can be supportive of quality life. At the same time, you have a more complex view of music therapy.
In my opinion, when we view the internet as a tool we lose an important part – listening. If we listen into these shares what you will hear is music is of value. If you respond only with “that’s not music therapy” you are using the “tool” of the internet. An ally approach might be: “It is true. Music has value and provides quality to lives. Would you like to hear how music therapy can further improve quality of life?”
Is the internet only an ally?
The short answer, is no. There are times you need the tools the internet provides. Pinterest and many websites are tools. Feel free to connect with me at these tool sites:
When you build on the ally side, you increase the quality of the sharing. Here are just a few places where that especially holds true: closed Facebook groups, Tweetchats and LinkedIn groups.
It is up to you whether some internet resources are tools or allies. You could decide OCMT serves you best as a tool – a place for continuing education. But, I hope you’ll view it as a ally – a place to join with others in giving and getting.
As for me, I see OCMT is an amazing ally. I’ve made friends across the globe through this community. Ideas old and new have fed me. Research has challenged me.
One last thing, if you’d like to connect with me in an ally way, I’m @JordanEM on Twitter. And, please ask to join the Music Sparks Community Forum where we share our challenges, celebrations and more each week.
The internet as tool or ally? You decide.
