Music Therapy Week to Highlight Benefits of Practice, Feature Special Performances
April 18, 2022
Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]
CANYON, Texas — A renowned author and a prestigious private practitioner will help West Texas A&M University celebrate Music Therapy Awareness Week from April 18 to 23.
The week will focus on educational opportunities for existing music therapy students as well as draw attention to the therapy field.
“In music therapy, we use music to help clients accomplish their goals in promoting wellness, managing stress, alleviating pain and more,” said Brooke Osborne, president of the WT Music Therapy Organization and senior music therapy major from Loomis, California. “Music therapy also can be used to help clients reach education goals, such as improvement in school subjects, behavioral skills and social skills.”
Music therapists can work in hospice, nursing homes, mental health practices, special education, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, the military or in private practice.
Author Ron Borczon, director of the California State University–Northridge Music Therapy Wellness Clinic, and private practitioner Helen Dolas of Able ARTS Work in Long Beach, California, will speak to students and perform at special events throughout the week.
“Music therapy students frequently read and discuss Borczon’s work in class, so this will be an excellent educational opportunity for them to learn directly from him,” said Sara Rogalski, MTO parliamentarian and junior music therapy major from Houston. “And Dolas can teach our students about entrepreneurship and the rapid growth of private music therapy practices.”
Activities will include:
- an information table from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 18 and 19 in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center Commons
- “Music Therapy: A Song to Be Heard” concert at 6 p.m. April 19 in the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex Recital Hall;
- a bake sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 20 in the Mary Moody Northen Hall Atrium;
- music and storytelling from Borczon at 1:30 p.m. April 21 in the FAC Recital Hall;
- a drum circle at 3:15 p.m. April 21 in the Northen Hall Atrium;
- Dolas’ discussion of entrepreneurship at 2 p.m. April 22 in the FAC Recital Hall;
- a Music Therapy Improv Concert at 7 p.m. April 22 in the FAC Recital Hall; and
- a verbal techniques class led by Borczon at 10:30 a.m. April 23 in the FAC Recital Hall.
Meeting regional needs, such as those addressed by music therapists, is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.
That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised about $110 million.
About West Texas A&M University
WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs, 39 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.
