Park Nicollet Music Therapy Internship Application

Last Name: Swann First Name: Sarah Middle Initial: L

Current Address: 226 Painted Mountain Lane City: Vilas State: NC Zip: 28692

Current Phone: 828-231-2562 Email: swannsl@appstate.edu

Permanent Address: 226 Painted Mountain Lane City: Vilas State: NC Zip: 28692

Permanent Phone: 828-231-2562 School: Appalachian State University

Address of School: 813 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28608

Academic Music Therapy director, phone number, and email address: Cathy McKinney, PhD, LCAT, MT-
BC, 828-262-6444, mckinneych@appsate.edu

Major: Master of Music Therapy Equivalency Dates attended: August 2015 May 2019

Scheduled completion date of all required coursework: May 2017

Preferred start date of internship: July Year: 2017

Preferred length of internship: Six months at 40 hours per week

Other acceptable or preferred start dates or internship lengths: April 2017, six months at 40 hours per
week.

1. Describe your musical skills and background. On which instruments do you feel proficient? What
music skills do you need to improve?

I am proficient in voice, piano, and guitar. I have a masters degree in vocal performance from
Appalachian State, and have studied different styles of vocal singing for 15 years. I have experience
singing in many different vocal genres. My voice quality is warm, and has the versatility to match
that of the client. I am able to project my voice, and also contain it when necessary, in both singing
and speaking. I have training in musical expression, and am able to demonstrate this ability in my
voice and facial expressions. I have played piano through college and in to graduate school. I am
able to play various accompaniment styles with few mistakes, and sing while playing. I need to
improve on my ability to look up and engage with clients while playing the piano, and trusting my
fingers to know what they are doing. I continue to improve on this instrument, and look forward to
the opportunities to better my abilities. I have played guitar for three years, both before admittance
to the music therapy equivalency program, and during the program. I am able to play with finger
picking, and chordal accompaniment while singing. I need to improve on my knowledge of chords,
and learn new accompaniment styles. I will continue to improve and learn new techniques of playing
as the years progress, but I have a deep love for the instrument

2. Briefly highlight any specific experiences from your Music Therapy clinical practica and field
placements (or jobs, volunteer work) that have had an impact on your development as a music
therapy clinician.
A positive experience I have had during my clinical training occurred during my practicum with older
adults with neurocognitive disorders. I had been struggling with accompanying the group and
remaining active in the group, and was working on engaging while playing. This particular session, I
was expected to accompany a songwriting exercise to the tune of My Favorite Things. I was very
nervous about playing and following the group and had practiced extensively to the point that my
fingers began to play without conscious thought. During the experience, I noticed that one of the
clients was watching me intently while I played. As they did this, I looked back and smiled to them.
They usually would sit in their chair, and only interact when prompted, but when I smiled at them
they immediately brightened up and began to sing with the group. This showed me that when I am
able to be there fully with the group, they get so much more from the musical experience. It was a
particularly memorable and positive experience for me. A challenging experience I have had was
working with adults with severe/profound intellectual disabilities who are non-verbal and non-
ambulatory. It was particulary difficult to choose music that they would enjoy, and I ended up falling
back on the classics a little too much. As the semester progressed, I began to notice their individual
responses to the different music we presented, and plan according to what they would enjoy.
Developing a plan without verbal feedback continued to be a challenge for me through the
semester, however. My first semester of practicum I was working with adults with severe/profound
intellectual disabilities who are non-verbal and non-ambulatory. The mean age was 30's, but we had
one client who was in his 50's. This particular client had many health problems and would
oftentimes just sit and listen to the music we provided. There was one day that my partner and I
were doing a modified songwriting experience where the clients could enter in the name of a person
that meant a lot to them. Two of the four clients had Dynavox devices that enabled them to answer
verbally, For this client, and one other, we had discussed possible options for people with our
supervisor and suggested these options to the clients. This client was able to indicate his assent by a
soft whisper and shaking his head to say yes. We suggested two options, one of which we knew to
be a special person in his life. He indicated that he wanted to include her in the song, and we began
to sing his version with her name. As we were doing so, the client began to cry. It was as if he knew
we were truly seeing him, and understanding his love for this other person. We decided to play
through his song again to further the experience. This experience is the epitome of what it is to do
music therapy to me. To offer the clients a means of being seen not for their disability or ailment,
but for the person they truly are. Another experience that has left an impact on me was again with
the non-verbal, non-ambulatory group. We had been working with them all on using their non-
dominant hands to play instruments and lift scarves and other implements. This day, we decided to
have a song for each client. One of the clients particularly loved Madonna, so we chose a recording
and decided to just have a dance break. We brought her to the center of the circle, and began
playing the music. She immediately started dancing enthusiastically. We brought another group
member into the circle, who usually didnt participate very much, but something amazing happened.
She grabbed both of my hands with her and lifted them above her head. It brought tears to my eyes
to see her having so much fun, and engaging with the group and the music.

3. Briefly describe what is, for you, a good day and a bad day in your life.

A good day for me is waking up early, having a cup of coffee and a kale smoothie. After that, going
for a run with my dogs. I would go to work after my run, and have music and helping others fill my
day. I would have a short lunch break where I could meditate, listen to some music, and eat a
healthy lunch preferably outside. Then, when the day was over, I would go home, do some yoga,
and spend the evening cooking a healthy meal and reading or listening to a book on tape, maybe
watching a movie with my dogs and my significant other. A bad day would be waking up too late to
go for a run, and feeling stressed and hectic from the beginning of the day, having to skip lunch to
catch up from being late, and not being able to do yoga when I got home, or getting home so late
that I can only go to bed to start the next day too soon. Decompressing is very important to me, and
if I do not have that time to exercise, meditate, and relax, I feel like a tightly wound ball.

4. Have you had any experiences with people who have faced a life crisis, serious illness, eating
disorder, mental health issue, terminal diagnosis or death? How did you respond to these
experiences? How have they impacted you? How do you feel you will manage the stress of
working closely, every day, with people in these situations?

I have worked with individuals with serious illness, mainly adults with neurocognitive disorders who
are in a memory center. I responded to the experience with kindness and empathy to their situation.
I feel that I will handle the stress very well. I have a self-care regimen that helps me to remain
psychologically, spiritually, and physically healthy. I have also been through several experiences
where a close friend of mine, or a close family member of a friend has commited suicide. I was there
when the call was received about the person. I responded with my friend as a shoulder and a
support system, offering to make tea, and be there in whatever capacity they needed in that
moment. I feel that these experiences have helped me to see my empathetic nature, and my desire
to be there for others. My brother was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder when I was in high school. I
have visited him in a mental hospital after his initial break, and have seen how the disorder has
affected his day to day life. I have been able to practice nonjudgmental interactions with him, and
understanding the difficulties that he is facing every day. Writing, singing, playing guitar, yoga and
running are my ways of handling stressful situations in any capacity. I value my time on the
pavement or on the yoga mat, and know that it is my way of accepting that which I cannot change,
and viewing every person with an unconditional positive regard, respecting the person that they are
and seeing the light within each one.

5. Why do you want to intern at Park Nicollet Health Services?

I want to intern at Park Nicollet Health Services because of the exposure to many different
populations. I feel that this site will offer me a unique opportunity to work with a plethora of people
and diagnoses. I have read the testimonials about the supportive nature of this site, and I truly feel
like I would fit in well there. I am especially excited to learn new techniques, and work with
populations that I have no encountered in practicum.

6. What kind of supervision will help you develop your clinical skills?

I do well with constructive criticism, and a supervisor who has high expectations for me. This helps
me to have high expectations for myself, and challenge myself to meet their requirements. I love to
be challenged, and to learn in every way possible, and a supervisor who can help guide me without
holding my hand through internship would be a perfect fit.

7. What type of experience are you looking for in a Music Therapy internship? In what ways do you
wish to improve your skills?
My expectations are to learn tools to help further my abilities as a music therapist in a medical
setting. I expect to bring my creativity, discipline, caring nature, and inquisitive mind to this
experience. I wish to improve my therapeutic skills in verbal and musical applications. I also
hope to improve my playing abilities in the therapeutic setting to the betterment of my clients.