MT Job Interview Questions

What is your philosophy of music therapy? How might your philosophy affect your interactions/work with clients and co-workers?

• Person-centered and strength-based

• Walking alongside and guides the client, rather than a strict clinical expert / teacher.

• Collaboration, safe space for creating new musical experiences that are meaningful to clients and students

• Holistic understanding, especially for those with disabilities or learning differences

What is your music therapy elevator speech?

Music therapy uses music within a therapeutic relationship to achieve non-music or music-related goals. The music therapist works with a client to work on social, cognitive, sensorimotor, communication, emotional, or music-related goals. They can do this through different music experiences such as music listening, instrument play, singing, improvising to music, or composing music. For example, one of the clients I’ve worked with is diagnosed with cerebral palsy and worked on communication and motor goals through singing and instrument playing.

What experience do you have with students with developmental disabilities or learning differences?

• Frisco ISD - kids with disabilities; social goals and academic goals for these kids and how to use music to support those goals

• H&H and Beat services - worked with all age ranges with varying ability; practiced adapting music experiences and instruments so that clients could participate in a way that’s accessible for them. For example, using diagrams and visuals to help a clients learn the blues scale on guitar; simplifying chords so that they’re easier to play with limited mobility. Here, my approach for mor person-centered and strengths-based became ingrained.

• It’s really important for me to work together with the student/client/caregiver to make sure music is accessible to them, both in lesson and at home.

What qualities are you seeking in a future work environment?

• Opportunities for growth: personally and professionally; don’t want to be stagnant

• Combining music teaching and music therapy work; can combine in the form of adapted lessons, which is something I’d like to explore more

• Positive and supportive work environment where everyone is treated with compassion and respect, including students. We’re all humans trying our best.

What characteristics and strengths would you bring to our team?

• Genuine and positive presence —> supporting meaningful connections with students, co-workers, and peers.

• Organized —> MT background trained me to be aware of data tracking and keeping records. I apply that in my music teaching as well by creating documents and lists to organize lesson plans, resources, and scheduling,

• Professional —> communicating with students, parents, colleagues, and supervisors are a key part of my work at internship and at my music school. Respectful and genuine communication is how solutions can be reached.

• Growth oriented —> I take feedback very seriously and use it to grow as a person and as a therapist/teacher. I believe I always have more to learn, and it’s really my clients and students that teach me the most.

What would you say is one of your weaknesses?

• New professional —> so I’m still figuring out the best ways to facilitate and communicate in a way that is effective during lessons, groups, or sessions.

• When I first started teaching, there was a lot I had to figure out in terms of age-appropriate methods and experiences, and communicating in a way that was accessible to kids. With music therapy, I had to communicate in a way that was accessible to clients.

• But after reflection, my experiences, while humbling, learning to communicate better has helped me connect more genuinely with people. And that’s helped nourish the relationship I have with my students, clients, and supervisors.

What is one thing you would change about your current (or most recent) job to improve it?

• Professional development opportunities - main job was teaching, wish I had more mentorship or supervision

• Benefits

• Higher rate

Provide an example of a time you experienced professional conflict and how you resolved it.

• When I was an RA: I had two residents who did not get along with each other as roommates. It got to the point where one of them expressed her concerns to me and I had to initiate a roommate mediation. I had to get both sides of the story, so I scheduled a meeting with each of them to hear their side as objectively as possible. Unfortunately, I could only get ahold of one of the residents, and ultimately had to advise the residents that if things didn’t get better, then they could email the Resident Director to request a room change.

• So in the end both residents got to talk out their problems and one of the roommates got to move out after I had conversations with the RD about the situation.

What do you find most satisfying about working in the field of music therapy/music teaching?

• The client/student relationships: building rapport with them, seeing them progress on their musical journey, being excited about music together, getting to know them as human beings and seeing how they view the world and learn about their experiences.

Do you have a plan to support yourself emotionally and financially if you were to work here?

• I live with my parents right now and have a lovely partner and friends to support me if I need it.

Discuss your self-care plan.

• Especially after burnout

• Personal music-making

• Recharging with intentional time with friends and family

• Clear work-life time and location boundaries

Provide an example of your documentation.

• Use Excel spreadsheets and charts to take data for groups, used google docs to take progress notes and update reports

When working with autistic children, describe your approach with sensory integration and regulation and your understanding of sensory needs of children in general.

Really meeting them where they are, especially if I don’t know what their sensory needs are. Asking caregivers what their needs are. Different kinds of sensory input: visual, auditory, tactile, proprioceptive/vestibular, gustatory/olfactory; interoceptive

When working in schools, how do you deal with difficult parents?

What is your approach and response when working with a client's parents who have a different worldview and might be part of the problem?

How do you use music therapy to address academic goals? Provide an example of some possible goals, objectives, and music therapy interventions.

Using visuals!! Composing short ditties to adapt with changing academic concepts!! Instrument play for turntaking, singing

How can you help advocate for music therapy in a small town where music therapy is not valued or recognized?

How would you structure a group piano class so that it is engaging and interactive?

Get a feel for student’s interests (video games, minecraft); try to assess unique learning styles and develop plans to be accessible for all; on the bench and off the bench activities, splitting the class into small groups; using technology!!

How would you create a positive and inclusive environment for students?

Set clear group expectations: kindness and respect; listen with compassion and patience; try to encourage everyone’s participation in the class

How would you ensure that parents are notified of student progress?

How do you communicate with staff/client/client's family when you determine a client is not appropriate for music therapy services?

refer to other services, music therapy is not for everyone, especially if music is too overstimulating or not motivating enough for the client to actively engage in therapy

What questions do you have for me?