Bright-Eyed

I knew this question would come at some point, and I still have no clue what to say:

“Describe your dream career. Where would you like to be—geographically, economically, socially, etc.? And what would you like to be doing there? And who would you like to be doing it with? And Why? Then talk about the advantages such a life might offer. And then talk about the problems you might encounter living such a life (this is perhaps where the “personal finance” concepts might come into play). Once you’ve described your dream future, tell us a little bit about what you’re doing right now to set you on that path, and then tell us some of the things that perhaps you should look to start doing in the near future.”

...Okay, I still don't know what to say. Here, enjoy this video while I think!




This is something I know I don’t  want to occur in my future (though I do love Lord of the Rings).

Back to serious topics!

What I want to be; what do I want to be? That is a very good question that I am not too certain that I can answer properly. My ultimate goal is to be a Music Therapist. With my license (MT-BC (Music Therapist-Board Certified)), I’d be making roughly $40,000 a year, so I can’t complain too much. I can’t quite answer the “where” bit, seeing that work can be found in various locations; if I had the choice, though, I would like to be in Ireland/Scotland or somewhere in Europe working in hospitals to assist in surgery and such. Being in an area that is not too much in the middle of nowhere would give me the opportunity to fulfill several minor dreams that I have. The first is to stay in a small town (what can I say, I like the “cozy” feel you get from a smaller community) in a beautiful area, as a type of artistic inspiration. The second is to be out of my normal boundaries and to explore the world a bit. Being in Europe will also give me the opportunity to study different methods of Music Therapy and to better educate myself in my career choice.

Then, there are issues.

1.     Hospitals are still, albeit excruciatingly slowly, getting into the swing of music therapy as a legitimate type of therapy, rather than a source of “entertainment”. Finding an accepting hospital would be the first issue.

2.     Having the money to get to Europe will be another kicker. It’s not cheap to live there.

3.     Death. Yeah, that would definitely add a bit of a problem to my future, should it occur. Let’s try to avoid that, though.

On to brighter subjects, however. How I’m getting there:

1.     I’m in College as an intended MT major. This is certainly a good first start to my plan.  

2.     Getting my Board Certification (the BC in MT-BC). This would allow me to legally practice. Another good part of the plan.

What should I be doing to get there?

1.     The most important thing: studying.

2.     The second-most important thing: saving money.

The end.

A Push in the Right Direction

My apologies go out for not posting for our last topic. I'm here with a comeback, though, with this week's request:

"...For your next blog, we want to you to share some of the music that makes your life better. You can tell us about individual songs or entire genres of music. Don’t just list three songs and leave, though--tell us why that particular music helps you regain your equilibrium..."

Three songs and why, hmm? This one is a tough one. Why? The saying goes that the eye is the window to the soul. I believe not only that to be true, but also that music itself is also a window to one's inner being. The meaning and definition to each person for each song is different, and a certain perspective on certain lyrics, or instrumentation, can mean the whole world to someone. However, I know that those with me will not judge as I let you in on just a little of whom “Alex” truly is, through music.

1.      Lullaby for a Stormy Night by Vienna Teng. It wasn’t until recently (about three months) did I hear this song. And by the end of the piece, I was almost in tears. Why? It touched me, in a sense, and not a lot of music does that. Though it does relate to me personally, it can be related to college easily: the storm is all the stress and work constantly bugging each and every one of us. But, in the midst of it all, we realize that it is just a storm, and it will go by. And for each and every one of us, there is a person we can go to who will have their arms open to help us.

Enough of my rambling, enjoy the video (there isn’t an official video for it, so            I chose one of the better lyric videos).

2.      Walking On Air by Kerli. This song presents a very simple, yet powerful meaning to me: don’t judge a book by its cover. Elaborated in the context of the lyrics: you see this little creepy girl, and you already think negatively about it. However, you later learn that she has an amazing talent for singing. Elaborated, Alex-style: be open-minded, and stop judging. Simple, right? In her biography, Kerli states that this song was written with thoughts of her previous life of suicide and abuse. Yet you see this amazing, creative, and talented artist who writes such a beautiful song.

Here you go.

3.       Maid with the Flaxen Hair by Richard Stoltzman. Have you ever just found a piece of music that you absolutely have no idea how to explain? Or how to bring out the words to even remotely describe the emotions a piece can bring out of you? This is a song that does that for me. When I’m angry, depressed, anxious, stressed, you name it, I bust out this song wherever I’m at (it’s on my phone) and play it over... and over… and over again, until my negative thoughts and feelings end with the fading of the last note.

Allow me to share with you the number one piece that keeps me 100%

motivated, each and every day.

Group Therapy Student Success Session

So, what’s the topic this week for our favorite class? Something that requires a bit more thought than our last visit with blogger.com:

“Blog about your biggest time management challenge—is it oversleeping, spending too much time on social media such as Facebook, juggling work and family responsibilities, or something else? Then, let us know about a time management tool that does work for you. What sort of advice might you give others?”

Hmm. This is an odd one, and one that is slightly difficult for me to answer straightforward. Why? Time is can be contemplated in many different ways. It moves at different speed for everyone, and is handled differently. It cannot be controlled, and nothing can be redone. The clocks hand’s are always ticking, and slows for no one.

Please, bear with me as I try to answer this as seriously as possible, with an impromptu dialog from the impromptu story that I just composed in my head:

In walks Jane, the therapist for the PTMPC (People with Time Management Problems in College) small group that meets, but is not limited to, every Thursday of every odd month. She looks at the small group and smiles sweetly as she speaks, “Welcome back everyone. I hope you enjoyed your holidays this past December.” Jane glances around, and takes immediate notice to a young woman sitting lazily in her chair. “I see we have a new guest. Come on up, introduce yourself, and tell us why you’re here.”

After much protest, the girl stood and went to the front, her hands shoved in her pockets. Her eyes were downcast as she spoke, “Hello, my name is MsPuppetMusicPerson, and I’m a procrastinator.”

There, I admitted it: I’m a procrastinator. I’ll say it again: I’M A PROCRASTINATOR! I do not view this entirely as a time management problem, but also an advantage as well. Now I’m sure you’re sitting in your chair, wondering how it’s even remotely close to being positive. Allow me explain: I have found that if I’m under pressure, I’m more likely to remember something important. This is very useful when it comes to, and I know it sounds bad, studying for tests. My technique is to make whatever study guide or flash/note cards I need two nights before I need them, and spend the night before to study, and the morning to review.

This usually works. Which is where the bad comes in: it’s not always guaranteed to work. Though I’m slowly learning that I have a photographic memory, it’s not a polished trait, and last-minute studying is an easy way to turn into a zombie by the end of the semester due to a lack of sleep. Also, the information doesn’t always stay in my brain for long.

I suppose I need to find a new studying technique, as this one has more negative than positiveoutcomes. My advice to my audience is simple: don’t procrastinate. Study far in advanced, because it’ll stick much longer in your mind. Longer duration of remembering things equals better test grades, which translates to being a successful college student.

It’s Friday night. Shouldn’t you be studying right now? You do want to be an awesome college student, right? Wait, you’re not a college student? Oh, then I guess go have a good weekend. Have a good weekend even if you’re a college student. Either way, whether you’re pink, green, white, black, musician, mechanic, professor, personal trainer, couch potato, or everything and everything in between, have a good weekend.

That is all. So long, folks! 

Ladies and Gentlewomen, and Children of All College Ages!

Welcome to the show of the year: Converse: Insider, where we will be delving into campus life, events, communication, and socialization at the amazing school. There is a catch to this, however: you get to see it in the life of a first year student (insert dramatic music)!

Enough with the chit-chat, you’re here to read the blog, not read is description. My name is Alex B. (also known as MsPuppetMusicPerson), and I am a Music Therapy major here a Converse. Why, you ask, do I add a ‘b’ after ‘Alex’? Let me tell you this: I’m not the only Alex here, and adding the last initial makes life a little easier for you, me, and most likely the professors as well. The only other usefulness of adding the initial would be the fact if you combine my last initial with two other Alex’s initials, we’d be Alex B. M. W.!

Okay, I have a horrible funny bone. So please, bear with me as we experience this adventure together. We’ll make it, slowly but surely, to the end of May 2012. Now, on to the main event!

Today’s remaining post is dedicated to my SSS class, in which I have to answer a particular set of questions. Let’s have at it, shall we?

“1. Why did you decide to come to college? (After all, it's not exactly free...)
2. Why did you decide specifically to come to Converse? (Again with the "not free"...)
3. Why did you decide to study music in college at Converse? (I'm sensing a theme here...)
4. What’s one good idea or piece of advice that you can take away from our opening video?”

Hmm. This’ll be fun. Number one, why am I pursuing a “higher education”? Simple: My life is boring. I find enjoyment in learning new skills, knowledge, and facts about a wide variety of subjects. Since high school has ended, I need to continue this search for more knowledge by going to (you guessed it) college.

Number two: why Connie-Land? Honestly, I don’t know. It could be the home-like feel I get each time I walk onto campus. Or, it could be the fact that everyone always happens to have a very friendly smile on their face each and every time I see them. It could also be the fact that it was the closest school that offered my major. Maybe.

Three: music? Yes, music. And more specifically, Music Therapy. What is Music Therapy you ask? Go to the AMTA website and take a look, it’ll do a better job explaining than I can. I love helping people. Let me say that again: I love helping people, even if it’s something as simple as holding a door open for a rather large group of freshmen (which you’ll see me do often), or being a shoulder to cry on when needed. Music is my passion, and just knowing that I can use that passion to enhance another passion is simply mind-blowing.

Last but not least, number four. What do I get from that? The fear of obtaining diabetes in one sitting (I’m serious, family history does not look kindly at me). Also, I can easily compare it to Converse. You’re sitting there, asking yourself, “How in the world can this girl compare a candy wonderland to a college?!” Well, let me explain. If you look around the room in the video, there’s so much you can see, and even more you can’t see. In order to experience the full “Wonka” experience, you have to use imagination, creativity, and exploration to get the most out of your time. The same concept applies to our wonderful school; don’t hold back, and get yourself out there if you want the most of your time (and money, because hey, you’re paying $40,000 a year)!

So, that’s that. And for those who have asked, I will be setting up my oh-so-wonderful videos soon…. As soon as I can get my sock puppets. Yes, sock puppets.

That is all. So long, folks!