Final Post

This will be the final entry for this blog "autismusictherapy".

Since my first entry in August 2010, I have documented my journey through my pilot study. Upon completion of the summer residency I had already written the pilot and was set to implement my protocol. During the residecy I was able to interview all of the participant families and thus worked with the actual participants in music therapy the week after the residency ended.

In review of the entries posted on this blog I notice how I have little time to get to the depths of data analysis required in the examination of this pilot study. This work will be a big step for me. This blog gave the insight to think about time management and how to best configure opportunities in my schedule for data analysis. It was seemingly easy to develop the pilot and carry it out - as I had done this before in previous research lab settings - but analysis is a new and more cognitive experience for me. Through out my coursework I have learned to infuse an artistic process into my work - maintain the fun creative aspects of the work. I am eager to analyze and review my video data - it is simply a time committment that is not available to me a the moment. I am teaching 6 classes this semester, in addition to taking five classes, in addition to my private practice, and the purchase of a new home. I have put many of these commitments before my pilot study. My plan is to implement the analysis during the one month break from teaching college in January. I look forward to this special time to be with my work.

Thank you to the blog for allowing me to examine these limitations and recognize the importance of limiting my work schedule to focus on this pilot study. I know that I will need to make a better plan of reducing my work load in order to pass the qualifying exam and move on to dissertation for next year!

Returning from the conference

Just landed back in Boston after attending the National Conference of the American Music Therapy Association in Cleveland, Ohio. The conference was lovely and the research was stimulating. I only attended 3 talks, but they were all great. Really the conference gave me an opportunity to talk casually with colleagues about the my autism research and I even had time to read journal articles! This stimulated ideas for writing up the pilot and develop a checklist of tasks that I hope to see while watching the videos. Still need that space to watch the videos ... there sure is a lot of motivation to do it!

Considering the mission ...

I just returned from walking Sage.... I was thinking that Blog has not been so fruitful in its process to present how my pilot study had progressed - because it is in a way at a stand still. When I first started to post, I was afraid of the data, now I want more than anything to look at it, but I feel that so many other assignments, including my job come first!!

Research Ideas

Sometimes I feel like I am getting burned out on doing music therapy with children with autism - it hurts to write this! I am however excited about autism, music and arts based reasearch!!! So very excited to investigate, research and write. I am loving teaching and feeling burned out on the clinical work. Maybe its time for a break?? I seem to go through this each year, but now it is coming down to doing it for reasons bigger than income and experience, its for the PhD!!

Two months

Its been three months since I did the pilot - I got wondeful reviews on my first draft of the lit review, but the pilot data analysis is still at a stand still. I confessed this to my adviser - as I have no time to sit an look at my video and note the progress.

Time is fleeting

Watched one video last month - took my doctoral advisers suggestion to simply watch the video and take notes!! I hope this stimulates more activity / progress in my work.

Viewing the Data

I still have not yet viewed my Data - its nearly October, so this means it has been in the back up drive and not played since its transfer from video tape in mid-August.

My fear is that I will have "nothing good"! No good data will make it so that I will have to start the process over. I discussed this with my doctoral advisor who said to just breathe, wait another week or so, and just watch one of the videos - don't do anything with it, just watch it.

After this conversation I wanted to immediately go home and watch one or possibly two, alas it has been a week (tomorrow) and I will have not even plugged in the drive. This is simply because I have no time... however, now I do have the interest. Perhaps next week or this weekend I will have the time to view it and this blog will flourish with my feedback!