| Southwestern Region Of The American Music Therapy Association |
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| Texas CEC Alert: Action Needed TEXAS CONGRESSWOMAN IN POSITION TO DEMAND MORE FUNDING FOR IDEA, JAVITS Tell Congress to provide more funding for students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents! Visit: http://capwiz.com/cek/home/ Members of Congress are now renegotiating funding levels for education programs such as IDEA, after the House of Representatives defeated the initial proposal which would have increased funding for IDEA by the smallest amount in a decade. The original proposal would have cut the Javits program for students with gifts and talents by $1.3 million. Congresswoman Kay Granger (Republican, Texas' 12th district) has been appointed as one of only a few to the House-Senate conference committee to renegotiate the bill (H.R. 3010). Congresswoman Granger plays a significant role in determining how much funding education programs - like IDEA and Javits - will receive in fiscal year 2006. Even if you aren't in Rep.. Granger's district, tell the rest of Texas' elected officials that students with disabilities and/or gifts deserve better! Every member of Congress will vote on this bill. Tell your member of Congress to support increased funding for IDEA and the Javits program by visiting CEC's Legislative Action Center: http://capwiz.com/cek/home/ All you have to do is enter your zip code and the Legislative Action Center will provide you with a draft email you can personalize. It's that easy! Negotiations are going on NOW and we have to act quickly! Today, visit http://capwiz.com/cek/home/. Tell your family, friends and colleagues to do the same! |
| Houston Music Therapist, Veronica Llanos-Butler asked to do Blog for Houston Chronicle! Check it out at: blogs.chron.com/musictherapy101/ |
| JOIN THE LISTSERV While on the topic of communication, please be sure to join the region's listserv so that you can become as connected as possible to the region's activities. You'll be glad you did! On occasion, we need to be able to contact each other quickly, and the listserv seems the most effective and efficient way to do it. For example, following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we needed to gather as much information as possible regarding the well-being of our members and to share ideas regarding the offering of assistance. The listserv can be an invaluable resource at such times. Contact Kathleen Coleman at kaseyy@mac.com for instructions on how to join. |
| Tell Your Senators to Fund Public Education! Policy & Advocacy Posted 7/6/06 |
| REGIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS |
| Congratulations to Tania Cordobés 2 years in a row!!! Honorable Mention: Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas Annual Team Excellence Award – Mental Health Professional Division 2007 & 2008 |
| Updated: 2/18/09 |
| TEXAS STATE TASK FORCE SURVEY This is a reminder if you have not completed the state task force survey, please take a few minutes and complete it now. We will be using this information when we talk to legislators at regional conference. We sent 251 surveys, and have received 75 responses. I would like to include every music therapist in the state of Texas in our statistics. Here is a link to the survey: Survey Thanks for your participation! Carol Gardner Posted 1-28-09 |
| Harmony Award & Friends of Music Therapy Information |
| SAVE MSU'S MUSIC THERAPY PROGRAM! The Michigan State University Music Therapy Program was recently told that they were going to have a moratorium on admitting new students due to budget issues, a decision which would effectively dissolve the programs once the current students have graduated. The MSU Music Therapy Program was the first degree program for music therapy in the world, and has been the example by which all other MT programs have been developed. This department was and is fundamental in pioneering the field of music therapy, and continues to benefit the surrounding community through the practicum and volunteer work of its students. Please consider writing a letter of support to try to keep the program from being dissolved. Thank you for your help! URGENT! MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MUSIC THERAPY PROGRAM PROPOSED MORATORIUM ON ADMISSION OF NEW STUDENTS On Monday, February 9th, the students of MSU's Music Therapy Program were informed by Jim Forger, Dean of the College of Music, that he was requesting the University place a Moratorium on both undergraduate and graduate admissions to Music Therapy, for budgetary reasons in these unprecedented economic times. However, he stressed that there was no concern about the value of the program.Please consider sending a letter of support IMMEDIATELY for this historic program, which has impacted the field of music therapy beyond measure. Letters of support are best received if not in a template form. Such letters can have an impact of the final decisions made. Important factors to highlight include program quality, student success, alumni and external stakeholders. Thank you in advance for speaking out concerning an action that would impact not only MSU students and clients, but the music therapy community as a whole. Your voice will be heard, and may influence a far-reaching decision.Letters, emails and phone calls can be directed to: If you feel comfortable doing so, please send a copy of the letter as an e-mail attachment to either Ted Tims (tims@msu.edu[4]), Roger Smeltekop (smeltek3@msu. edu[5]), or mtclinic@msu. edu. This will help us to keep track of the number of support letters we have received. MSU MT Students have also formed a Facebook Group "SAVE THE MSU MUSIC THERAPY PROGRAM." View Blog on Oprah.com |
| James Forger Dean College of Music Michigan State University 105 Music Bldg. East Lansing, MI 48824-1043 517- 355-4583 forger@msu.edu |
| Kim A. Wilcox Provost & V.P. Academic Affairs Michigan State University 429 Administration Bldg East Lansing, MI 48824-1046 517- 355-1524 kwilcox@msu.edu |
| Lou Anna K. Simon President Michigan State University 450 Administration Bldg East Lansing, MI 48824-1046 517- 355-6560 presmail@msu.edu |