Ah, quee la neige a neige. (Oh, how the snow has fallen.) As I sit today looking out my window, I am not sure what to think of this weather. I see white everywhere, with branches curling to the ground heavy with snow. It is quite beautiful and so peaceful, but also quite surreal after last week’s record breaking warm weather. T-shirts one day and snow pants the next! As in our daily work as music therapists, it seems that the weather reminds us to stay open to the unexpected, for that is where much of the beauty of our work lies.

National Conference 2007
It’s been a busy few months and for those of you who went to National – it was great to see you there. NER was well represented, both in conference attendees and within the pages of the conference program. I was pleased to see so many local names presenting institutes, CMTE’s and concurrent sessions. I commend you all and hope that our numbers will keep growing as we have much to offer.

Passages 2007
The Passages Conference was another great success thanks to Jodie Deignan, Erika Shira, and to all the students and young professionals who presented. For those of you who might never have attended, you are definitely missing one of the best free events in town! This year’s presentations included a variety of clinical experiences, research projects, and thesis presentations, as well as clinical music skills workshops on piano and guitar, and a presentation by a dance/movement therapy student. There was also a great plenary session by students from Berklee College of Music on their recent work in an orphanage in Kenya. New this year was the raffle of an iPod nano for those who stayed until the end of the conference and completed presentation evaluations. Brilliant! I must say, I felt very, very proud of the many students I have worked with over the years who were a part of this great and inspiring event.

Yale Symposium
This one-day event was held in October and was very enlightening. It brought together music therapists, psychologists and medical doctors to discuss pain management and music therapy. It was an inspiring dialogue that I hope will continue. Thank you to Jodi Levine, Bobbi Blake and Cyd Slotoroff for having a vision and working hard to make it a reality. The event also marked the unveiling of our NER display board thanks to Jennifer Sokira and Sarah Gagnon. This board represents our region and our field in a very professional and dynamic way. We are still seeking photos from local music therapists to keep the board up to date and flexible. It is currently housed at one of our member’s homes and could be made available to those of you presenting at various conferences.

Regional Conference Spring 2008
Mark your new 2008 calendars because the NER conference is around the corner. This year it will be held at the Cranwell Resort Spa and Golf Club in Lenox, MA, April 3-5. The conference preliminary program and registration will be out shortly. Register early for your reduced rates and don’t forget to reserve your guest room. Thank you to our Vice President, Lynn Patnode, and our Vice President-Elect, Heather Bloam Wagner for their dedication and hard work in making this year’s conference another great New England event. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

AMTA Membership Dues
Please renew your membership if you have not already done so. It is crucial that we maintain and even increase our numbers in the New England Region in order to have a strong voice on the Assembly of Delegates. We need YOU!

Merci et a bientot,
~ Christine Routhier