E-Book of Articles - World Federation of Music Therapy

Wheeler, Barbara: WMFT Proceedings of the Education Symposium
Education and Training, the group that formulated the new standards
proposed by AMTA, was in a key position to answer many of the questions.
Universities will translate the competencies into courses. Questions and
concerns were raised about who would teach the courses and whether a
university could employ whomever they like to teach a course. It was felt
that they would probably not gain approval of AMTA unless they employed
a person who met the proposed new AMTA standards for academic faculty
and clinical supervisors. Under the former NAMT model, faculty
authorization by the Association was required for program approval.
However, in the proposed new model, the university would determine who
was qualified based on Association standards.
This system is very different than that used in other countries, where a
person must be recognized by a government law as being able to teach. The
change from a mandated curriculum to one that is based on competencies
generated discussion and concerns.
A major concern was how music therapists from the United States would be
evaluated if they had not met certain course requirements. The point was
made that this ability to evaluate music therapists from one system to
another is exactly the point of this two-day Symposium. Questions about
how competency-based education related to practices in other professions
were raised but not answered at this time.
Barbara Hesser reported that the AMTA Commission on Education and
Training had moved to the use of competencies because of the wide variety
of what was being taught in courses, even when the courses had similar
names.
Marilyn Sandness, MM, MT-BC
P. O. Box 751231
Dayton, OH 45475
Fax: 937-434-8645
e-mail: sandness@erinet.com
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