Left to right: Sammi Acconcio, Amy Furman, Laura Fennell and Brittany Harmon
At CAP, we’re committed to delivering the highest quality programming and ensuring our staff have the resources and expertise to serve the Northeast Florida community. But what does it take to maintain that high quality? It takes commitment, collaboration and continuous learning.
That’s why CAP’s board-certified Music Therapists (MT) recently welcomed Music Therapy expert Amy Furman, MM, MT-BC, for an intensive three-day professional development workshop. Amy is a Past President of the American Music Therapy Association, regular presenter both nationally and internationally and a specialist in areas like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and inclusion in school settings. The workshop was designed to keep the team informed about the latest research and best practices and ensure our students are achieving the best possible results, setting the stage for an expansion of our therapeutic service offerings.
Sharpening Our Focus on Student Progress
The workshop was specifically focused on areas that directly translate into improved student experience and measurable outcomes:
- Elevated Documentation: Deep dives into goal setting, clinical measurements and reporting to ensure we’re accurately tracking student progress.
- Differentiated Instruction: Techniques for adapting sessions to meet the varied needs and abilities within a single classroom.
- Strategic Planning: Meetings with CAP’s MT Strategic Group to identify current needs, gaps and the necessary action steps to expand our music therapy model, ensuring more children and families can benefit.
Dr. Shaneka Ferrell, CAP’s Director of CAPabilities Programs (left), with Amy Furman
Expert Perspective: Amy Furman on the CAP Difference
We asked Amy what she observed that makes CAP’s program so effective, and she immediately centered on the students:
What was the most impactful thing you saw or heard while visiting CAP?
“The ability of CAP’s music therapy team to focus and engage the students to move, sing, play instruments, take turns and share ideas during music. And wow—the many ways that CAP has engaged and provided opportunities for all students to create visual art of all forms. I want to support that same level of opportunity for all students to engage and be part of different music experiences.”
Why is it important to you to collaborate with organizations like CAP?
“The recognition and research around the impact of the arts on learning and health continues to grow and expand. CAP already supports the community in experiencing and learning through the arts. Growing the CAP music therapy program ensures all children and families can benefit and experience music. I am excited by CAP’s long history of providing arts experiences to the community and am pleased to support CAP in the work of further expanding access. I firmly believe ‘arts for all’ means everyone and their families.”
What were your goals for the time you spent with CAP music therapists, and did you accomplish those?
“I wanted to learn about and gain an understanding of music therapy at CAP and see how I might be of support. I was so impressed by the dedication and collaboration displayed by the entire CAP team. It’s only the beginning of the school year and students were already engaged and actively participating with the music therapists. I’m excited for the team and their opportunity to collaborate and determine how best to expand the music therapy services to meet the needs of the community.”
Key Takeaways from Our Music Therapists
Amy Furman (left) working with CAP’s Music Therapy Fellows Brittany Harmon, Laura Fennell and Sammi Acconcio in the CAP Boardroom
Here’s what some of our dedicated MT staff had to say about their biggest takeaways from the experience:
Brittany Harmon, MM, MT-BC
“Two major areas stand out: Goals/Documentation and How to Build Relationships. Amy shared an example sheet that helped categorize goals based on functioning level, which is huge since we work with such a range of ages and abilities. This will help me streamline goals better. On the relationship side, I plan to follow up with teachers to encourage them to share videos or pictures of music therapy in IEP meetings to better share the process with parents. Being more aware of school-wide events is something I plan to do as well.”
Laura Fennell, MMT, MT-BC
“Amy really drilled in goal setting and clinical measurements during our PD. Making sure we clarify the average baseline for students at the start of the year and where we expect them to be by the end helps keep us accountable in our data taking. Some aspects I intend to incorporate more in my classrooms are inclusive language (sign language in particular), call-and-response singing and interventions, and more multicultural approaches to sessions. Amy strongly recommended I look into African call and response tunes for some of my teen groups!”
Sammi Acconcio, MT-BC
“Amy was really helpful in assisting us create group goals vs. individualized goals. Since one classroom may have a variety of needs and abilities, she gave us the space to explore broader goals that addressed individual needs as well as the group as a whole. Amy also helped with adjusting my view on how to approach certain classrooms in a group setting, and I have already implemented some of these things in the classroom, like using larger visuals and introducing ideas before presenting choices.”
The collaboration with Amy Furman was an invaluable experience that underscores our team’s commitment to our students. By investing in top-tier professional development, CAP ensures that our music therapy programs remain robust, relevant and highly effective for every child and family we serve.
