The Intern’s Survival Guide: 10 Tips for A Successful Music Therapy Internship

You have the motive, we have the music.

By Mallory Hogan, MT-BC | Tampa, FL | Tampa Music Therapy

The time of year is approaching when music therapy students are submitting applications

for their six-month internships. This is an exciting and important milestone that marks the end

of college coursework and the beginning of a professional career in music therapy.

Alongside the excitement, however, we know there is often anxiety and uncertainty. Trust us, we’ve been there!

Whether you are preparing for interviews, getting ready to begin your internship, or simply

wondering what to expect; we’ve got you covered! Below we have put together 10 tips and tricks to help you navigate the internship process with confidence. From interview etiquette, material preparation, and managing workloads with self-care, consider this your survival guide for making the most of your six months!

The Interview:

1. Come prepared with questions:

During your interview, you may be asked to demonstrate your musical abilities, answer clinical scenario questions, and discuss your experiences and knowledge of music therapy. While preparing for this aspect of the interview is important, do not forget that you are not the only one being evaluated here!

An interview is a two-way conversation in order for both parties to decide if this is a good match. Consider your expectations for your internship site, and ask questions to the interviewer that provide insight into populations served, what your potential caseload may look like, instruments and resources available, supervisory expectations, and the organization's mission and values.

You are spending six months at this site, so it is important to establish that an

environment will allow you to feel supported, challenged, and encouraged to succeed.

2. Send a Follow Up Letter or Email:

Following your interview, take a few moments to send a follow-up email or letter

thanking the organization for their time and consideration. This seems simple, but is a

professional way to express your continued interest in the internship site and begin

building connections within the music therapy community.

Even if you decide that the internship site is not the right fit for you, a thoughtful

follow-up message is still a wonderful opportunity to express appreciation for the

opportunity. You never know when these professional connections may come in handy

throughout your career.

3. Come Ready With Several Appropriate Interventions Prepared:

During your interview, you may be presented with hypothetical client scenarios that

require you to develop an appropriate music therapy intervention on the spot! Having a

few interventions prepared ahead of time can help ease your nerves and give you a

starting point for answering these questions.

Consider interventions that can target a variety of goals, such as communication,

socialization, emotional expression, motor skills, and cognition. It is also important to

have an intervention that is easily adaptable for different cognitive levels or diagnoses.

Make sure your interventions are appropriate for the setting and population that you are

interviewing to work with, and be prepared to explain why your intervention is

appropriate for the specified client!

You don’t have to have an intervention for every possible scenario, but having a few ideas can really boost your confidence during your interview!

Preparations & Materials

4. Come in With Some Visuals Made:

This is one tip that I wish I had known before starting my internship! While most intern

schedules include administrative time for documentation, session planning, and other

projects, those hours can fill up pretty quickly. Creating a few simple visuals before your

internship can save you valuable time throughout the week. Consider putting together

basic materials such as colors, numbers, sequencing cards, visual schedules, or other

familiar favorites (think Five Little Ducks!).

5. Make Playlists for Your Population(s):

Go ahead and start thinking about the populations that you may be working with and

collect appropriate songs that could be useful during sessions. Consider labelling playlists by age-group, musical genre, themes, or therapeutic goals. As a music therapist, you can never have too many playlists.

This is also a great time to familiarize yourself with chord progressions or different

instruments and expand your repertoire. The more comfortable you become with your

music, the easier it will be to adapt songs and incorporate them into your therapeutic

interventions.

6. Don’t Procrastinate Your Projects:

Six months seems like a long time, but trust us, it flies by faster than you would think.

Between clinical hours, documentation, and making materials, projects can often be put

on the backburner. One of the best things that you can do for yourself is establish a

schedule and set personal deadlines ahead of your actual due dates. Break larger projects into smaller, more manageable tasks, and dedicate specific blocks of time to working on them. It will make a significant difference for your stress management!

7. Start Studying For Your Boards Early:

It is never too early to get a head start on studying for the Board Certification Exam.

Take advantage of the clinical experiences and educational opportunities throughout your internship. The information that you learn in supervision and review during projects andcoursework can help reinforce concepts that will on the exam.

Consider asking supervisors for useful materials, but I always encourage studying The

Code of Ethics, the CBMT practice exams, The Music Therapy Standards of Practice,

and The New Music Therapist’s Handbook. You don’t have to study every day, but

establishing habits early on can make the transition from internship to the exam a lot

smoother!

8. Feedback Isn’t A Bad Thing:

Your Internship supervisors are not your enemies! In fact, it is quite the opposite. Their

goal is to watch you succeed in the field, and become confident and ethical providers of

music therapy! Throughout your internship, you will receive feedback on your clinical

skills, documentation, professionalism, and therapeutic decision-making. It is important

to consider that you are not doing a bad job, because you are receiving feedback.

Internship is designed to be a learning experience, and feedback is how you learn and

grow. Clarity and honesty is the kindest thing that your supervisors can offer you, and

once again, don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions or seek clarification as needed!

9. What is in Your Bag?:

Of course, bringing your instruments, music, and session materials to work is essential,

but here are some things we recommend keeping in your music therapy bag:

● Socks: Some facilities and households may require you to wear socks or remove your

shoes before entering. Having an extra pair on hand is always a good idea!

● Hair Ties or Clips: Whether you're keeping your hair out of your face while playing

instruments or minimizing sensory distractions, having a hair tie or clip nearby can be a

lifesaver.

● A Charger: A therapist's worst nightmare? Reaching for your chords, playlists, or digital resources only to discover that your device is dead! Keep a charger or portable battery pack in your bag so you're always prepared.

● Snacks: Between sessions, documentation, and driving, it can be easy to forget to eat. Keep a few snacks on hand to nourish your body and maintain your energy throughout the day.

● Disinfecting Wipes and Hand Sanitizer: Keeping yourself and your clients safe is a

priority! Having disinfecting wipes available allows you to clean instruments and

frequently touched surfaces between sessions, while hand sanitizer helps you maintain

good hand hygiene throughout the day.

10. Practice Self Care:

You've probably heard about the importance of self-care throughout your college career,

but we cannot emphasize this enough: self-care is an essential part of being a music

therapist.Internship can be physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding.

You cannot pour from an empty cup. Make time for the things that help you recharge,

whether that means spending time outdoors, exploring a new hobby, reading a book,

exercising, or simply playing music for yourself without the expectation of turning it into

an intervention.Try incorporating these activities into your weekly schedule rather than

waiting until you feel overwhelmed. Establishing healthy habits early in your career can

help you manage stress, prevent burnout, and maintain a healthy relationship with your

work.

We hope these tips have provided some helpful insight into the music therapy internship process and given you a little more confidence as you prepare for this exciting next step! Internship is truly what you make of it. It can be one of the most challenging experiences of your academic career, but it can also be one of the most rewarding. You will learn more about yourself as a musician, clinician, and individual than you might expect. Take advantage of every opportunity, embrace the learning process, and remember to give yourself grace along the way.

We would love to hear from you! If you are a current or former music therapy intern, what advice would you give to someone preparing for an internship? Share your tips, experiences, and words of encouragement in the comments below!

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Motive Music Therapy specializes in creative, evidence-based sessions that support emotional growth, communication, and sensory integration. These sensory tools are just a few of the ways we adapt each session to meet your child where they are.