Tempo! Music Therapy Services, LLC, National Roster Internship Program

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Tempo! Music Therapy Services, LLC, serves children, adolescents, and adults with and without disabilities in both group and individual sessions. We serve clients with autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injuries, intellectual disabilities, chromosomal disorders and other developmental disabilities, as well as individuals residing in senior living facilities. Our therapists provide music therapy services in inclusive school classrooms for students with and without disabilities. We also offer Music Together Within Therapy® and inclusive Music Together® classes on-site.

Tempo! Music Therapy Services, LLC, has a three-month application window, from January 1st to March 31st of each year, for the subsequent September start date. After the applicate deadline passes, prospective interns will be encouraged to apply for the following year. The latest a prospective intern will receive an acceptance letter would be on April 30 of the application year.

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Tempo! Music Therapy Services Philosophy

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Tempo! Music Therapy Services, LLC, provides a safe and supportive therapeutic environment for our clients to develop skills at their own pace and learn in ways that are accessible to each of them. Music plays a paramount role in this therapeutic process, as it is the primary vehicle for change. Music may serve as a motivator, a means of conveying information, encouraging skills to emerge and be practiced, as well as support overall well-being.

Tempo! Music Therapy Services, LLC, is fortunate to have therapists who follow a variety of frameworks, including DIR® Floortime, behavioral, humanistic, and developmental approaches. While we have varied clinical foundations, we all follow client-centered practice, often employing an eclectic style even as we may use language from different approaches to describe our interventions. All of the programs offered by Tempo!, a community-based music therapy practice, have been fully inclusive since the founding of the practice. We believe that inclusion and comminuty access are a basic human and civil right.

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Philosophy for Training Interns

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Within a clinical practice setting, interns learn most effectively in an environment that supports their development as a student, much as any learning environment must take into account each student’s past learning experiences and learning style. Having a balance of instruction, observation, and hands-on practice is key for optimal learning within the established supportive environment between the intern and supervisor. The supervisor provides explanation and instruction about music therapy techniques and demonstrates them, either demonstrating new skills or providing ways to improve upon already-learned skills. The intern is thus given the tools they need to navigate through a music therapy session independently. When leading a session, the intern should feel confident in the baseline of knowledge they have received through conversations with the supervising therapist and observations to facilitate the session themselves

In addition to the supervising therapist offering instruction, they are also responsible for structuring reflection after music therapy sessions. During these times, the supervising therapist’s role is not one of a driver, but of a navigator, always with the destination in mind and yet responding dynamically to the intern’s actions within the therapy sessions. Through this relationship, the intern will be able to grow and develop as a professional and feel confident in their skills as they transition from student to professional.

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Internship Applicants

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Internship Requirements

All applicants must have a letter of attestation from your program director stating you will have completed all necessary coursework by the internship start date, and be able to demonstrate proficiencies on guitar, piano, and voice (described below). Potential interns will also be asked to convey their definition and philosophy of music therapy, and will be asked situational questions about actions they would take in hypothetical clinical and professional situations that they may encounter in a private practice setting.

Entry Requirements and Competencies Will Be Evaluated:

• By on-site or live interview via webcam for distance applicants, including an audition portion.
  
• Music competency: applicants will demonstrate music competence when singing and playing both guitar and piano. Applicants should demonstrate an ability to perform[AS1] repertoire appropriate for teenage, adult, and older adult clients. Applicants will also be asked to sight-read through a lead sheet for a popular song on both guitar and piano.

In addition to filling out the application form, you will be required to provide:

• Official transcripts from all universities attended. You may submit your unofficial transcripts electronically however we will need your official transcripts mailed.
• A current resume that includes all practica
• A letter of attestation from your program direction stating you will have completed all necessary coursework by the internship start date

Three (3) letters of recommendation (at least two professional). They may be emailed directly to the internship director (alecia@tempotherapy.com) or mailed to 145 Vreeland Avenue, Nutley, NJ 07110.

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Other Requirements

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Once accepted, all interns are responsible for supplying paperwork for current:

• FBI fingerprint results
• TB test or doctor’s excusal
• Liability insurance (through university or private company)
• Any related fees for the above four requirements

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Affiliation Agreement

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An affiliation agreement is required. The university will provide the agreement, which will be reviewed by Tempo! Music Therapy Services, LLC.

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Housing, Meals, Stipend, Transportation

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Tempo! Music Therapy Services does not offer housing, meals, or a stipend. Our studio is accessible through public transportation, ride-share or by personal vehicle.

Summary (per week):

• Three-quarters time: 30 hours per week
• 1.5 hours supervision (minimum) with co-treating/supervising therapist
• 45 minutes supervision with internship director
• 2-3 hours observation of MT-BC per week
• 13-17 hours contact-hours
• 10-14 hours - intern projects/session planning/logging/staff meetings
• 4 month evaluation/final evaluation

List of Assignments:

• Annotated bibliography of assigned articles
• Literature review for case study report
• Case study report
• During observations: evaluation form/reflection on observed sessions

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Professional Staff

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Angela Guerriero, PhD, MT-BC – board-certified music therapist, owner/clinical director

Caitlin Kern, MT-BC - board-certified music therapist

Alecia M. Meila, MM, MT-BC – internship director, board-certified music therapist, supervisor

Gregory S. Perkins, MT-BC – board-certified music therapist, DIRFloortime® provider, supervisor

Amanda Simms - office staff

Rachel Taylor, MT-BC - board-certified music therapist

Bob Zyla – office staff

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