Earlier this week, I was taking my morning walk, enjoying the signs of Spring that were along the sidewalk, when all of a sudden the music I was listening to started buffering.

For some reason, this brought back a very specific, very visceral memory for me – I was working with a group of teens and had some MP3s loaded up on my iPod, and the music Would. Not. Play.

I couldn’t get it to start, no matter what I tried. There was no internet connection, so I couldn’t pull up the music on my phone, and I had no backup plan.

The feeling of panic I felt in that moment is not one I would like to experience again!

This got me thinking about how in music therapy, we always need to have a Plan B. (And let’s be honest, a Plan C, D, E, F, and G!)

Things often do not go as smoothly as we’ve planned and as easily as we have imagined in our minds.

I have had clients snap my guitar strings.

I’ve watched my guitar fall down and the neck snap in half. (I need to share a picture of this on the blog at some point – it was unreal!)

I have had keyboard batteries run out.

I’ve had 80 participants show up to a Rockin’ and Readin’ session at the Library when I was only prepared for 15.

Flexibility is the ALWAYS the name of the game in music therapy.

This July will mark my 20th (!!) year as a practicing music therapist, and in that time I have learned to remain flexible and open.

If the guitar strings break, I’m ready to jump onto the keyboard as my accompaniment instrument.

If my keyboard batteries run out, I’m ready to keep the beat with a shaker, or whatever I have handy in my instrument bag.

If I’m going into a group session where I don’t know how many will attend, I have activities and materials ready for both a small and large group. (So if the group is 5 times the size I planned, I’ll be ready!)

Much of this flexibility comes with time and experience, but it’s something I try to instill in my practicum students and interns right from the get go.

If you have any funny stores to share about how your music therapy sessions or music classes didn’t quite go as planned, share them in the comments below!

And if you need some creative inspiration or ideas to ensure you’re prepared for any and all scenarios, check out the Spring Music Therapy Planning Pack: