Winter 2009 issue
PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT
Susan Hadley, PhD, MT-BC
Since the new PR webpage has been constructed, I am thrilled to say that several members have utilized the on-line request form. This new method has been a great improvement and is working very well. One minor problem that has occurred is that when members have filled out the form they have missed filling in the section that indicates the date by which they need the materials. Please make sure that you do this so that the person fulfilling the request has a time frame for getting the materials to you. If you have not yet checked out the PR webpage, please do so. It is beautifully put together and I have had many positive comments about the layout that Felice Macera created. Thanks again to Felice.
Thank you to all those members who continually request brochures, article reprints, and displays in order to raise public awareness of music therapy in our region. As I have stated before, raising community awareness about music therapy is such an important role for us to take on as it stimulates families and professionals to seek out the services of music therapists. Please, take time to visit the site (http://www.mar-amta.org/pr/) and see photos and descriptions of the materials that we have available free to MAR-AMTA members.
I am coming to the end of my two year term as Public Relations Chair. Elections for this position will be coming up at the regional conference. If anyone is interested in filling this position please contact Kathy Murphy at kmurphymtbc@gmail.com. The Public Relations Chair coordinates regional public relations efforts, serves as the regional representative to the Employment and Public Relations Committee of AMTA, attends regional executive board meetings, houses and coordinates the use, distribution, and maintenance of the regional displays, pamphlets, videos and other available public relations materials, oversees the regional public relations committee, organizes and maintains the job placement hotline, and submits an annual written report at the regional conference. In the immediate future it is important that the PR chair coordinate the development of a new PowerPoint presentation that can be used in public relations presentations in order to promote music therapy in our region, to conduct a new demographic survey, and to develop a second PowerPoint presentation that highlights the depth and breadth of music therapy and its community outreach as practiced in the Mid-Atlantic Region. This second presentation could be used as an alternative to the regional display at the MAR-AMTA booth at the national conference. This would be an ideal way of illustrating the uniqueness of the work that is done in our region.
Finally, if you have any great ideas that would benefit us in our public relations efforts, please let me know. Also, if you would like to serve the region by being part of the public relations committee, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at susan.hadley@sru.edu.