Music Therapy Internship

Embarking on a music therapy internship is a meaningful step toward becoming a confident, compassionate, and skilled clinician. Our program provides hands-on experience with diverse populations, opportunities for creative and evidence-based practice, and personalized supervision to help you grow professionally and creatively.

Our music therapy internship program in private practice offers students meaningful opportunities to expand their clinical skills across diverse settings. We aim to help interns become well-rounded emerging professionals with strong, entry-level competencies across a variety of placements.

At RGV-MTWC, we specialize in serving Mexican American communities and integrate culture-centered music therapy practices throughout our supervision, treatment planning, and clinical approach. Interns gain valuable experience working within a culturally responsive framework that honors the identities and traditions of the clients we serve.

Our goal is to prepare students for a successful transition into the professional world. Throughout the internship, we support interns in developing essential clinical and professional skills, including time management, clinical documentation, assessment and report writing, and effective session planning.

During the training experience, music therapy students will observe, co-lead, and eventually lead music therapy sessions under the guidance and supervision of board-certified music therapists on our team, ensuring a supportive and progressive learning environment.

The Application Process

Application reviewed

Application submitted

Interview scheduled

Interview conducted

Decision letter emailed

Eligibility for Music Therapy Internship

Completed all required coursework from an AMTA approved music therapy program

Completed all required clinical experience with an AMTA approved music therapy program (3-4 semesters of practicum)

Attends an AMTA approved university music therapy program that has an established affiliation with our practice

About Internship:

  • Applicants that are accepted into the internship program will be required to adhere to routine background checks prior to or at the start of internship.

  • Interns receive a total of $3,000 throughout the six month internship. Payments of $250 are issued on the 1st and 15th of each month. Housing and transportation is not provided.

  • Interns are expected to average 40 hours per work week. Interns may attend community events with our staff to receive additional hours as needed.

  • As a private practice, we work in a variety of clinical settings including:

    Neurodivergent adults in community-based settings - individual sessions

    Youth and adolescence in mental health settings - individual and group sessions

    Telehealth (diverse clientele) - individual sessions

    Memory care - group sessions

    Hospice music therapy - individual sessions

    Music-based community wellness

  • We categorize our setting as private practice and interns within our program will experience the full range of settings offered within our private practice including individual sessions with neurodivergent adults, individual and group sessions for youth and adolescence in mental health settings, individual hospice sessions, group sessions at memory care facilities, and community wellness events.

    Internship placements vary depending on the needs of our community and current/available settings during the time of internship. Interns will work with their primary supervisor to determine what settings meet the student’s current learning objectives and build clinical experiences to expand their therapeutic skills.

    We provide both in-facility and community-based music therapy throughout the Rio Grande Valley. This means that interns will have time in their schedules at our center as well as home health sessions and sessions in community facilities.

  • Interns will have access to our Resource Drive, which includes support for documentation, navigating the EHR system, interventions, session planners, study guides, and more!

    Interns are also encouraged to attend weekly team meetings for additional support, feedback, and guidance.

    Each intern will receive an Internship Resource Book (featured on our TikTok/Reels) to improve organization, self reflections, hour tracking, and recommended readings.

  • Our primary approach to music therapy in this region is a culture-centered framework, which honors the unique culture and community of the Rio Grande Valley. It draws from Mexican American studies and decolonization, feminist perspectives, humanistic approaches, and highlights person-centered healthcare.

  • This placement is structured to provide music therapy students with opportunities to grow and develop their musical and clinical skills.

    As supervisors, we strive to create a well-round environment to prepare interns for the professional setting through a sequence of observation, co-therapy, and then leading music therapy sessions independently.

    From a person-centered perspective, we encourage students to bring their authentic, whole selves to supervision, and we value honesty, positive work ethic, empathy, and self reflection when working with students. We feel that it is important to have open and constructive dialogues in order to facilitate a positive learning environment.

    We seek to meet the learning needs of each student by meeting them where they are in their clinical journey and providing them with resources to develop their own clinical style and find their unique place within the profession.

  • Interns will complete two projects throughout the course of their internship. Topics for projects will focus on the student’s objectives and seek to expand clinical and/or musical growth in those areas.

  • Interns will complete midterm and final evaluations throughout the course of internship. This will include musical evaluations via voice, guitar, and piano to demonstrate proficiency of clinical repertoire for this setting and culture. Written evaluations will also be completed at each point to assess student progress and identify areas for growth.

 

Upcoming Training Periods

July - December 2024

Application Deadline: 2/15/24

Interviews: 2/16/24 - 2/28/24

Announcement: 3/15/24

January - July 2025

Application Deadline: 7/15/24

Interviews: 7/16/24 - 7/31/24

Announcement: 8/15/24

Application Requirements

  • Completed application (form below)

  • Two letters of recommendation (submitted directly to Marisa de Leon at marisa@rgvmusictherapy.com)

  • Optional Resume (email to marisa@rgvmusictherapy.com)

  • Interview and musical skills demonstration (Additional materials will be sent to you once the application has been processed)

Apply for Music Therapy Internship

Interested in completing your internship with RGV-MTWC? Simply fill out the application form below, and we’ll contact you soon with the next steps. We look forward to hearing from you!

What to Prepare for the Interview and Musical Skills Demonstration

After your application has been received and processed, our team will reach out to you to schedule an interview. Interviews can be completed through Zoom or in-person (preference will NOT be given to either format).

During the interview, you can expect to be asked questions about your clinical interests, previous practicum experiences, strength and weaknesses, and therapeutic philosophy. We are also encourage you to prepare any questions you may have for us related to the internship including logistical information, general region information, clinical settings, and more.

A portion of the interview will also include a musical skills demonstration for applicants to showcase their proficiency in appropriate clinical repertoire.

Applicants must prepare:

  • Two songs using guitar and voice (contrasting styles and accompaniment patterns)

  • Two songs using piano and voice (contrasting styles and accompaniment patterns)

  • One song using percussion and voice (acapella with functional accompaniment pattern)

  • One song using a third instrument (optional)