As a future healthcare professional, I quickly realized in my clinical practicum and education that I will never know everything. While I have a good head on my shoulders and am a strong clinician, I will not always have the best answer, opinion, or perspective when it comes to providing treatment to my patients. However, with the help of other healthcare professionals through coloration, we can find the best solution possible for our patients. That is what truly matters—not being the best, fastest, or smartest. Everything we do is about providing the best care for those we treat. To provide more context, I am a music therapy student at Eastern Michigan University, specializing in medical pediatrics. Music therapy is the use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional. For example, some common goal areas for music therapy in a children's hospital include helping decrease pain perception, reducing anxiety, encouraging emotional expression/processing, aiding in the development of positive coping skills, increasing sensory stimulation, providing procedural support and bereavement support, and helping to normalize the hospital environment. For the past year, I have been completing my 400-level practicum at a Michigan children's hospital. Through this practicum, I have seen firsthand how collaboration can benefit patients more than individual treatment. As part of the Child Life department at the hospital, I am able to call care meetings with different healthcare professionals to discuss our patient's treatment. These professionals must be on the patient's care team, which varies depending on the case. It was October, and I was working with one particular patient for a few weeks. I struggled to connect with this patient and make a breakthrough with their treatment. They were closed off in sessions and were unreceptive to therapy. I could tell that there was something that this patient wanted to say, though they were preventing themselves from doing so. I was struggling with the thought that I wouldn't be able to help this patient, especially when I knew they needed it. I was in a constant fight with myself. My heart was telling me to keep trying, though my brain was telling me I wasn't good enough. I was considering the possibility of terminating my services, though I wanted to try one more thing before I left. I decided to hold a care meeting to gain a better perspective on this patient. This meeting changed my entire outlook on the services I was providing. The care team gave me different perspectives on approaching this patient based on their interest, thoughts, cultural perspectives, and goals. As a result, I approached the following session with this patient in a new manner and built a strong therapeutic rapport with them. We explored their thoughts about their school, diagnosis, friends, and the hospital setting. Significant progress was made, which wouldn't have happened had I not reached out to others for help. This experience taught me that we are stronger in groups rather than by ourselves. Moving forward, care meetings are now my first choice and never my last resort. I hope others within the healthcare field learn this lesson soon. Because at the end of that day, "The strength of a team is different people with different perspectives and different personalities." - Steve Case.

It has always astounded me that a multicultural perspectives course was optional in my college curriculum. I study music therapy, which is the clinical and evidence-based use of music to achieve non-musical therapeutic goals. There are several branches within the field of music therapy, allowing students and professionals to specialize in a branch that they feel best fits them. These branches vary from hospice and end-of-life care to medical pediatrics and NICU music therapy. Personally, I have decided to specialize in medical pediatrics and further receive my certification in NICU music therapy. On top of working towards my degree, I also volunteer at a local Michigan children's hospital, helping to run weekly activity programs for my patients. I attend Eastern Michigan University. While I love my university and the field I have decided to pursue, I have noticed a severe lack within our course curriculum. During my sophomore year, I asked the program director if there were any additional course-related classes I could take to help further expand my knowledge of my future profession. My director said yes, and that they offer an additional music therapy course once every four years. This multicultural perspective in music therapy class help's to showcase the importance of knowing how music can affect the lives of minorities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and different cultures worldwide. I immediately asked my director to sign me up for the course, and I eagerly awaited for the next semester to start. Image my surprise when I arrived at the class the following semester only to see five other students. Not only was this class solely comprised of five students, these were students at various stages of their education. Meaning out of all four levels of music therapy students, only five took this course. I was, and still am, astounded that those numbers were so low. Throughout that semester, I gained extremely valuable information and new insights on cultures and perspectives other than my own. Because of that course, I have become more prepared and able to provide a better standard of treatment to my patients at the hospital. I also can better understand my patients and respect the importance of their cultures and perspectives. On the other hand, I have also noticed a lack in the ability of my peers to relate to, understand, and navigate difficult conversations with their clients. I believe that is a direct result of them not taking this course and having received this well-rounded education. So then, why is this class not mandatory? I brought this question to my peers and the director of my program. Their answer was a resounding "I don't know." For me, "I don't know" is not good enough, especially when it comes to improving my education and the future treatment of my patients. Therefore, I brought this dilemma to the head of my university's Student Music Therapy Association. After a lengthy discussion, the organization helped construct a proposal. This proposal would allow this course to become part of the mandatory curriculum. The organization brought this proposal to my director, and the last I heard, it would be discussed with the rest of the faculty at the end of the year. While I, unfortunately, have no current updates, I do hope that change comes soon. I am happy that I could advocate for my education and the education of my peers, and I hope to see significant changes soon. With that, I will leave you with a quote. "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter" - Martin Luther King.