AMTA Conference Diary: October 16, 2012

AMTA 2012 Conference Diary

~ Sandi Curtis, VP & Conference Chair

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Days since the 2012 conference ended: 2 days; beginning to suffer withdrawal

Days before the 2013 AMTA Conference: 401 days!

Phew! It’s over. The AMTA 2012 has come to an official end. What a fabulous bunch of training and concurrent sessions, CMTEs, and music experiences. I am so impressed by the incredible talent of all involved. And I can’t say enough about the incredible troupe of people who worked so hard donating their time and skills to make the conference a great success. Hope everyone took a look at our AMTA Conference Program to see all involved – in front of and behind the scenes.

I certainly hope everyone had a great time. But who would have thought getting home from the Pheasant Run would have been more challenging than getting there:) Wonder if others got stuck like I did in the Chicago airport with no way out – wind and rain and tornadoes, oh my! I finally got home at 3 am on Monday after spending 14 hours in transit, and what seemed like standing in a gazillion lines to re-book and re-book again alternate flights. And my luggage is still out there traveling the world somewhere without me. Hope it finds its way home – or at least sends me a postcard.

Note to Self: Be very, very careful in choosing next year’s theme. This year’s theme of “Changing Winds” was a bit too prophetic.

Well diary, better scoot – got to get planning for the 2013 conference. Can hardly wait to throw another party for my 1,600 music therapy friends. Whoo hoo! Jacksonville, Florida (downtown by the riverfront) here we come!

Do You Feel Lucky?

Last year’s Take-A-Chance was so successful we’re doing it again! Check out the AMAZING prizes you can win!

AMTA 2012 Take A Chance Flier

We Can Get You There!

Looking to get off campus for a while to explore the Fox River Valley and the areas of St. Charles and Geneva? Check out this information from AMTA and the hospitality committee. Be sure to register for your seat at the hospitality booth ASAP if you’d like a ride!
AMTA Conference Evening Shuttle Information

Discounts to Save You Dollars!

Looking for a good deal on meals while at conference? The hospitality committee has you hooked up! Check out this awesome spreadsheet of fiscal goodness!

AMTA Conference Good Food and Good Deals Blog

Pediatric Medical Music Therapists!

Pediatric Medical Music Therapists Unite!

• Networking opportunity to get to know the current pediatric medical music therapists

• Discuss current programming housed in the therapist’s represented medical hospitals

• Begin discussion on coming to a consensus regarding assessment/documentation/outcome measurement

• Using this networking as a foundation for future communication with scholastic and clinical leaders in the field to facilitate an EBP Team with local, national and international pediatric music therapists/researchers to promote multi-center cooperation for foundational protocol drafting.

Let’s meet in the Gauguin Room Friday October 12, 12:15 to1:15 PM!

Things to do!

Looking for something to do while you are at conference next week? Click on the link below to check out all of the things to see and do in St. Charles and the Greater Chicagoland Area!

AMTA 2012 Things to do Blog

Francesca’s By The River Eat & Earn

Francesca’s by the River

Eat & Earn

The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) is partnering with
Francesca’s by the River to raise money through their Eat & Earn Program. On Wednesday, October 10th, 2012, Francesca’s by the River will donate 20 percent of your pre-tax lunch, dinner, carry-out and catering receipts for those guests who bring in this flyer or mention they’re dining on behalf of the American Music Therapy Association. This is a great opportunity to enjoy a delicious Italian meal and support a national organization that works on behalf of Music Therapists and those that benefit from Music Therapy at the same time!

AMTA’s purpose is the progressive development of the therapeutic use of music in rehabilitation, special education, and community settings. AMTA is committed to the advancement of education, training, professional standards, credentials, and research in support of the music therapy profession.

For reservations, please call:
Francesca’s by the River
200 South 2nd Street
St. Charles, IL 60174
Phone: 630 587 8221
http://www.miafrancesca.com

For more information about Music Therapy, please contact:
American Music Therapy Association
8455 Colesville Road, Suite 1000,
Silver Spring MD 20910
301.589.3300
http://www.musictherapy.org

Airport Transportation-New Information!

Based on the questions about additional shuttles on Sunday, we would like to suggest that you contact Midwest directly to express your interest in an early afternoon shuttle to the airports. It is possible that if there is enough demand, they may be able to rearrange times or add shuttles.

Below is some additional cab information. We would like to suggest that people who are interested in taking a taxi might connect via the Listserv and Facebook to make arrangements to share a ride. As you can see from the info below, “Taxi Sanchez” is the most affordable option.

As always, continue to ask questions. We will do our best to answer them! We look forward to seeing you soon!

Alternatives To or From O’Hare Airport

· “Taxi Sanchez” they are recommended by the hotel: $85.00 back to O’Hare (incl. tip)

· “Yellow Cab” they are the largest cab company in Chicago: $85.00-$120.00 (not incl. tip) **

· “Windy City Limo” they are the largest sedan service in Chicago: $104.00 (incl. tip)

Alternatives To or From Midway Airport

· “Taxi Sanchez” they are recommended by the hotel: $105.00back to Midway (incl tip)

· “Yellow Cab” they are the largest cab company in Chicago: $105.00-$170.00 (not incl. tip) *

· “Windy City Limo” they are the largest sedan service in Chicago: $124.00 (incl. tip)

Airport Arrival Instructions/Conference Transport

Airport Arrival Instructions
AMTA CONFERENCE
Sunday October 7 – Thursday October 11, 2012

AMTA has been working very diligently to find our conference participants the best possible deal for airport transportation. Our efforts have shown that the most cost effective way to get people to the Pheasant Run Resort is to institute a cab sharing procedure. A greeter with an AMTA sign from Midwest Transit will be on duty at most peak arrival times to help facilitate sharing cabs. Our goal is to keep your travel expenses as low as possible – with 3 people sharing a cab from O’Hare the fare would be between $30 – $35 each. Midway will be more expensive. Most cabs accept credit cards.

If you have any questions upon your arrival at the airport you can call our airport arrival line (630) 347-0859.
Arrivals into O’Hare and Midway Airports

O’Hare International Airport is made up of five (5) terminals, Terminal #1, #2, #3 and #5 situated in a “horse shoe shape”. After you have claimed your luggage, please walk or take the inter-airport shuttle train to Terminal #2 and then proceed to the lower level baggage claim area. Once you have arrived at terminal #2 (in lower level baggage claim area) please walk to door 2C AND WAIT INSIDE THE TERMINAL, NOT OUTSIDE. (All the doors in terminal 2C are well marked, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, etc.). At this point you can attempt to “meet up” with other guests from AMTA in order to share a cab to the hotel. Please be aware that guests are arriving over a 5-day period and sometimes it may be a while before someone else shows up.

GREETER SCHEDULE
Sunday October 7 at O’Hare 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Monday October 8 at O’Hare 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Tuesday October 9 at O’Hare 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday October 10 at O’Hare 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Thursday October 11 at O’Hare 8:00 am – 6:30 pm

Midway airport is made up just (1) terminal. After you have claimed your luggage, please walk to door 2 AND WAIT INSIDE THE TERMINAL, NOT OUTSIDE. (There are 4 doors that lead outside, 1, 2, 3 and 4). At this point you can attempt to “meet up” with other guests from AMTA in order to share a cab to the hotel.

GREETER SCHEDULE
Wednesday October 10 at Midway 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Thursday October 11 at Midway 10:30 am – 3:30 pm

 

This information is provided to help you find low cost transportation to and from the hotel. You are always welcome to make your own arrangements. Other options have been published on:
• Twitter (@AMTA2012)
• WordPress (AMTA2012.wordpress.com)
• AMTA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMTAInc
• Facebook (Amta2012)

Return Airport Transportation Sign Up Information

Midwest Transit System is offering return airport transportation to O’Hare and Midway airports at the following times:

Saturday October 13, 2012 (Service back to the airports)
Midway Airport: Shuttle service will leave the hotel at 3:00pm $55.00
O’Hare Airport: Shuttle service will leave the hotel at 11:00am / 2:00pm $45.00

Sunday October 14, 2012 (Service back to the airports)
Midway Airport: Shuttle service will leave the hotel at 7:00am / 1:30pm $50.00
O’Hare Airport: Shuttle service will leave the hotel at 7:00am / 10:00am / 4:00pm $40.00

Very important information about signing up Very important information about signing up
Very important information about signing up

*If you “signed up” through the Midwest Transit website before, you will need to do it again and include your credit card information. When you initially signed up this was to give an “overview” of transportation needs for this conference. Unfortunately, the information you sent has been deleted.

Step #1
Anytime from September 22 – October 5, please visit the website at http://www.midwesttransitsystem.com and click on the
“Airport Reservations” icon on the front page.
(Be careful typing in that e-mail address!)

Step #2
Fill in ALL of the requested information regarding your departure information only.

Step #3
Within a day of receiving your information Midwest Transit will send you confirmation and a credit card receipt. The confirmation will tell you EVERYTHING you need to know about your return trip to the airport.

Questions, problems or just want to talk?

Option “A”
Send your question to sue@midwesttransitsystem.com

Option “B”
Call 708-448-7822 ext. 106

Option “C”
Fax your question to 708-361-9365

Midwest Transit System
7800 College Drive Suite 3NW
Palos Heights, IL 60463
(708) 448-7822

Shhhhhhhhh…We’re Drumming!

For all those attending AMTA this year; REMO is sponsoring a NEW kind of drum circle on Saturday evening; a NOT SO LOUD (NSL) drum circle! I have the honor of facilitating this open event – you can bring your friends, partners, kids etc. Well known local drummer and Taiko expert, John Yost, will be joining us to co-facilitate this powerful opportunity for self-care, musical expression, and most of all – joyful community building. By using softer drums and percussion instrument, we can allow for more chanting and harmonizing, to blend into our rhythms.

The title is “Shhhhhhhhh – we’re drumming.”

I encourage you to come Saturday evening, particularly if you’ve never been to the AMTA drum circle, or been turned away by the volume of 400 people drumming together. This year – it will be a magical evening of rhythm, in a sound balanced healthy ear kind of way!

happy drumming,

Christine Stevens, Founder, UpBeat Drum Circles
Author, Music Medicine; the science and spirit of healing yourself with sound (Sounds True)
http://www.ubdrumcircles.com
SKYPE – ubdrumcircles
FACEBOOK – Christine Stevens, Music Medicine, UpBeat Drum Circles