My USA 30 second elevator pitch:
Music therapy is the therapeutic use of music by a credentialed professional. Music therapists require at least a four year degree, internship and passing a board certification exam. Basically, they use music to accomplish non-music goals. Sometimes those goals are like a traditional counselor, sometimes they are like an occupaational therapists, and many more. Music therapsts use music as therapy, instead of simply sitting and talking to a counselor for an hour.The importance of this is because music therapy isn't licensed, music therapists, often have to fight for jobs and prove our effectiveness. You never know who you are going to meet and you never know who will be a door to your success or future career. Sometimes, I only talk about psychiatric goals and sometimes I talk about hospice goals... more than once I have had the chance to advocate for other professionals who are working in other populations.
Now, what does this have to do with Peace Corps? Throw about half the previously stated rules out the window because you are communicating in another language (that often you have not quite gotten the handle of) and reading an entirely new nonverbal language. You have to adapt, or as musicians say, improvise. Improvisation is really at the heart of what the entire Peace Corps experience is about.
Now, I'm not only talking about what I used to do in America, (although, that does get asked quite frequently), but I'm advocating about America, dispelling myths from movies, culture, and diversity. Very similiarly, I often have the chance to advocate for my other volunteers here after people ask questions like, "where are the volunteerrs" and "how many of you are there?" Volunteers in Fiji are often perceived as white tourists and as a PCV, I want to show that America is very diverse!
Let's focus back on diversity for a second... a word that can be kind of scary for your average white person from America. It's met with internal resistance and ignorance. Although, I don't think that's necessarily our fault. For example, I grew up in Missouri, which is 83.5% white (www.census.gov). You don't often know that you are surrounded by white privilidge until you are in a country, or new area, that's different. In Fiji, the population of caucasions is around 1%. Let me tell you... in this exaggerated form of privilidge, it is, at times, nauseatingly uncomfortable. Simply, because of the color of my skin.
There's nothing wrong with this concept and in fact it's part of the culture of Fiji that makes people love to visit because the people of Fiji are some of the most hospitable people that I've ever met. I'm simply making a point. White priviledge exists. And then I realized, how could I not have lived in white privilege, when I grew up in an area that was almost all white. There was nobody to even show me that it was a privilege because it was all the same. I can't change where I grew up, but I can change how I interact with others.
In Fiji, white privilidge means people don't sit by me on the bus and will sit on the step instead. It means that I'm assumed to have money and be a tourist. It means that my knowledge is taken as fact no matter what. I want to use this to advocate for the diverseness of the Peace Corps Volunteers. We represent all of America, not just white america. No matter what your skin color, if you come from America and are serving in the Peace Corps, you are American. Sometimes people here don't understand that someone who looks Asian can be, not from Asia.
For me, I use my 30 second elevator pitch to include diversity and why the N word is a bad thing. It means when people ask, "but you look asian/black/mexican" and are confused as to how they are Americans, then I can use that moment to talk about the diversity in how people come to be "American." It's that moment when you validate your fellow volunteer and try to yourself grow. After all, without difference, life would be pretty bland! Let's spice things up a bit.
-Much love, Kelli
