We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rebecca Vaudreuil. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rebecca below.

Rebecca, appreciate you joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

My journey to being a gainfully employed full-time creative was a beautiful process fueled by passion for music, dedication of using music as a vehicle for change, and commitment to the clients that I have served and continue to serve in music therapy. From early in my formative years, I identified as an artist and it was not long after that that I discovered music therapy as a profession that I wanted to engage in, grow with, and expand the reach of. Music therapy is the use of music to assist clients in non-musical goals, for example, in physiological, psychological, and social areas. My first years as a board-certified music therapist working with military populations, circa 2010- 2014, were a spectrum of floundering and flourishing moments that taught me- both musically and humanistically- to be a stronger and more flexible musician and human. Contrary to my academic and initial field training, which required preparedness and structure to attain expected outcomes of my practice, in application I had to be equally prepared for the unknown and to expect the unexpected. Over time, with each clinical experience, I found my way and cultivated my approach to practice, which eventually led me to further training and knowledge acquisition. Each client that I have worked with has taught me invaluable lessons that continue to shape me professionally and a personally, and this is a process that I had to go through to reach where and who I am today. In hindsight and with foresight, there is no way to speed up this process, as each step has shaped and continues to shape the next.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My family was and continues to be the driving force in my career and life and without them, I would not be who I am, and I don’t know where I would be without them to this day. I was introduced to music before I entered this world, and since I was child, I have been surrounded by music. My mother is a naturally-talented vocalist, my father is a trained jazz-guitarist, professional musician, and music educator. My sister is a drummer, and my brother plays any instrument that dares to cross his path. My uncle Gene was a Vietnam Veteran who used music to process the traumas of multiple combat deployments. Bearing witness to his process, watching him play the organ, piano, and keyboard, all self-taught, to meet a need that went unanswered for many veterans of his era, inspired and ignited me to become a music therapist. He was instrumental in my pursuit of music therapy with military populations, and this is the population that I continue to serve in my career. Most of the clients that I work with have a military service connected injury/ies that impact them on multiple levels, and we co-construct musical interventions to work through areas of emotional processing, identity conceptualization, meaning making, social and familial relationships, and create healthy coping mechanisms that provide holistic support systems in their lives.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is that creativity can take place anytime, anywhere, and with anyone, whether that be alone or with others. Everyone has the capacity to be creative and create. Many society support the arts as a consumable product delivered by deemed, determined, and decided “talent” that is forcibly transmitted through our radio waves, television channels, streaming platforms, and online networks. My belief is that creativity is something to be promoted as process that everyone can engage in at some level. The arts are not for the elite, they are for everyone to consume and create collaboratively, and when used that way, the arts can build community and unity on local, national, and global levels. Acknowledgment of the arts in this way is the first step to implementing, sustaining, and broadly recognizing the arts in their natural form, as a source of power and empowerment for everyone.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I don’t believe that there are any non-creatives, rather people who have perhaps not yet opened themselves to exploring the realms of creativity and the depths of awareness that creative processes can lead to. This statement is not intended to undermine anyone who identifies as a non-creative, as I myself continuously attempt to understand my own journey as a creative. Through my own process, I have come to appreciate the intricacies of what being a creative truly means and I don’t have the answer, as it is an ever-evolving practice that takes commitment and overall, patience. I acknowledge and accept what I have learned, what I think I know, and what I don’t know. With respect to each sound I hear, song I compose or play, picture that I draw, poem that I write, and piece of art that resonates with my body, mind, and soul, every artistic element of life helps me gain a better understanding of my creativity, and therefore, creativity in others. This is a lifelong process, and I can’t wait for what’s next. A resource that I am proud to have co-created with multiple colleagues who share in my passion, dedication, and service is a book titled, Music Therapy with Military and Veteran Populations. More information about this book can be found at: https://us.jkp.com/products/music-therapy-with-military-and-veteran-populations