SER-AMTA Conference 2026 Debrief

By: Anne Frances Frazier, MTI 

Earlier in the month, Charlotte, North Carolina (AKA the Queen City) was the host city of the 2026 SER-AMTA regional conference. SER stands for South Eastern Region and AMTA is the American Music Therapy Association. This was my first time attending a conference, and I have lots to share about it! 

First of all, my undergrad (Belmont University) is in Tennessee, making it a part of the SER! I got to reconnect with members of my cohort, professors, and practicum supervisors. It was so amazing to see them! Shoutout to Music and Miracles and Empower Music Therapy, two incredible practices based in Tennessee. Sharing experiences and getting to catch up was so exciting, and it was a special feeling to imagine being professional colleagues very soon. 

With the conference being so close by, I wanted to take in as much information as possible. I attended several different presentations, all of which were highly informative, interactive, and engaging. I especially enjoyed the presentation targeted to new professionals. We got to practice giving “elevator pitches” about music therapy. It is such an important skill to be able to tailor your advocacy, and getting to practice that with peers made it fun! 

Another opportunity that felt very unique: I got to assist in a presentation! PMT's own Gretchen Benner and Gabrielle Kornmayer were chosen to speak about their experience hosting and facilitating community based programming for veterans. In the presentation, they spoke about all the things to consider when choosing host sites, partnering with organizations, structuring the groups, and more. Getting to be a part of this was very exciting, and I enjoyed witnessing the engaged audience members taking in all the valuable information. 

Getting a behind the scenes look at all the work that goes into a conference was also great to learn. Volunteers put a lot of time into making sure this conference went smoothly, and it was a special opportunity to lend a hand in setting up since PMT was a part of the local crowd. 

Belmont University Music Therapy Community pose outdoors. There are students, alumni and supervisors smiling at the camera in two curved lines, standing in front of a pond with water fountain visible in the background.

Thinking back to that elevator pitch exercise… What would YOU say if someone asked you to describe music therapy?