Recommended Reading
Music Therapy and Neurological Rehabilitation
Edited by David Aldridge
A collection of doctoral studies from colleagues whose research the author supervised. On the one hand, some of the language is quite daunting and it is written with music therapists, students. and academics in the field in mind. On the other hand, there is a wealth of information about music therapy and its use to communicate with people who are deemed uncommunicative.
"In my early contact with music therapy I saw how a music therapist communicated with at woman who, so we were told, could not communicate. But she did - or rather, they did. Therapist and patient sang together . . . This was music and it was a clear denuncination of her non-communicativeness." From Chapter One.
2005 Jessica Kingsley Publishers
ISBN 1-84310-302-8
What is Music Therapy?
The ability to appreciate and respond to music is an inborn quality in human beings. It is well known that this ability frequently remains unimpaired by handicap, injury or illness. People who have difficulty in understanding their environment or whose verbal communication is an inadequate form of self expression, may nevertheless be stimulated by music and respond to it. A skilled Music Therapist is able to use music to arouse and engage clients, and to help them towards realising their potential. The therapist must be a highly skilled musician; Music Therapy is a State Registered profession and a graduate becomes a State Registered Arts Therapist.
Who is Music therapy for?
Music therapists work with children and adults who have a wide range of needs, including learning disabilities, physical, emotional and psychological disorders and sensory impairments language delay and disorder plus many more. The Music Therapists work in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, special schools, day centres, the community, the prison service, local education authorities or the Department of Social Services. Some may be funded by charitable organisations, trusts or be self-employed. In all work settings, music therapists function as part of a multi-disciplinary team, their observations adding greatly to the understanding of each client’s needs abilities or problems.
How can Music Therapy help?
The benefits gained from music therapy may be as varied as the needs of the clients using the service. For example, music can convey feeling without the use of words. For a person whose difficulties are mainly emotional, music therapy can provide a safe setting where ‘difficult’ or repressed feelings may be expressed or contained. By offering support and acceptance, the therapist can help the client to work towards emotional release and self-acceptance. Music is essentially a social activity involving communication, listening and sharing. These skills may be developed within the musical relationship with the therapist and in group therapy, with other members. As a result clients may develop a greater awareness of themselves in relation to others. This can include developing greater confidence in their own ability to make relationships and to find positive ways of making their needs known. It can greatly enhance their self-esteem.
For more information contact:
BRITISH SOCIETY FOR MUSIC THERAPY, 25 Rosslyn Avenue, East Barnet, Herts EN4 8DH
Tel 020 8368 8879
Email Denzil@BSMT.demon.co.uk
WebSite:www.bsmt.org/
