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Vocal Connections: How Voicework in Music Therapy Helped a Young Girl with Severe Learning Disabilities and Autism to Engage in her Learning
Get PDFΤο παρόν άρθρο µελετά τη χρήση της µη-λεκτικής φωνής στη µουσικοθεραπεία µε παιδιά µε σοβαρές µαθησιακές δυσκολίες, σύνθετες ανάγκες και αυτισµό. Το άρθρο κάνει µια επισκόπηση της σύγχρονης βιβλιογραφίας σχετικά µε τη χρήση της φωνής στη µουσικοθεραπεία, και συσχετίζει τους στόχους της µουσικοθεραπείας µε αυτούς των φορέων ειδικής αγωγής. Έπεται µια αναφορά στις θεωρίες που αφορούν στη φωνή και στον εαυτό, και στη σηµαντική σύνδεση µεταξύ σωµατικής αντίληψης και συναισθήµατος, η οποία λειτουργεί ως προάγγελος της µάθησης, ιδίως σε άτοµα µε µαθησιακές δυσκολίες. Μέσα από µια µελέτη περίπτωσης, παρουσιάζω πώς το φωνητικό έργο βοήθησε ένα νεαρό κορίτσι να χτίσει συνδέσεις µε τον εαυτό της και τη µουσικοθεραπεύτρια, αναπτύσσοντας - µέσα από αυτή τη διαδικασία - ισχυρότερα κίνητρα για αλληλεπίδραση µε το περιβάλλον της. Θεωρώ, λοιπόν, ότι η χρήση της µη-λεκτικής φωνής στη µουσικοθεραπεία, µέσα από την εγγενή της σύνδεση µε την ταυτότητα και τις εσωτερικές συναισθηµατικές καταστάσεις του ατόµου, µπορεί να συνεισφέρει σηµαντικά στις υγιείς αναπτυξιακές διαδικασίες που απαιτούνται για τη συµµετοχή στη µαθησιακή διαδικασία. Ως εκ τούτου, ενδυναµώνοντας τη γνώση µας σχετικά µε τη µαθησιακή διαδικασία και τη σηµασία της δουλειάς µας εντός αυτής της διαδικασίας, µπορούµε να παρουσιάσουµε πιο καθαρά τα αποτελέσµατα της µουσικοθεραπείας στο εκπαιδευτικό πλαίσιο και να αποκτήσουµε µια πιο δυνατή ‘φωνή’ εντός των πολυ-επιστηµονικών οµάδων που εργάζονται µε άτοµα µε µαθησιακές δυσκολίες.This article examines the use of the non-verbal voice in music therapy with children with severe learning disabilities, complex needs and autism. Recent literature on the use of the voice in music therapy is summarised and links are made between the aims of music therapy and those of special educational establishments. Theories regarding the voice and the self, and the important connection between body awareness and emotion as precursors to learning are referred to, particularly in relation to learning disability. Through a case study, I demonstrate how a young girl used voicework to build connections with herself and the music therapist, whereby consequently she became more motivated to interact with her surroundings. I argue hence that the use of the non-verbal voice in music therapy, through its intrinsic connection to identity and internal emotional states can contribute significantly towards the healthy developments necessary for a person to be able to learn. Therefore, by increasing our knowledge about the actual process of learning, and the significance of our work within that process, we can move towards demonstrating clearer outcomes of music therapy in the educational context and have a stronger ‘voice’ within the multi-disciplinary teams that serve this population
What Answers Do We Seek?
Get PDF“Some questions have no answers, but there are some answers which we never seek.”
It was spring of 2008 when at a presentation in London, Clive Robbins said the words above. Clive – co-founder of Creative Music Therapy together with Paul Nordoff – was referring to the value of (detailed and systematic) observation and documentation as a means of understanding important aspects of human experience in music therapy; aspects that we often overlook or ‘forget’ to seek. Clive’s words, one would say, reflect a broader philosophical and methodological approach. This approach – which is also described as gentle empiricism by Ansdell and Pavlicevic (2010) – I suggest is one of the most significant dimensions of Clive’s work.
Clive died on 7th December 2011. Yet these words have been imprinted in my mind and guide my thinking and action, not only as a practitioner and researcher, but also generally as a human being. Similarly, Clive’s stories, particularly those from his trips with Paul in Greece during the sixties and seventies, have remained within me as pleasant memories. Among these, I remember stories about their summer holidays in Pefkakia opposite to the city of Volos, as well as stories about their trip to villages of Epirus. On that trip they heard for the first time the sound of ‘koudounia’ (bells) from the sheep pasturing on the mountains. At the first opportunity they bought such koudounia from the nearby mountainous village, and a few months later they began to use them as musical instruments in sessions with people with disabilities in European counties and in the USA. Some of these koudounia are still used today at the Nordoff Robbins London Centre!
Simple stories like the ones above, but most importantly Clive’s generosity, his deep faith in the healing power of music and his work are the living heritage he bequeathed to the international music therapy community. In this journal issue, music therapists from various countries share memories and photographs in a special tribute to Clive’s life and work across different parts of the world.
Of course, Clive’s exhortation to re-consider the questions we seek is a theme that penetrates multiple aspects of music therapy, let alone research. The importance of seeking ‘appropriate’ research questions becomes apparent in the articles of this issue. The article of Maria-Christina Papadopoulou presents a study on the use of therapeutic boundaries by Greek music therapists posing questions regarding the role of cultural and educational factors. On the other hand, the article of Katerina Kargiou focuses on the study of music as a means of addressing self-injurious behaviour of people with autism and explores the effectiveness of particular musical techniques and instruments. Participants in this study were music therapists from the United Kingdom and Greece.
The conduction and publication of such research studies is of great value, not only for the continued development of disciplinary knowledge, but also for the growth of a spirit of healthy inquiry of questions for which, yes, we can find some questions. The latter becomes even more important in times like the one in which we currently live, where the creative inquiry of the present tends to be displaced by the insecurity and sterile concern for tomorrow.
With these thoughts, and most importantly with Clive’s words, I welcome you to this issue of Approaches!
References
Ansdell, G., & Pavlicevic, M. (2010). Practicing "gentle empiricism" - The Nordoff Robbins research heritage. Music Therapy Perspectives, 28, 131-139.
Suggested citation:
Tsiris, G. (2012). What answers do we seek? Approaches: Music Therapy & Special Music Education, 4(1), 5-6. Retrieved from http://approaches.primarymusic.g
Boundaries and Music Therapy Practices in Greece: A Small Qualitative Study
Get PDFΗ χρήση των θεραπευτικών ορίων είναι µια σηµαντική διάσταση της εφαρµογής της µουσικοθεραπείας σε διεθνές επίπεδο. Παρ’ όλα αυτά, η επιρροή πολιτισµικών και εκπαιδευτικών παραγόντων στη χρήση των ορίων δεν έχει µελετηθεί εις βάθος µέχρι σήµερα. Αυτό το άρθρο παρουσιάζει µια µικρή ποιοτική έρευνα, η οποία µελετά τη χρήση των θεραπευτικών ορίων στη µουσικοθεραπεία από Έλληνες µουσικοθεραπευτές λαµβάνοντας υπόψιν την επιρροή των προσωπικών τους πολιτισµικών και εκπαιδευτικών υπόβαθρων. Για τους σκοπούς αυτής της έρευνας, διεξήχθηκαν ηλεκτρονικές συνεντεύξεις µε τρεις Έλληνες µουσικοθεραπευτές, οι οποίοι εργάζονται στην Ελλάδα. Η ανάλυση των δεδοµένων που συλλέχθηκαν από τις συνεντεύξεις έγινε µε τη µέθοδο της ερµηνευτικής φαινοµενολογικής ανάλυσης (interpretative phenomenological analysis). Τα βασικά ευρήµατα δείχνουν ότι οι Έλληνες µουσικοθεραπευτές χρησιµοποιούν τα θεραπευτικά όρια στη µουσικοθεραπευτική τους πρακτική σύµφωνα µε τα Ευρωπαϊκά επαγγελµατικά πρότυπα. Ωστόσο, οι θεραπευτές έκαναν λόγο για ευέλικτη και ποικιλόµορφη χρήση των ορίων, ώστε να προσαρµόζονται στις πολιτισµικές διαφορές των τοπικών πλαισίων στα οποία εργάζονται, αλλά και να ανταποκρίνονται στις ατοµικές ανάγκες των πελατών τους.The use of therapeutic boundaries is an essential aspect of music therapy work internationally. However, the influence of cultural and training factors on the use of boundaries has not been explored in-depth yet. This paper presents a small qualitative study, which investigates the use of boundaries in music therapy by Greek therapists, by taking into consideration how their use is influenced by their own cultural and training backgrounds. For the purposes of this study, online email interviews with three Greek music therapists working in Greece were conducted. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data that was collected through the interviews. The main findings show that Greek music therapists use boundaries in their music therapy practice according to the professional European standards. However, therapists spoke of flexibility and variations in the use of boundaries to adapt to cultural differences in their own local settings and to meet individual clients’ needs
In Times of Crisis: Music, Love and Human Life
Get PDFDuring the preparation of this issue of Approaches, major social, political and economic shifts have taken place not only in Greece, but also in other countries across the world, often with adverse consequences on people’s everyday living.
In times of crisis, such as the present one, the question ‘what is the potential role of music in human life?’ becomes crucial. What can music offer to promote not only personal wellbeing, but also social renewal and transformation? What can music practitioners (such as music therapists, music teachers, and other professionals within the field of music and health) offer to the local communities within which they live and work? In times when existing social structures are deconstructed, when political and economic systems fail, when people’s hope, faith and social bonds are weakened, what can music practitioners actually bring?
As I seek answers to the questions above, two words come to mind: music and love. Some examples of attributing practical meaning and applying these words in life can be found in the work of visionary individuals, such as Boxill, Geuter and Robbins.
“Music therapy is love in action”: these are the words of Edith Boxill (1916-2005), who founded the Music Therapists for Peace (1) (MTP) network in the 1980’s and dedicated her work to peacebuilding internationally. According to her, music therapists have invaluable resources which can benefit people’s lives beyond the limits of the ‘treatment room’ (Vaillancourt 2011). Boxill believed that music therapists’ resources and skills can bring “love in action” within the global community, and I suppose she did not refer to love in the romantic sense of the word. Boxill’s perspective appears to resonate with Herbert Geuter’s (2) view who considered love as a particular quality of perception (Turry 2001). This quality of perception is characterised by one’s will to understand another’s needs and potential.
Commenting on love and its role in the relationship between music therapist and client, Clive Robbins (1927-2011) had stated the following:
“I think one’s [a therapist’s] own attitude of love for a client is tremendously important. That is not a romantic or sentimental love. It is selfless or unconditional love: I want you to be happier. I know you. I‘ve become attached to you. I want to serve you, so that your life can become richer and more complete. I want to serve you that you can push aside the things that are destroying your later life and your relationships. I want you to teach me more about what it is like to be you…” (Robbins 2009).
The power of love and music’s role in expressing and communicating this power was a recurrent theme in Robbins’ presentations. Indeed, it is not a coincidence that after his death he is remembered as “an example of love in action” (Turry 2012). The work of Robbins, Boxill and other visionary people, functions as a source of inspiration, especially in times when the power of love is often replaced by the ‘love’ for power.
With these thoughts in mind, and in a time of crisis, I warmly welcome you to this new journal issue. Here you will find a range of material including four articles, five book reviews and a conference report as well as a series of supplementary material: abstracts from a pre-conference seminar of ISME (2012), translated abstracts of articles, and a list of new international publications and upcoming events.
Each of the four articles in this issue draws from diverse professional and cultural fields of music practices, focusing on different aspects of these practices. Tina Warnock writes about the use of non-verbal voice in music therapy. Drawing from her work with a young girl with severe learning disabilities and autism, Warnock reflects on how voicework can enable people to build connections within themselves, with others and with their environment – an essential process for one’s growth and wellbeing in life.
Moving from an individual music therapy setting in the UK (Warnock) to an educational group setting in Germany, Irmgard Merkt’s article presents her work with the inclusive choir Voices which is part of the project Dortmunder Modell: Musik at the Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences at TU Dortmund University. In this context, the author presents the choir’s philosophy and ethos as well as its implications on the development of cultural participation models that promote the social inclusion of people with and without disabilities.
Merkt’s article has an implicit element of social activism, something that becomes more evident in Hannah Linklater’s and Lewis Forbes’ article where two cross-cultural community music projects between children in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Scotland are described. Linklater’s and Forbes’ work shows the power of music to serve as a catalyst for communal change and development of social bonds between inter-ethnic groups of people. Music’s potential for community growth, integration and mutual acceptance resonates with Boxill’s and Robbins’ vision as outlined above.
Vision and practice however, need to be combined with critical thinking, evaluation and systematic evidence gathering for one’s work. Martin Lawes’ article focuses on this combination as an essential element, both for responding to the contemporary demands for evidence-based practices and for securing funding for the continuation and development of services. In particular, Lawes introduces an adaptation of the AQR (Assessment of the Quality of Relationship) instrument which is specifically designed for music therapy and autism (Schumacher & Calvet 2007). The author shows how the use of this instrument within the education sector can contribute to the development of therapeutic plans, as well as to termly and annual reports.
The articles (as well as the other material) included in this issue reflect not only the wealth of music practices (from music therapy, to special/inclusive music education and community music), but also the wealth of the resources that music practitioners can bring to the societies within which they live and work. So let\u27s not overlook the possibilities that music and we – as musical beings and music practitioners – can bring, especially in times of crisis.
Perhaps, through and within music, we can bring and share a different quality of perception. Perhaps we can bring ‘love in action’ to a world where the will to power appears to prevail. Perhaps we can learn from each other how it is to be in another’s position and find alternative ways of co-living in the world. Perhaps we can improvise. Together. Now.
For further information, see Boxill (1997) and the following website: musictherapistsforpeace.org
Herbert Geuter was Paul Nordoff’s and Clive Robbins’ mentor (see Simpson 2009).
References
Boxill, E. (1997). The Miracle of Music Therapy. Gilsum, NH: Barcelona.
Robbins, C. interviewed by Giorgos Tsiris (2009). On spirituality, music and therapy: An interview with Clive Robbins. Unpublished interview, 23rd April 2009, London, UK.
Schumacher, K., & Calvet, C. (2007). The “AQRinstrument” (Assessment of the Quality of Relationship) – An Observation Instrument to Assess the Quality of a Relationship. In T. Wosch & T. Wigram (Eds.), Microanalysis in Music Therapy: Methods, Techniques and Applications for Clinicians, Researchers, Educators and Students (pp. 79-91). London: Jessica Kingsley.
Simpson, F. (2009). The Nordoff-Robbins Adventure: Fifty Years of Creative Music Therapy. London: James and James Publishers.
Turry, A. (2001). Supervision in the NordoffRobbins Music Therapy Training Program. In M. Forinash (Ed.), Music Therapy Supervision (pp. 351-377). Gilsum, NH: Barcelona.
Turry, A. (2012). Thank you, Clive. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 12(2), Special Section: In Memory of Clive Robbins 1927- 2011. Retrieved on 29 November 2012, from https://normt.uib.no/index.php/voices/article/vie wArticle/652/539
Vaillancourt, G. (2011). Music Therapists for Peace: A rebirth. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved on 12 November 2012, from http://testvoices.uib.no/?q=fortnightlycolumns/2011-music-therapists-peace-rebirth
Suggested citation:
Tsiris, G. (2012). In times of crisis: Music, love and human life. Approaches: Music Therapy & Special Music Education, 4(2), 82-84. Retrieved from http://approaches.primarymusic.g
Every Note Counts: The Story of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy (Fraser Simpson)
Get PDFThis is a review of the book "Every Note Counts: The Story of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy" by Fraser Simpson.
Every Note Counts: The Story of Nordoff-Robbins Music TherapyFraser SimpsonLondon: James and James (2007)119 pp, ISBN: 978-1-903942-79-
Towards Ethical Research: A Guide for Music Therapy and Music and Health Practitioners, Researchers and Students (Camilla Farrant, Mercédès Pavlicevic & Giorgos Tsiris)
Get PDFThis is a review of the book: "Towards Ethical Research: A Guide for Music Therapy and Music and Health Practitioners, Researchers and Students" by Camilla Farrant, Mercédès Pavlicevic & Giorgos Tsiris.
Towards Ethical Research: A Guide for Music Therapy and Music and Health Practitioners, Researchers and StudentsBy Camilla Farrant, Mercédès Pavlicevic & Giorgos TsirisLondon: Nordoff Robbins (2011)105pp, ISBN: 978-0-9570739-0-
Music as a Means of Addressing the Self-Injurious Behaviour of People with Autism: A Pilot Study on the Views of Music Therapists
No full textΤο παρόν άρθρο παρουσιάζει μια έρευνα στα πλαίσια της οποίας αναλύονται οι απόψεις εννέα μουσικοθεραπευτών (από την Ελλάδα και το Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο) σχετικά με τη χρήση της μουσικής ως θεραπευτικό μέσο για την τροποποίηση της αυτοτραυματικής συμπεριφοράς ατόμων με αυτισμό. Τα αποτελέσματα δείχνουν ότι η μουσική, η οποία βασίζεται στη μουσικοθεραπευτική σχέση που δημιουργείται μεταξύ του θεραπευτή και του ατόμου με αυτισμό, μπορεί να μειώσει την αυτοτραυματική συμπεριφορά ατόμων με αυτισμό. Επίσης, υποστηρίζεται ότι δεν υπάρχει συγκεκριμένη μουσικοθεραπευτική τεχνική και συγκεκριμένο μουσικό όργανο που να είναι περισσότερο ή λιγότερο αποτελεσματικό στη μείωση της αυτοτραυματικής συμπεριφοράς. Τα αποτελέσματα αυτά συζητούνται συγκριτικά, λαμβάνοντας υπόψιν τα αποτελέσματα άλλων σχετικών ερευνών και της διεθνούς βιβλιογραφίας This article presents a research study, which explores the views of nine music therapists (from Greece and the UK) on the use of music as a therapeutic means of modifying self-injurious behaviour of people with autism. The results show that music, which is based on a musical-therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the person with autism, can reduce the self-injurious behaviour of people with autism. Also, the results suggest that there is no particular musical-therapeutic technique and musical instrument that is more or less effective for the reduction of self-injurious behaviour. These results are discussed comparatively, taking into account the results of other relevant studies and the international bibliography
Music Therapy with Adults with Learning Disabilities (Tessa Watson, Ed.)
Get PDFThis is a review of the book "Music Therapy with Adults with Learning Disabilities" edited by Tessa Watson.
Music Therapy with Adults with Learning DisabilitiesBy Tessa Watson (Editor)East Sussex: Routledge (2007)176 pp, ISBN: 978-0-415-37909-