Dear AMTA

Getting Fed Up and Opening Your Big Mouth...

I did it. I got defensive and upset at a blowhard from the music therapy listserv yesterday. He stated, "If we were to lean on this concept toward defining music therapy, those practicing from a behavioral orientation would be shut out" in reference to understanding our clients through their music. I got defensive and wrote about it in a response. He backtracked and stated that he did not mean that we would be shut out of the profession, even though that was what he intimated in the email. I received several statements of support, especially regarding my plea to stop knocking other philosophical viewpoints in favor of your own.

Then, I started to think about how I understand my clients through their music. I imagine my understanding is much like any other therapist's understanding. I may translate their music a bit differently, but I am still engaging in analyzing their rhythms, tempos, melodies, harmonies, dissonances, consonances, engagement, instrument choices and uses, lyrics, and other aspects of music. There really isn't a difference, in my mind, about how I understand my clients through their music and how I would understand them if I practiced using a different music therapy modality. I think the real issue is being client-directed and allowing the client to be the driving force in the music therapy session. I was asked to clarify my position as a behaviorist, and I think I am almost ready.

How does anyone really understand another through music? We truly cannot know everything that is going on in the heads of another person. We can only react to what we see, hear, and interpret on our own.