Just A Song Sunday: The Elements of Music for Music Therapists

I admit that if you are a long-term reader of this blog, you will have seen this chart before (and you will see it again, if you continue to read!). This is how I think about music as a therapeutic medium. Just this way. In a mind map and flow chart as presented here...

Anyway...

The information that I present here is the result of many conversations with a former classmate of mine, Deanna Hanson Abromeit. She has written more about this topic (but I haven't read her book yet - I should probably pick up a copy about this topic to see which direction she went with our discussions), and it has become the basis of what I do in my clinical work. 

If you are interested in how I parse a song using this chart, look at the posts entitled Song Synthesis Sunday for variations of this chart.

Let me explain how I use this little idea...

Over the years, I have read many requests for "a song" to use with a particular client. I've never really been sure what these therapists meant when they asked for "a song" to use with their clients. Do they really not know how to make any music into a therapeutic intervention or experience? Do they really not realize that you can use any element to shift any music into something that will fit any client?

I guess they don't.

I do, and I think it's because I've moved into this form of thinking about the music that I present to my clients. I know what I can adapt when I present any and all music to my clients within the session. If I am using live music, I can change all kinds of things to fit my client and what they need from the music. If I am using recorded music, I have more limitations, but I can still find ways to use the music to fit my clients.

I use this chart with each piece of music in the following manner:

1. What are the possibilities for each element of music? For example, what is the tempo of the music? Can it be changed and/or adapted? What happens if I change the tempo of the piece? How does the music change? How does the client respond to the change in tempo?
2. Write those possibilities down in the chart
3. Practice the music while changing different elements - become very familiar with the piece, including memorizing the lyrics as they are and with variations
4. Brainstorm all of the goal areas addressed by and with the music - is this a piece that could encourage motor development? Articulation? Crossing mid-line? Social interaction? Other goal areas? If a particular element is changed, do the goal areas change?
5. Develop therapeutic music experience (TME) plan centered around the brainstorming
6. Use with clients and adapt the plan

This exercise provides me with greater insight into my tool, my focus, my clinical process. It demonstrates to me that the song itself is not always the most important part of the music therapy session - it is the different elements of music that I use that are important. It is how the client reacts and interacts to the music that is important. It is the combination of music, therapist, and client that makes a music therapy session effective or not...playlist or interaction... entertainment or therapy...

Enjoy this next week, fellow therapists!