Just a Song Sunday: Sears and Relating to Others

I am four pages away from the end of my summer music therapy reading project. As you know, I've been re-reading the chapter in Music in therapy entitled "Processes in music therapy," written by William W. Sears. I've been through two sub-levels of the outline, and there is one left. The last one. "Experience in relating to others."

As I start to read this topic, my first thought is that this sub-level is more concerned with the behavior of so-called "normal"s than the person with an exceptionality. Music allows a person with an exceptionality to be accepted into a group of others with a role that permits him or her to participate simply as a member of the group rather than "the label of diagnosis."

In my experience, music doesn't really do this outside of a performing ensemble. I also know many ensembles where persons with exceptionalities are not welcome because of one such reason or another. To be fair, I also know of many ensembles where persons with exceptionalities are welcomed in with open arms - it just depends on where you are.

Sears appeared to write from a place of wanting to include all people into the same experiences. I applaud that! There should be no barriers to participation in any experiences. There are always ways to adapt an activity to include others. As Sears was writing, though, he appeared to want to use music as a social opportunity. He wrote, "The goal is to increase the size of the group in which the individual can successfully interact (objectively measurable and describable); to increase the range and flexibility of his behavior in those interactions (objectively describable); and to provide experiences that will help him relate to noninstitutional life (objectively describable)" (p. 41).

Again, I have to read through my 21st century lenses in order to completely understand the context where this chapter came from. The historical circumstances when this was written were very different than the circumstances now. We've come a long way - but we are not to a place of acceptance yet. (That is an entirely different series of blog posts - we will NOT go there!)

For me, the salient parts of this part of the chapter are that music is something that is available to all regardless of diagnosis, music offers an opportunity to relate to others - communication, and music offers an opportunity to be engaged with others, united in a common purpose and working towards a common goal. This is the foundation of everything I try to do with my clients. Music is a vehicle for relating to others.

Next week, we will talk a bit more about the subheadings contained under this last bit of the outline level. We have self-expression, individual choice, acceptance of responsibility, experiencing cooperation and competition, entertainment, and realistic social skill development ahead of us.

See you next week!




Sears, W. W. (1968). Processes in music therapy. In E. T. Gaston (Ed.) Music in therapy (30-44). New York: MacMillan.