Silence

This has been a long, LOUD week in the music therapy room. Actually, the music therapy room hasn't been all that loud, but my next-door neighbors have been loud. We have very thin walls, so I hear everything that happens next door. It has been very loud.

I have had to do some active self-care in the form of leaving my room to find some silence, or at least, more quiet.

It's difficult to find a place where there is quiet in a school of busy, active, and impulsive students. Even the administration offices are loud - in a completely different manner. I prefer the school noises to the administration noises - I wonder why that is...

I have needed silence this week.

When things get loud in my room, I try several different things to keep going on my goals. I try to use the sounds happening to frame some musical creation and composition. I join in (at times and quietly from the other side of the wall). I listen for patterns and ways to find entrainment within the noise. Sometimes I can, sometimes I cannot.

When I just get to the end of my sound tolerance limit, I escape.

Today will be a day like all the others this week. There will be tantrums on the other side of the wall, and those tantrum sounds will come into my environment. I have individuals this morning, and they will be present for all of those sounds as well. Depending on the day, I may have to do my individual sessions in the classroom to avoid the over-saturation of sounds competing with the music of therapy. After the individual sessions, I have my planning time. I am going to try to mask the sounds by closing my door and listening to my television shows while I work. If all else fails, I will find another place to sit and work.

I need some silence today.