Just A Song Sunday: The Elements of Music That I Pay Attention To in Sessions

 

As I go through my stuff here at home, I am reminded of the things that I have done with various instruments, materials, music. I remember specific clients who loved certain songs or certain instruments. I have the opportunity to find old things that have gone out of style with current clients, and I get to figure out new ways to use familiar objects. It is an interesting thing to revisit what has been important in your therapy life, and this is a season where I am doing just that.

I started being interested in the ways we adapt music and musical elements during my graduate studies. In discussions with my fellow students, we determined that we did not often think about how we were changing the music to match our clients - we just did it. It seemed that we were missing out on opportunities by not really thinking about how we were using our primary therapeutic tool - the music.

The fellow student that I talked to about this topic focused on the research to demonstrate how the elements of music affected human behavior. I went the other way and looked at opportunities the music itself offered to us as musicians and therapists. Both perspectives have their roles in our lives as music therapists, I think. One is the therapeutic elements of music (mine) and the other is the therapeutic function of music. That's how I sort it in my brain.

I am a clinician and have always been a clinician at heart. I am not all that interested in doing much of anything other than supporting clinicians in how they do their jobs of music therapy day in and day out. This is one of the reasons that I think it is important to focus on musical elements when engaged with clients. If thinking about tempo is something that will enable my client to work towards his/her/their goal, then I should be thinking about tempo.

This, of course, is a simplistic attitude about what we do, but I feel like we have to be centered in the music first and foremost.

This chart is the way I have found to center myself when doing therapy. I do best when I think through my options, and a chart is the most efficient way for me to think things through. When I sit down to strategize my sessions, I can arrange the music to fit the clients who come to sessions by thinking about them within the music.

Hmm. Within the music. That's a turn of phrase that I have never considered, but I like it. By placing my clients within our music, I can fit the music to them similar to how a dressmaker or tailor fits clothing to people. (I think I've been watching too much of the Great British Sewing Bee lately). Client A works best when music is presented at 88 bpm while Client B needs music presented at 70 bpm. So, my job, as their music therapist, is to place them within the musical environment that best supports and challenges them to interact within the therapeutic music experience (TME).

This chart has made its way into my TME design. I do not do a full visual in this format, but I translate the chart into a table where I list all the insights that I find when I analyze the music. When getting ready to present a new piece of music, I review the TME and refresh my mind on the options that we have. Then, when I go into the session, I have a greater understanding of the music and the ways I can adapt the music based on how my clients respond to each piece of music. It helps the session contour when I am aware of the music and all its elements.

What do you think?

Is this a tool that is helpful for others, or is it something just for me? I am curious about how other music therapists think about music. Is this something taught these days or is it just something I focus on? Inquiring minds want to know... like mine!

Happy Sunday.