"When we look at the body of evidence that the arts contribute to our society, it's absolutely astounding. Music Therapists are breaking down the walls of silence and affliction of autism, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease."

(Michael Greene, President & CEO of NARAS - 1997 Grammy Awards).

Like all of the arts music can help participants express themselves and communicate. The various effects of music can stir existing emotions, feelings and memories in people, as well as encourage new ones.

"Music can name the unnamable and communicate the unknowable."
(Leonard Bernstein)

Recognising the creative process is essential as it can be therapeutic. Creating music is a way for individuals to express their feelings and communicate them through a different means.

In our workshops we provide a safe environment to allow for safe expressions.

Reflective style closures are used to help contain any expressions and therapeutic experiences. Music is used in many different ways in the workshops:

Background music

We play music during all activities to help set the atmosphere.

With Art

We play a variety of music and ask each client to express the feelings that they are generating from the music onto paper (painting and drawing). Clients are sometimes put into pairs and asked to have a conversation on paper in response to the music. Doing activities like these helps the clients to consciously think about how a piece of music makes them feel. Once one is in contact with how they feel they have the potential to learn more about themselves and how to identify their feelings.

"Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand" (Stevie Wonder)

Instruments

We use instruments to create music as a group – sometimes we create our own musical instruments with art materials.

Vocal

We may work as a whole group and create ‘soundscapes’. This is where everyone will project their own individual sound at the same time which will create a harmony. We create ‘soundscapes’ to create the sounds of a scene e.g. a rain forest. Also, we sing songs in the workshops.

Body

We use our bodies to create rhythms and beats together or individually. This can be clapping hands and tapping laps.

“As many music therapists have frequently commented, humans are musical beings. Our hearts beat and we move ‘in time’. We speak and communicate in pitches, rhythms and timbre.” (Rachel Darnley-Smith & Helen M. Patey. 2003).