Finding music in all people

This past week we had the chance to put together a special performance at the hospital. For months now, some of our in- and outpatients who come for individual music therapy sessions have been practicing songs to perform; this week we coordinated a Variety Show, which took place at the community living center on campus. The performance was meaningful in two ways: the residents and medical staff appreciated our time and effort to give them a concert, and the outpatients were able to use their skills developed in music therapy to give back to another group of residents. It was a fun and crazy effort, with a wide selection of music ranging from musical theater and classic rock, to bluegrass and gospel. Some patients performed their own lyric rewrites of favorite songs; others sang solos, accompanied themselves on guitar, or played instruments. It truly was a variety of performances and styles, and the whole thing was a hit.

We have a wide range of patients: a wide range of diagnoses, limitations, and abilities. Some of our patients have played music since they were children; for others, their first exposure to music performance was in the music therapy clinic. We practice music THERAPY, not music education, so natural talent is not required; very often, we spend our time in the clinic making a "joyful noise", to quote my supervisor. Our job as music therapists, (or music therapy interns), is to discover how to use our own talents to make our patients' abilities shine. We use our voices and guitars to direct the spotlight to the patient standing beside us; they are the ones who deserve the credit for the bravery they show in performing. 

I'm sure anyone who remembers the terror of grade-school piano recitals would like to argue that performing is not therapeutic at ALL, but for the people we see here, it can be an incredibly cathartic experience. Performing gives our patients, many of whom have significant disabilities, a chance to give back. The ability to do something for other people is quite honestly something that most of us take for granted. It's an ability I took for granted, until I came to this hospital and met beautiful, precious people who felt like they had nothing to offer. An integral part of our role as music therapists is providing the means and opportunity for our patients to share with someone else. My own talents and abilities are meant to support, not impress. It's a different way of sharing music with people, but the applause is even sweeter when it's for the patient standing beside me.