What happens in music therapy?

What happens in a typical music therapy session?

The basis of music therapy in the UK is the use of active, or live, improvised music. Music therapists assist people in participating in a creative musical process that is a dynamic interplay between client and therapist. The way in which this process unfolds will vary greatly according to circumstance. A wide range of instruments are normally available, including percussive instruments (drums, cymbals, etc) and melodic instruments (piano, xylophone, etc).

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Personal Space

Tyko - Julia Landgren
Working on the basis of that everyone needs their own personal space 'Tyko' offers a collapsible solution to provide the secluded space to relax and be alone.
This could be particularly relevant when it comes to those with special needs as it is common with conditions such as autism, where it is common for the individual to have a need to feel secure in their environment which is benefitted by enclosed/secluded spots.

Writable

 

Writable - Tianyu Xiao 

A clever design for a table, including rotating sections which feature blackboard enabling the users to jot notes, doodle etc at the table.

Could be useful for encouraging group interaction within therapy sessions, possibilities to make it more interactive in a musical sense. Digital control panels instead of blackboard etc. 

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Edutainment

Edutainment - entertainment that is intended to be educational
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Xylophone of Ultimate Darkness

Xylophone of Ultimate Darkness (Beat Blinds) - William Gurley
Clever and playful use of space incorporating a popular musical instrument with a functional product.

Could be useful within music therapy in the fact that it enables the most to be made of a limited space with the therapy based products not standing out within the environment of use.

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 An article showing a creative selection of interesting and unique instruments or learning aids for instruments.

Of particular interest are the two 'musical furniture' products (shown below)

 

Musical Rumba series -  Tor Clausen

An occasional table designed with removable modules with simply drop into the frame of the table providing a range of percussion sounds as each section is played.

Could be useful to encourage group interaction and communication within a group.

 

Musical Dining Table - Fumiaki Goto

Designed to be played like a marimba, the musical dining table uses varying sized lengths of wood mounted on copper pipes to allow for each section to create a different note, with the copper tubes acting like an amplifier and making the sounds louder. 

Interesting application of different materials to benefit the overal sound of the table, also gives the potential for unintentional playing with the movement of cutlery/crockery etc.

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'Shake up some music' - David Boyce
Interesting design with multiple removable speakers which operate wirelessly from an iPod base docking station which also charges the speaker units.
Each speaker is controlled by a range of gestures which enable the user to control the iPod and changing song volume etc.

The idea of having one main base station with multiple control modules could come in useful within a music therapy scenario as opposed to having a range of instruments.

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Music Therapy Slideshow

 

Music therapy - A new perspective
A video/slideshow with interesting images and quotes from a variety of sources expressing the benefits of music therapy in aiding those with special needs, depression, anxiety, dementia etc.

Music Therapy Instruments

 'Zings music group' specialises in instruments for educational establishments, such as schools colleges etc

Many of the music therapy instruments look bulky and simply attached to a base stand rather than being designed with the user's interaction in mind.

 See Store Site for more information.

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

Berthold Auerbach

Music Therapy Wiki

Interesting Wiki article looking at music therapy... good citations for further research

Wiki Article

American Music Therapy Association

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The website of the American Music Therapy Association, good outlines of the music therapy process and what is involved within the process with a good collection of FAQ providing a lot of information.

Website here.

Nordoff-Robbins

The Nordoff Robbins approach to music therapy was developed in the 50's and 60's and is now the basis for all of music therapy practice within the U.K., however other methods are used in other areas of the world.

The approach is improvised based utilising a range of percussive and tuned instruments to help the participants communicate and develop a greater sense of self awareness through the creative process of creating music.

The approach is varied to suit the needs of individuals or specific members within group sessions, homing in on the fact that people can relate to beat and rhythm regardless of mental and physical disability. 

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Introduction

This blog will follow the progress and research of the Experimentation and Feasability module of my Masters level study.
It will consist of a range of both primary and secondary research into the field of music therapy and/or the intervention of sensory environments, concluded by the design and manufacture of a prototype model of the final solution.