Kardon

The Importance of Silence In Both Music and Therapy

by Matthew Danser, Music Therapy Intern
In music, silence comes in the form of rests. Rests are the opposite of notes; they pause the music. The rests act as punctuation, much like punctuation in our written language. A young musician does not have an appreciation for the rests, he just wants to get to play the next note . A mature musician can recognize the importance of the silence between notes. They are necessary in making the music aesthetically pleasing  by creating anticipation.

In therapy, silence occurs when there is no dialogue between the therapist and the client. Depending on how comfortable one is with silence, it can be a terrifying moment when nothing is being said. Silence is important in therapy because it is that time when both the therapist and client can consider what is being said during the session.

Putting the two together, silence is important in music therapy. We use music in our sessions, so rests are important in giving space in the music. And the silence between songs and/or dialogue is important for both the therapist and client to process the meaning of what was played or said.

Before, I mentioned that some people may not be comfortable with silence. I am one of those people. I am working on my comfort level of silence during my internship with Kardon Institute for Arts Therapy. As I work, I am understanding more and more that silence is beneficial for the therapeutic process. I would be interested to hear what others have learned from the (sometimes uncomfortable) silence in their music therapy sessions.

One Response to “The Importance of Silence In Both Music and Therapy”

1. Maria Bottiglieri says:

   October 29, 2011 at 11:04 pm

   Matt: I can really appreciate what you said about silence being part of the theraputic process.

   Reply