Kardon

Trusting the Process of Music Therapy

by Dena Condron

A few years ago I was on my way to a group when I realized I had the wrong music with me for what I had planned for that day. I took stock of what I did have with me and who I was about to work with. Fortunately, it was a group that I knew fairly well and felt comfortable with so I had a sense of what might work. I had recently done a session on humor with another group and still had the instruments with me so I decided to bring them as a starting point for this group. They were a collection of novelty instruments such as a bulb horn, kazoo, slide whistle and bird whistle. I passed them around and had group members try them; the group responded with lots of laughter and conversation. This led to a discussion about folk instruments and reminiscing about playing a homemade kazoo using a comb and tissue paper. This led to further discussion about types of colloquial music such as jug bands. We decided to create a ‘jug band’ of our own using the instruments I brought plus some that the group members created on the spot such as a ‘washboard’ chair (a spindle-back chair with a pen running across it), bottle pipes and spoons. We created an improvisation that we recorded and listened to afterward. One group member who was usually withdrawn was hailed “a mean slide whistle player.” The group was a resounding success.

What made this particular group so successful? What qualities did it have that allowed this group of fairly confused and withdrawn people to transcend themselves? I believe it was the creation of music in the moment, using materials that group members brought to the experience in an unexpected and spontaneous manner. This was much more about the process of music therapy; the unfolding of experience, the invitation to engage in musical expression that is a natural part of human experience. Since that session the group was much more comfortable with each other and more willing to try new things. The same could be said for me as the therapist. Perhaps I needed to relax and trust the process before the group could do the same. Maybe it was no accident that I brought the wrong music that day!