Kalani Music

Nine Reasons to Stop Using the Term “Drum Circle” in Music Therapy.

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With the rise in popularity of drumming in music therapy, and many other areas including music education, recreation, and even corporate events, the term “drum circle” has become nearly synonymous with “group drumming,” but there are more than a few reasons a music therapist should carefully consider including the term as part of his/her professional practice.

The following is not a comparison of the relative value of drum circles vs. music therapy. Both have value and both are useful. It is an argument for the dis-use of the term “drum circle” within the profession of music therapy.

1. The definition of a drum circle is completely different than that of music therapy.

In her book, Music Therapy Improvisation for Groups – Essential Leadership Competencies, Susan C. Gardstrom, MT-BC, PhD, writes, “It is critical that you understand the distinction between clinical improvisation and a drum circle. The two experiences are often mistaken for one another, even though they are more different than alike.”

A drum circle is a community-based experience wherein participants self-organize, self-select, and create in-the-moment music as a form of both self-expression and community. It is the participants who decide why and how they participant, whether or not a facilitator is present. This is not how music therapy works.

Clinical improvisation is the process whereby the therapist and client(s) improvise together for the purposes of therapeutic assessment, treatment, and /or evaluation. In clinical improvisation, client and therapist relate to one another through the music, and the improvisation results in a musical product that varies in aesthetic, expressive, and interpersonal significance. This is how music therapy works.

2. Drum Circles Have a Stigma.

Drum circles have been in the news for years, but not always presented in a positive light. They’re often portrayed as gatherings of half-naked sweaty men and woman dancing around a bonfire, or tie-dye-clad hippies flaunting dread-locks and patchouli oil at a music festival. Even though the term has been pushed into schools and even the corporate training world, the stigma of the drum circle as a counter-culture “psychedelic music jam session” still remains to this day. The fact is, public drum circles, such as those found at places such as Venice Beach, are notorious for the unrestricted use of drugs. Music therapists may wish to not intentionally associate what they do with the stigma attached to some drum circles. It’s true that many facilitators create “drum circles” that are almost nothing like their public counterparts. Nevertheless, drum circles continue to be joked about as “hippie” culture to this day.

3. The Term “Drum Circle” is Misused and Overused.

The term “Drum Circle” has been used to describe so many types of drumming experience over the past two decades that it has lost most of its meaning. Because of over-marketing and selling drum circles as just about any type of drumming experience (from elementary school drumming to retirement home activities and corporate training), the term is often misused to describe everything from conducted improvisations, to singalongs with drums, traditional drumming, drumming games, guided interactive drumming, conducted drumming, and more. The are MANY types of group drumming beyond drum circles, but many people don’t know the difference and label everything a “Drum Circle.” Some people even use terms like “Drum Circle Games,” which adds to the confusion. Is it a game (a structured experience with clear guidelines for participation, procedures and play rules) or a drum circle? Who knows! This over-application of the term may be due to an effort by some to cram as many types of experience under the “drum circle” umbrella as possible, thereby creating the impression that the “drum circle movement” is much larger than it actually is. In any case, the term is now almost meaningless when compared to its original definition. See this Taxonomy of Drumming Experiences for some examples.

4. The Term “Drum Circle” is Not Part of the Profession of Music Therapy.

“Drum Circle” is an American term that rose in use during the 1960’s often to refer to groups of people gathering in public to play improvised music. Music Therapy, as a profession, pre-dates the popular use of the term, and has seldom included references to it in professional writings. The canon of music therapy literature and pedagogy, makes little mention of drum circles and instead, focuses on the use of various drumming types, some of which are mentioned above. Music improvisation has been part of music therapy since its inception and continues to play an important role to this day. On the surface, there are some similarities between a drum circle and a group music therapy session using drums and percussion, but as mentioned previously, the purpose, methods, techniques, roles, and responsibilities of the therapist and clients are entirely different.

5. Clinical Improvisation Already Provides Everything Music Therapists Need.

Although many music therapists are still not familiar with the term, “Clinical Improvisation,” the study, teaching, and codification of this aspect of music therapy predates the popular use of the term drum circles by several years. Music Therapists including Kenneth Bruscia, Tony Wigram, Susan Gardstrom, and Kalani Das (me), have all written about the use and applications of clinical improvisation, which can account for virtually every conceivable technique, strategy, and structure a music therapist would need in his/her work – even when using drums exclusively. It is likely because of the explicit nature of drum circles and the heavy promotion by drum companies, that the term rose in popularity, even when music therapy already provided the tools from within the profession. (What’s the definition of a “professional?” – Anyone from out of town!). Click your heels together three times and look no further than your own front yard!

6. Anyone Can Facilitate a Drum Circle.

There are no limits, rules, regulations or standards about who can lead a drum circle. If you’re a music therapist who claims to deliver “drum circles” as part of your music therapy services, then you’re opening the door for anyone else who offers drum circles to do what you do. As music therapists, we know that what we do is much more than just a drum circle, but do your clients know that, or the people who hire you? With the rise of corporate-driven training of drum circle facilitators, there are more and more people looking for jobs with special and sensitive populations. By using a non-music therapy term, such as ‘drum circle’ in your work, you could be opening up the door for increased competition from anyone with a car-load of drums and a weekend of training.

7. Music Therapy is About More than Fun.

REMO Inc., founder, Remo Beli, used to assert that drum circles were mostly about having fun. He was right! We can all appreciate the freedom of music improvisation and the good feelings that can come from self-expression and playing music with others, but music therapy is about a lot more than feeling good and having fun. Your job, as a music therapist, is to assess, treat, and evaluate your clients every single time you see them. You’re not there to just “have fun” and see that they “feel good.” If that’s what you’re doing, then you may not be practicing music therapy! Drum circles are fine, but you do so much more in your clinical work. Every music therapist needs to make sure that he/she is communicating a depth of knowledge to other healthcare professionals, especially those for whom we work. If you tell your supervisor that you “had a drum circle” during your music therapy session, what will they think about your professionalism? It would probably sound more professional to say that you “provided an improvised group drumming experience that sought to develop self-determination, confidence, and build trust among the participants.”

8. Drum Circle Facilitation Training is Not Music Therapy Training.

You may ask, “What about drum circle facilitation training? Can’t I use that in Music Therapy?” As mentioned above, drum circles and music therapy have very different goals and relationships between the “leader” and participants. They are about as different as hanging out with friends and a group therapy session. It doesn’t matter if they appear to be similar, they are actually quite different. Drum Circle Facilitation trainers may make claims about the applications of such a training program in music therapy, but are they truly in a position to make those claims? Why is there little mention of drum circles or drum circle facilitation in the music therapy literature? You may ask, “Why are there drum circles at music therapy conferences if they are not part of music therapy?” Good question – Easy answer: Fun and Marketing. Music therapists use drums and drum companies want to build relationships with music therapists. Having a fun drum circle at a conference is a great way to get your product into people’s hands and build your brand. This should not be taken as a directive to include drum circles as part of your music therapy practice; however. Drum Circle Facilitation training is aimed at helping the facilitator create accessible and fun musical experiences. Personally, I recommend that music therapist learn how to play drums and percussion instruments, then practice clinical improvisation techniques. These two areas of study will provide more than enough skills, techniques, and strategies for the professional music therapist to provide quality services – and, since music therapy training includes other methods besides improvisation, such as recreative, compositional, and receptive methods, it will open up more options for using drums than any drum circle training ever could. (See Taxonomy of Drumming Experiences above.)

9. The Term “Drum Circle” Can Be Confusing to Clients and Employers.

Music therapy clients and those who hire music therapists can be confused if a music therapist uses the term “drum circle” to describe what he/she does in music therapy. As already discussed, the term is somewhat of a slang term to describe casual music making in a community setting. There is a stigma around the term, like it or not. The term describes an experience that is largely unstructured, has no clear goals or objectives, and no clear client-therapist relationship. If a music therapist calls what they do a ‘drum circle’ and then proceeds to design and deliver a structured experience with specific goals and objectives (does their job), they are, by definition, not doing what they said they were doing – having a drum circle. This could cause confusion and even break down trust between the clients and therapist. For those clients who have participated in traditional drum circles, they may expect something completely different than what is offered. For those who have not experienced a traditional drum circle (either individually facilitated or group-lead) they may leave with an unrealistic perception of what a drum circle is, which doesn’t honor drum circle culture or the people who facilitate drum circles.

Summary:

Drum circles are accessible and fun music-based experiences that can help people of all ages and abilities enjoy playing music in a community setting. The term has been in use since the 1960’s and is generally thought of as a counter-culture experience, sometimes among those on the “fringes” of society. Drum circles have been heavily promoted by drum companies and those who offer drum circle facilitation training courses and certification. Because the term has been heavily used for the past 20 years, it’s meaning has been somewhat diluted and distorted. Many people confuse the term with other forms of group drumming, such as traditional drumming, rhythm games, guided interactive drumming, and even drumming in music therapy.

Music therapists can avoid confusion and clarify their work by using professional terms, such as clinical improvisation, drumming improvisation, and group drumming. Music therapy training and drum circle facilitation training are more different than similar and are not interchangeable. Music therapists can differentiate themselves from “drum circle facilitators” by not using the term drum circle in their work, with clients, or business partners. Music therapists can facilitate drum circles outside of their music therapy practice by employing the techniques and skills learned in traditional drumming and clinical improvisation training. Clinical Improvisation training contains adequate and substantial information for any music therapist to effectively design and deliver group drumming experiences to his/her clients.

For more about drumming-based training for music therapists, visit the Music Therapy Drumming website and see my book, The Way of Music – Creating Sound Connections in Music Therapy.

Group Drumming - Drum Circle - World Drumming

References:

Bruscia, K. (1987). Improvisational Models of music therapy.
Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

Das, K. (2011). The Way of Music:
Creating sound connections in music therapy. Denton, TX: Sarsen.

Gardstrom, S. (2007) Music therapy improvisation for groups:
Essential leadership competencies. Gilsum, NH: Barcelona.

Wigram, T. (2004). Improvisation: Methods and teachings for clinicians, educators and students. London: Jessica Kingsley.

Music Therapy Advocacy

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Advocacy can help open doors, produce opportunities for growth, expand your horizons, and grow your personal and professional network.

That said, advocacy is also not without its challenges. Over the course of the past decade, music therapists have been faced with responding to misinformed, potentially damaging comments that can serve to undermine the profession and services we provide, all while striving to continue to move forward with advocacy efforts that make a positive difference. These negative exchanges can lead to feelings of frustration, stress, and even anger – and serve to potentially distract us from focusing on our clients and our work.

In light of the contentiousness that seems to surround legislative and policy issues, we propose incorporating a spirit of mindfulness in your advocacy efforts. Mindfulness is defined as, “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.” Mindfulness requires an awareness of our attitudes, feelings, thoughts, and actions; an understanding of how they impact our experiences and behaviors; and a willingness to take responsibility for our mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being.

For more about mindfulness, listen to the EVOLVE podcast on iTunes or kalanidas.com.

To that end, we offer the following guide to assist you in your search of an advocacy zen space and ask…when have you been REACTIVE or PROACTIVE in your advocacy efforts?

Scenario 1: When feeling REACTIVE to a misinformed comment, demeaning question, or misleading blog post…

How to react from an advocacy zen space:

Step 1 – Perceive. Notice the feeling and visceral reaction you are experiencing. Be aware of your physiological response to the situation. We often experiences feelings of enhanced energy or “heat” when reacting. Where is the feeling in your body?

Step 2 – Process. Implement coping strategies to help you process through your reaction and self-regulate. Take a slow, measured breath, count to 10, or walk away from the situation and take a break. Sometimes, even just acknowledging that you’re upset or feeling anxious can help reduce the anxiety associated with the experience. Any time you feel stress, it’s important to allow yourself to “feel the feeling,” without judgment or “shaming” yourself for feeling what you feel.

Step 3 – Respond. Be intentional in what you say and do in response to the situation. Redirect the conversation to the main focus: the client. Use non-violent communication (NVC) when responding to others. For example, don’t use language that includes blaming, shaming, or labeling others or their behavior. Instead, describe the situation and look for a solution. Remember: Everyone is doing the best they can – and we don’t know what we don’t know. It’s been my experience that education goes a long way in helping to resolve issues. If someone needs to vent, let them and move on.

I’ve met some fantastic, passionate, creative people when advocating for music therapy. When responding to someone who was claiming to be providing music therapy services (without being a music therapist), I discovered that this person had created some wonderful music education strategies for special needs students. Rather than approach him in a negative way, saying, “You can’t call that music therapy!” I listened to his stories and validated his PURPOSE, which was to help students through his music classes. I even invited him to consider presenting at a regional music therapy conference.

Remember that many musicians, including those who work with sensitive or special needs populations, don’t know why it’s not appropriate to call what they do music therapy. Most people assume that music therapy is using music to help someone feel better. It makes sense to them. The education process takes time and compassion. As music therapists, we want to create allies, not enemies, and we want advocates who will recommend music therapy when recreational and educational experiences are not enough.

Super Tip: Rather than focusing on why someone shouldn’t call what they do music therapy, focus on what they CAN call it. For example, someone can offer “therapeutic music” or “musical relaxation experiences.” Perhaps you can help non-music therapists find a way to describe their work, so instead of “loosing,” they’re “switching.”

Scenario 2: When being PROACTIVE by taking initiative in advocating for the profession and our clients…

How to react from an advocacy zen space:

Step 1 – Visualize. Begin with the end of mind. Imagine what your ideal outcome would be without barriers and challenges. Envision your goal or purpose. What is the ideal scenario?

Step 2 – Develop. Focus on the strengths of your current situation as you design your strategy. What is working for you? What’s going well? What do you have that you can build upon? When talking to potential clients, talk about your successes. A lot of business owners tell stories about how they helped their clients.

Step 3 – Accept. Approach your plan with an attitude of acceptance. Though you begin with the end in mind, you may not know the path to get there or the obstacles that may occur. Be open to and accepting of the options and possibilities that are presented to you. Let the client solve their own puzzles, with your help. Your client knows what they want, although they might need you to help them form an actionable plan. Remember: A lot of people are still just finding out about music therapy. They often have ideas about MT that are incorrect or incomplete. They need you to help them understand the profession.
As the music therapy profession continues to move forward in its advocacy efforts, we encourage you to be mindful in your reactive responses and proactive endeavors. We cannot control the vitriol and negativity that seems common to the political climate, but we can control and take responsibility for our own reactions and responses. Let’s continue in our efforts from this intentional advocacy zen space.

For more about music therapy, visit the American Music Therapy Association

Strum & Drum

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This video demonstrates a variety of easy songs that lend themselves to group drumming. I use these with group of all kinds, from music education in the classroom, to music therapy with groups. You can make them your own by changing up the lyrics and musical elements. Let me know if you find these useful and make sure to subscribe to my website news and YouTube channel.

Join WORLD DRUM CLUB.

China and Beyond

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Kalani discusses his recent teaching trip to China, what’s happening in the Music Therapy scene, how to use rhythmic breathing for health outcomes, how to lower the volume of group drumming experience, and shares a free resource for learning more about world drumming.

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Easter Special

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Kalani is fresh off an Asia tour after presenting workshops in Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. In this episode, he talks about therapeutic music making and how you can get trained as a therapeutic musician at the DCM Summer course (http://playsinglaugh.com). A special deal awaits you on Amazon, where you can save up to 30% using a special code that you will get at the end of the podcast! (Good from April 20 to 27)

Note: Only products sold by Musical Media are eligible for the discounts.

Kalani LIVE

Celebrating Music Therapy

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Judy Simpson, has been a working music therapists for over 30 years, helping clients make progress as she helps the general public learn about this unique profession. In this article, she describes not only what music therapy has in common with other helping professions, but more importantly, what makes music therapy a unique and powerful tool for creating positive change.

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Judy Simpson, MT-BC
Director of Government Relations, American Music Therapy Association

Singing to a client

When I started my career as a music therapist in 1983, it was not uncommon for me to describe my profession by comparing it to other professions which were more well-known. If people gave me a puzzled look after I proudly stated, “I use music to change behaviors,” I would add, “Music therapy is like physical therapy and occupational therapy, but we use music as the tool to help our patients.” Over the years as I gained more knowledge and experience, I obviously made changes and improvements to my response when asked, “What is music therapy?” My enhanced explanations took into consideration not only the audience but also growth of the profession and progress made in a variety of research and clinical practice areas.

The best revisions to my description of music therapy, however, have grown out of government relations and advocacy work. The need to clearly define the profession for state legislators and state agency officials as part of the AMTA and CBMT State Recognition Operational Plan has forced a serious review of the language we use to describe music therapy. The process of seeking legislative and regulatory recognition of the profession and national credential provides an exceptional opportunity to finally be specific about who we are and what we do as music therapists.

For far too long we have tried to fit music therapy into a pre-existing description of professions that address similar treatment needs. What we need to do is provide a clear, distinct, and very specific narrative of music therapy so that all stakeholders and decision-makers “get it.” Included below are a few initial examples that support our efforts in defining music therapy separate from our peers that work in other healthcare and education professions.

  • Music therapist’s qualifications are unique due to the requirements to be a professionally trained musician in addition to training and clinical experience in practical applications of biology, anatomy, psychology, and the social and behavioral sciences.
  • Music therapists actively create, apply, and manipulate various music elements through live, improvised, adapted, individualized, or recorded music to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals of all ages.
  • Music therapists structure the use of both instrumental and vocal music strategies to facilitate change and to assist clients achieve functional outcomes related to health and education needs.
  • In contrast, when OTs, Audiologists, and SLPs report using music as a part of treatment, it involves specific, isolated techniques within a pre-determined protocol, using one pre-arranged aspect of music to address specific and limited issues. This differs from music therapists’ qualifications to provide interventions that utilize all music elements in real-time to address issues across multiple developmental domains concurrently.

As we “celebrate” 2014’s Social Media Advocacy Month, I invite you to join us in the acknowledgement of music therapy as a unique profession. Focused on the ultimate goal of improved state recognition with increased awareness of benefits and increased access to services, we have an exciting adventure ahead of us. Please join us on this advocacy journey as we proudly declare, “We are Music Therapists!”

About the Author: Judy Simpson is the Director of Government Relations for the American Music Therapy Association. She can be reached at simpson@musictherapy.org

Drumming for Therapeutic Outcomes

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Group Drumming - Drum Circle - World DrummingThere’s been a lot of talk about the health benefits of drumming. From studies in group drumming as a social tool to the science of brain rhythms, drumming has caught the eye of many who work in (or want to work in) health care settings.

This article looks at some of the current trends and applications and will help you filter through some of the information, and misinformation, that you might run into.

We’re going to look at three very small, yet important, words to help us understand how drumming (music) is being used in healthcare settings. The words are: WITH, IN, and AS.

WITH

Drumming can be used “with” just about any population, from children to older adults. When use ‘with’ a specific population, the drumming is usually part of a recreational program. The approach to drumming can take the form of: a drum circle (improvisation with social goals), a musical jam (improvisation with musical goals), a drum class (music lessons), or a performance (music presentation for an audience). What’s important to note, is that the drumming is an activity that is being offered to the group as a recreational experience, for fun. Drumming can be done WITH just about anyone. Even if the population has special needs, the drumming is still recreational, just as if the same people went bowling or to the movies. When people with special needs go bowling, we don’t call it “Bowling Therapy,” even when we make adjustments to accommodate their needs.

What you need to know about “WITH”

Just because people have special needs, does not mean that everything that someone does with them is a form of therapy. Someone who provides a drumming experience for persons with autism, for example, is providing a drumming experience, not therapy, unless they are themselves a therapist and the music is an integral part of their program (We’ll get to this in a moment). Drumming with any population does, however, often require specific knowledge of that population in order to provide quality service and avoid possible negative effects, such as reactions to loud noises, for example. WITH and FOR can be used interchangeably. You can also provide a recreational drumming experience FOR just about any population.

IN

Drumming can be used ‘in” all types of programs. People who are already in a therapy program, whether ongoing or temporarily, can often benefit from group music making and other forms of creative expression. In fact, music and art have a long history of being use in programs aimed at providing some degree of therapeutic value. In this case, the drumming is used to complement other components of the program. The program itself is often designed and run by a therapist or other healthcare professional. When used ‘IN’ a program, the drumming experience may still be recreational and/or educational. It is included in the program for a reason, such as to help participants get to know one another, to help people bond, or to help them find a way to express themselves without words. The healthcare professional uses the drumming in the program, as one of many components, to help his/her clients reach their goals. 

What you need to know about “IN”

Similarly to “WITH,” drumming done “IN” a program is also not itself a form of therapy. It may still take the form of any number of drumming types (drum circles, jams, classes, performance groups, etc.) and be mostly recreational in nature. The difference between “WITH” and “IN” is that in the case of “IN.”, the drumming experience is used, for a reason, as part of a treatment program. The person running the program does not need to be specially trained in music, but they are usually trained in some healthcare profession.

AS

Drumming can be used as a type of therapy. When any or all of the many aspects and components of drumming (techniques, rhythms, cultural components, sounds, etc.) are specifically and purposefully incorporated into a treatment program to help the client reach his/her goals, that drumming is used as a form of therapy. The application of musical instruments, the music itself, and the relationships that are formed within the musical experience, to reach specific non-musical therapeutic goals, defines the profession of Music Therapy.  Although music therapists are not the only people who might use music therapeutically, the profession is defined by the use of music and musical experiences, within a client-therapist relationship, to reach therapeutic goals. In the case of music therapy, the musical experience is not simply recreational (as it is in the “WITH” experience), nor is it simply one of many other components (as it is in the “IN” experience). In Music Therapy, the musical experience is the main tool the therapist uses to help the client.

What you need to know about “AS”

Music used AS therapy is not only most commonly provided by a music therapist (someone trained in both music and therapy), it is provided with the understanding that it is the therapist’s job to help the client reach specific therapeutic goals and objectives. This is similar to the job of the person who uses music “IN” a therapeutic program, and different than the person who does music “WITH” people with special needs. Because music is being used specifically as a tool (similar to the use of medicine or medical tools by a doctor to treat patients), special training and credentials are needed in order to provide this type of service.
For more about becoming, or working with, a music therapist, visit the American Music Therapy Association’s website: musictherapy.org.

What about Therapeutic Drumming or Drum Therapy?

Therapeutic Drumming is a term that has come into use in recent years. It appears to be used when people are referring to the use of drumming both WITH certain populations and IN certain programs. As we know from the above definitions, drumming that is used “WITH” populations and “IN” programs is largely recreational in nature and is therefore, not a form of therapy itself. Appropriate terms for this type of drumming can include “Beneficial Drumming” or “Beneficial Music Making.” Both these terms are accurate, useful, and are likely to reduce any possible confusion with drumming done as part of Music Therapy; however, it is not necessary to label this type of drumming anything other than simply, ‘drumming.’ The term Therapeutic Drumming is gaining acceptance as “Any type of drumming experience that is intentionally used to produce a positive shift in one’s physical, emotional, or cognitive state.”

“Drum Therapy” is another term that has been created to describe drumming that is done WITH certain populations that have special needs. Similar to Therapeutic Drumming, “Drum Therapy” appears to include both recreational and/or educational types of drumming experiences. Because “Drum Therapy”sounds so much like Music Therapy (Drumming is part of music, of course), it is advised that this term NOT be used and that Beneficial Drumming, or just ‘Drumming With’ be used instead (i.e., Drumming with persons with autism.)

Whether an experience is a form of therapy is not determined by the activity itself, but by the application of the activity, the relationship between the people (client-therapist), and the training and qualifications of the person leading the experience. To help make this point clear, consider “Talk Therapy,” which is a service provided by a licensed psychotherapist or psychologist. It would be unthinkable, and also unethical, to promote yourself as a talk therapist (or a provider of ‘therapeutic talking’), simply because you are ‘talking’ with people, even if they get some benefit from talking to you. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that someone is providing a healthcare service just because they appear to be leading a certain type of experience. There’s a lot more to any profession than meets the eye and most healthcare services require some form of training and certification. Creating a term that ‘sounds like’ an established healthcare service can be confusing to both clients and businesses and could even be unethical.

I’m a facilitator, but I don’t have special training in healthcare. Is it OK to offer drumming to people with special needs?

Absolutely! People who live inside institutional settings, or who have limited access to creative and social experiences need those experiences as much, if not more, than the rest of us. Find out about volunteer opportunities in your area and offer your services to as many people as you can. The world needs more music making. When you do visit a facility, do some research on the population beforehand and try to talk to someone at the facility to learn about their community. When facilitating drumming for any population, make sure that you have staff members present in case a client needs attention or you have a question about how to best serve a client. You don’t need to call what you do a form of therapy for it to provide real value. We all know that music making can help people feel better. The term “Drumming” is enough.

Summary

Now you know that there’s a difference between services where drumming is done WITH people, IN a program, or AS therapy. You know that there is a difference between recreational drumming that is done with people with special needs, drumming that is part of a therapeutic program led by a therapist, and drumming that is used by a music therapist. And you know how to define and talk about the kind of drumming experiences that you can offer in a way that is both accurate and ethical.

Music Therapy – More than meets the eyes (or ears)

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With most jobs, as with most things in life, there’s often more to it than meets the eye. When someone that is not trained or experienced in a particular skill, trade, or profession makes observations about what someone else is ‘doing’ they can end up coming to conclusions that are more based on their lack of knowledge, rather than a full understanding of what might actually be going on.

Music Therapist Gabby Ritter-Cantesanu recently shared this story on a community list-serve for music therapists. Someone had posted a comment on another list, describing how they thought a music therapist wasn’t doing the best job because of lack of rapport-building with the clients. What that person ‘saw’ or ‘heard’ was likely limited to their personal level of training, experience, and orientation. Did they understand why that therapist was doing what they were doing? Or were they not seeing (or hearing) subtle, yet crucial, cues that would have given them a deeper understanding and appreciation with regard to the session? One analogy would be the person who is viewing a painting by Picasso and saying, “Look how disorganized this is. He obviously couldn’t draw very well. I know lots of people who can draw better than that.”

The following is most of Gabby’s post, used with permission. It tells the story of two therapists who come to realize that we all need to better understand the challenges and solutions that exist within our various professions.

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The question “Is the observer of the MT session not seeing what the MT is doing?” hits home. And I’d like to say, this is a VERY COMMON occurrence for me. And no, in my experience they are NOT “seeing” (or hearing) what the MT is doing.

Due to the nature of my position, I do not have a lot of chatting time as I’m flying into a school, providing service and then running out to get to my next school.

I overheard our art therapist say: “I wish I could be a music therapist and do the same thing every week”, after observing my session (I worked in her office) for three weeks in a row.

What she isn’t trained to observe, and was completely missing, was the nuances in the music. This particular student with autism cannot handle change, no matter how small, without having “melt downs” that include self abuse. She gets stuck in that routine of “sameness”. To help her move through this, I do several things musically each week. This student is very musical and notices small changes in key, rhythm, tonality, etc. Each week I change things musically with her, leaving many of the actual songs the same. So, we may work on Old McDonald for several weeks, but one week we’ll sing it in D major in the typically recorded version (steady (guitar) strumming pattern, etc.). The next week, I may keep it in D major but alter the music to finger picking during “EIEIO”, etc. The next week we may play it on ukulele. By helping her move musically through small changes, she has begun to accept changes more readily and where she used to cry if I did not play music (and sing lyrics) exactly the same week to week, now I’m able to take greater risks and alter lyrics, play in minor keys, etc. You should have heard our minor version of Old McDonald with bats, goblins, mummies, etc. on the farm. The classroom is also reporting that she is accepting more changes and is able to now fully participate in morning circle time. SUCCESS!

To the art therapist, I was just playing the same songs every week. And because my students has improved at accepting changes, she wasn’t completely shutting down so it wasn’t overtly obvious that she was doing something uncomfortable or difficult. Once I sat down and explained this to the art therapist, she understood and thanked me, but had she not made that very hurtful comment, I would have never known this was her interpretation of what MTs do.

I feel observations by outsiders, without discussion with the MT, should be taken with a grain of salt because in all reality, they are not trained to recognize musical behavior so our groups can appear to be “happy happy joy joy” as Annette points out.

Many OTs I work with express the same problem with their field. It looks like a lot of fun to swing in a swing several times a day, but it is actually a student’s sensory diet requirement so that they can function within the classroom.

These misunderstandings can lead to great discussions and further understanding but they can lead to feeling like you’re undervalued/not valued and burnout. Peer supervision has been a wonderful experience for me, where I can freely vent these misunderstandings and get some validation and feedback on how to address them and move forward.

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Does this type of thing happen in your work?
Leave your comments below.

Music Therapy Advocacy

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January is Music Therapy advocacy month and many MT’s are blogging about the many ways that you can help spread the word about this unique profession. One of the main goals of advocacy is to increase the availability of music therapy services for those in need. As the national organizations (The American Music Therapy Association, AMTA and The Certification Board for Music Therapists, CBMT) work on the national and state levels, tasks forces and individuals work on state and local levels.

Creating Advocacy Opportunities

As music therapists (and those who are supporters of music therapy) we often end up having to define it for those who are unfamiliar with it. We do this through our websites, books, publications and in-person conversations. I see each of these methods as equally important in reaching the overall goal of increasing the availability of music therapy services.

Speaking to Groups

I was recently presenting several sessions at a national music education conference in Australia. Knowing that music therapy is an emerging profession in Australia and having been asked several times about music therapy by conference attendees, I approached the conference director with the idea of giving a short talk about music therapy during one of the lunch breaks. She happily announced the talk during the morning meeting and I ended up with close to 40 people. I was able to provide an overview of Music Therapy services (including the educational and certification process) and answer questions. As a result of my small request and talk, there are at least 40 people who have a greater understanding of and support for music therapy.

Speaking to Individuals

I was admiring a booth of ukuleles at a national music industry conference when I met a fellow ukulele player. As we talked, I discovered that she creates musical experiences for underserved children and adults–both locally and internationally. When she found out that I am a music therapist, she started asking all kinds of questions. Given her current work, it’s no surprise. We both related to those ‘magical moments’ and transformative experiences that come about through music and quickly shared our stories with each other. She is a natural for music therapy; musical, friendly, excited about helping people, and passionate. As a result of our conversation, she now knows about some options for her as well as about the profession in general. I imagine that she will help others know more about music therapy, whether or not she pursues it as a career.

Speaking Up!

Something that I’m learning is that almost everyone wants to know more about music therapy. I’m also getting better at creating opportunities to do just that. We can wait for someone to give us the chance to talk about music therapy–or we can create opportunities by volunteering our time, asking people about their professions and relating them to MT, and simply telling people around us about what we do. Never underestimate the power of the individual to impact a movement. This means you! All you have to do is ask.

A Few Tips

As we talk about music therapy, to groups or individuals, we can all use some simple and effective ways to help people understand what it is (and what it isn’t). Here are some phrases that I often use to do just that. I hope you find them useful!

  1. “Music Therapy is done with someone, not to someone.” (It’s more than just music or ‘sound.’ It’s a relationship. The client plays an active role in the experience and in reaching his/her goals.)
  2. “Music Therapists share goals with physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and psycho therapists, but we reach those goals through music-based experiences.” (This helps connect MT with professions that are likely to be familiar to most people and it explains why MT is unique.)
  3. “Music Therapists design, improvise and deliver all kinds of music-based experiences to help their clients. What we do depends on our clients’ needs.” (Helps people understand that we are therapists who work dynamically with our clients, like other therapists. Music Therapy is not a type of experience, it’s a profession. People sometimes ask “What does a music therapist do during a session?” and I sometimes answer with the question “What does a doctor do during a session?” Answer: What is needed according to the needs of the client. A music therapist offers lots of options, like a medical doctor. )
  4. “Music Therapy is to music entertainment (or recreational music making) what Physical Therapy is to having a massage. (Helps people understand the difference between various types of experience, i.e., therapy vs. recreation)

I always like to hear from you. Please leave your comments below and remember to speak up for music therapy!


Techniques of Empathy

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Empathy has been described as the ability to imagine yourself in someone else’s position, to walk in their shoes, and to imagine what it might be like to be them, to feel what they feel. In his book, A Whole New Mind, author Daniel Pink makes the case that the ability to empathize is not only a skill that helps us comfort those in distress, create stronger business relationships, build-self esteem, and allows a parent bond with their child, he sees it among other much needed ‘high-concept – high-touch’ aptitudes that are essential for professional success and personal fulfillment (Pink, 2006). Because emotions are expressed non-verbally, often through making sounds, moving, and experiencing changes in our vital signs, the medium of music making, with vocal expression, movement, and connection to such vital functions as breathing, makes it a powerful tool for the empathetic process to take place.

Matching

Definition: Playing that corresponds to, and is harmonious with, the music.

Description

Matching includes using a similar degree of rhythmic complexity, dynamic intensity, and melodic and harmonic structure as the music you hear. Matching does not need to imitate or echo the music, only ‘fit’ with it. Matching is what we do most commonly during a jam session, playing your own part, but relating it to what you hear. Another term that one could use to describe this technique is “complementing,” also sometimes referred to in musician circles as comping.

Beyond the Music

Friends, partners and peers all match. People who form groups and organizations do so because they have matching interests or traits they share with others. Salespeople use matching techniques, such as mimicking vocal tone, language, and body posture to make connections with potential customers. The next time you’re talking to someone face-to-face, deepen interpersonal connections by matching their general timbre, dynamics, and rhythm.

Experience: Matching

Player 1 initiates musical play. Player 2 listens, then matches the musical qualities, including volume, timbre, rhythmic density and structure (pulse, meter, accents, etc.), tonality, melodic contour, harmonic structuring, etc.

Just for fun: Perform as described above; however, focus on matching only one category (i.e., rhythm) while allowing other aspects of the music to be differentiated.

Mirroring, Synchronizing, Shadowing, Doubling

Definition: Producing a detailed reproduction of the music as it is being played.

Description

This technique is widely differentiated with regards to its name. In the book, Defining Music Therapy (Bruscia 1987), the author defines the act of “synchronizing” as ‘doing what the client is doing at the same time;’ however this can include various levels of synchrony, from all musical elements to just one, such as rhythm. It may also include “cross-modal synchrony” whereby the music of one player is expressed as movement in another, used to support, stabilize or strengthen another’s response. Wigram (2004) uses “mirroring” to include both the music and body language (behavior). The Music for People term is “shadowing,” which is also a common term used in movement activities where someone stands behind someone else and copies their movements, like a shadow. In the world of music arranging, parts that are the same are often called ‘doubled.’ The person using this technique must be ready to anticipate the movements of his partner through visual cues and using his musical intuition. This technique holds strong potential as a tool for creating empathy; however, care is to be taken so as not to appear as if you are mimicking or mocking your partner. Your training and experience will guide you in this regard. Mirroring is an empathetic technique that shows a great degree of synchronicity between players. It is also the foundation for other techniques, such as supporting, amplifying and matching.

Beyond the Music
Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes means experiencing the world the way they do, seeing what they see, hearing what they hear, feeling what they feel. When we job-shadow someone, we get to see what their life is like, the ‘good’ and ‘bad.’ Companies have people job shadow to train people on their way up, but they also have the ‘higher-ups’ work along side their employees to get a feeling for what it’s like to be them – to gain an empathetic understanding. When we move like someone else, we discover ‘how’ they move, which helps us appreciate how they might experience the world. Psychotherapist and workshop leader, Carolyn Braddock, has her clients move like (mirror) important people in their lives as part of a therapeutic process, to get in touch with and bring out thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

Experience: Mirroring

Unimodal: Player 1 initiates music, playing either slowly or with repetition. Player 2 makes his best effort to play exactly what player A plays as he plays it, matching the rhythm, pitch, timbre and dynamics. If this poses a great challenge, reduce the number of elements you are mirroring.

Crossmodal: Player 1 initiates instrumental music and player 2 synchronizes with it using a different modality, such as through speech or movement.

As the number of musical elements to be mirrored increases, this technique becomes more challenging. Dynamics, timbre, and rhythm are generally much easier to manage than melody and harmony. For this reason, you may wish to begin with one player on or both players using un-pitched instruments, such as most percussion instruments.

Tagging

Definition: Mirroring a portion of the music.

Description

This technique involves momentarily synchronizing (mirroring) with the music you are noticing. It can be thought of as a partial mirroring. While mirroring fuses the music of two or more players, tagging joins them for brief moments at a time. This technique can have an empathetic effect that is similar to that of mirroring. It is not as intense as mirroring and the player has the option of tagging several players in a group, mirroring part of the music played by three different players, for example. Tagging lets someone know that you are hearing them because you are periodically aligning with their music.

Beyond the Music
A group of people who are traveling together represents multiple individuals, even though at times they may be engaged in the same activity. At other times, each individual might be engaged in a somewhat separate activity, such as when a group of tourists leave their bus to explore the local terrain. During this time, it sometimes helps to maintain a sense of connectedness to join different individuals at different times, checking in to let them know you’re there and circulating throughout the group. This type of momentary synchronization allows you to connect with others while still having an individualized experience.

Experience: Tagging

During partner or group play, listen for musical features such as trends and repeating elements. Join with a particular trend or rhythm for a moment, then move to something differentiated. A simple way to do this is to find a rhythmic ostinato, then play only a portion, such as the last two or three. As you tag a pattern, you also amplify it, thereby changing its effect.

Imitating, Echoing, Copying

Definition: Playing the same thing as someone else, after they play it.

 

Description

In the definition provided by Bruscia (1987), he describes this technique as echoing what someone plays. I prefer the term ‘echoing’ because it clarifies that you are playing after someone else and it is a common term used in music education, i.e., “Won’t you be my echo please?” Some may also use the term ‘copying.’ Echoing can happen within a rhythmic framework (phrases that are separated by a set number of beats) or it could be more free-form.

Beyond the Music

When we repeat what we hear, we are affirming the message. We are showing that we were listening. As we converse, we might repeat key terms and phrases that were spoken by our partner to show that we have heard them. Echoing is one of the primary ways we learn, often repeating things before we have any idea what they mean. When we are echoed, we might feel validated and honored. When done with the right intentions, imitation really is the highest form of flattery.

Experience: Imitating

Player 1 initiates a short phrase. Player 2 imitates it, making an effort to reproduce the music as accurately as possible. Begin with rhythm instruments, then move to simple melodies (2-3 notes), then to more complex melodies. It may be helpful to use musical givens, such as limiting to a few notes, playing stepwise melodies and/or imposing other constraints. As you become better at imitating, lift some of the filters to push out the edges of you musicality.

Quoting

Definition: Incorporating previously played material, in whole or part.

Description

Quoting is a kind of musical recycling, where bits of your partner’s music (or you own) appear in yours at a later time. These often take the form of melodic ideas, but they might also include specific rhythms, breaks, or expressive elements. In certain idioms, such as Jazz, it is not uncommon for an artist to ‘quote’ the melody of another tune during an improvisation.

 

Beyond the Music

Like imitation, quoting is a way of honoring someone else. Consider all the quotes in this book, many of them by people who have passed on, and yet their words live on through this text. How would you feel if someone used your words decades or even centuries after you spoke them? When we quote someone, we are saying “I think what you said was incredible! I’m glad to know you!”

Experience: Quoting

Play music with your partner, occasionally quoting something they previously played. A quote may become an ostinato for brief periods. This technique is useful for creating a sense of continuity because musical material is being repeated and recycled. It is also supports empathy because it shows that one player has listened to and remembers what the other player has expressed.

Vignette #1

Identify  the name of the technique associated with the each number.

Brian began experimenting on the woodblock. His rhythms were erratic without any specific patterns or cycles. Charles started playing the shaker in a similar way, experimenting without establishing any specific patterns or structure [1]. Andrea entered on a frame drum, playing what sounded like a rhythmic pattern. Cindy then entered on the cowbell, playing a simple beat under Andrea’s pattern [2]. Brian changed his playing to align with both Andrea and Cindy, playing a pattern that complemented theirs [3]. Brian began playing four-beat phrases, separated by four beats of rest. During the time that Brian was not playing, Charles would repeat whatever Brian had just played [4]. Brian eventually established a repeating four-beat pattern and Andrea mirrored pieces of it [5]. Cindy stopped playing her steady pattern and started playing like Brian did when he began, rather erratic [6]. Eventually everyone abandoned their rhythmic patterns and joined Cindy, playing rhythmic flourishes and eventually ending the same way they had begun [7].

This post is based on a portion from Kalani’s book, The Way Of Music – Creating Sound Connections in Music Therapy. (Sarsen Publishing)

The way of Music
The Way of Music

 

Play and Teach the Ukulele

World Rhythms

World Drum Club