Experience of Music Therapy in Boise, Idaho

I love being a music therapist. I have been able to see some amazing things. It really is true what the tagline to my company says, "music makes connections when nothing else can." Yesterday while working with someone that idea really came home.

I was working with an individual who has limited speech. By working with her, I have got her to sing quite a bit with me. Although she sings, it is very difficult to get her to play any instruments. That is kind of an unusual thing with people I work with. I try almost every session to get her to play some instrument and most sessions she will shake a tambourine maybe once or twice. She is progressively doing more, and we had a breakthrough yesterday.

I brought a djembe, an African drum, with me. I've brought it before and she has showed some interest so I was hoping she would engage more than other sessions. It took a little bit of encouragement, but she began to play a little bit. I would play and then she would take a turn. After a few turns, I did a rhythmic pattern and to my surprise she then did the same rhythmic pattern. My eyes grew wide and she gave me a big smile. I started playing more complex rhythms and she would do them all the way to two measure rhythms. She began laughing at the end and I was so happy to make that connection.

It was a small experience, but it was so exciting to be able to connect in a different way with the client.