Ahhh… the sigh of relief. Musical Bridges Music Therapy is ready to blossom and grow. Since this is my first entry on this site, I have decided to share with you a few of my own insights on why music therapy is effective.
Think about a day with no music. No music for 24 hours. This means no iPods, no television, no radio, no humming, no birds, no rhythms… no music AT ALL. My imagination doesn’t get too far with that assignment, and what I am imagining does not sound that exciting.
Music is everywhere and it’s undeniable that it has an effect on us. Ever find yourself tapping your toes to the music in the background at the grocery store? Humming when you’re nervous or scared? Hearing that one song that can bring you to tears? A song comes on the radio and you instantly think to yourself, “man, that takes me back”… the point is that music effects us physiologically, emotionally and can affect us even when we aren’t necessarily consciously aware of it!
It was a long path before I found music therapy and what it could not only do for others, but for myself as well. I began my musical career long ago in middle school band, deciding to play the flute. Funniest thing is that when I first began to play, I could not make a sound on the instrument to save my life. This continued for nearly 6 months until one day I finally made a sound. At this moment the world of musical possibilities opened up. Many people would have quit or picked up a new instrument, but in a way, the motivation to redeem myself was enough to keep going. It was knowing that eventually I would make a sound, and I would be able to make music on the instrument, that kept up my persistence.
Though I experienced that motivation many years ago, I see this principle working in music therapy sessions every day. Music is rewarding. Music is fun. Music is motivating. Rewarding, Fun and Motivating are three words that I constantly use to explain Music Therapy. The reasons why music simply works.
I encourage everyone to take a moment to think of how music in your life fits into these three categories…
- How is music rewarding to me?
- How does music help me to have fun?
- How does music motivate me?
Now that we have covered the basics (Fun, Motivation and Reward) I encourage you to be aware of the effect music has on you in certain situations. Figure out how you can use your own music to help yourself!
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