Proceedings, Oxford, UK (2002) - World Federation of Music Therapy

The time dedicated to improvisation is without doubt the must important
for intensity and duration. It allows the individual to express their own
feelings without the difficulties of using the spoken word.
It can be a creative-communicative moment for listening to each other
and there experience in the here and now. According to the type of
programme and to the way the music therapist verbally communicates
(using simple, clear and understandable sentences) various instruments
placed in the centre of the room will be used. Other instruments may be
added to these during the course of the following sessions.
The instruments used belong to the traditional group of Orff instruments:
xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels, bass bars, timpani of various
sizes, big drum, bongos, cymbals, bells, maracas, sticks, integrated with
folk instruments, ocean drum, guitar, celtic harp and the piano always
present in the room.
My experience of a number of years of work with blind or severely
visually impaired children has made me realise that the immediate
introduction of improvisation in the early session tends not to be effective
and fails to involve the participants.
Each individual requires their own time to become familiar with the
instruments and above all with the surrounding environment.
How is the musictherapy room set up? How big is it? Where are the
windows? Where is the piano? All these are questions that most of the
patients (those who are able to move and walk by themselves) can ask
themselves during the first exploration session.
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