Derrington 2012 thesis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

as theirs, or we can be a part of their release but not identify the feelings as
our own’ (Bruscia, 1998a, p.62).
Receptive music therapy is a well-documented model (Grocke and Wigram, 2007)
which prioritises active listening to music rather than creating it. Listening is about
‘the ability to open oneself up to musical experience’ (Copland, 1980, p.8). This is
particularly relevant to teenagers who need to share their musical taste, talk about it
and experience listening without being overly guarded or pressurised by their peer
group. A student’s song choices are often significant.
All students, whatever their background and whichever school they attend, will know
about music and have an opinion on it. Music will hold memories regardless of
whether it has played a large or small part in their lives. I am often struck by how
many nursery rhymes or children’s songs occur in sessions and early memories this
can provoke. Odell-Miller (1995) describes using music as a kind of reminiscence
therapy with elderly patients who make emotional links to music. This reiterates why
the role of pre-composed and pre-recorded music is so valuable. As Sloboda and
O’Neill (2001) make clear, there is more to the use of recorded music in the therapy
context than simply influencing mood.
Many students who are referred to music therapy have little interaction with other
people at home and do not live in a stimulating environment. They often spend their
time listening to music or watching music channels on television. By bringing their
own choice of music they make a link between home and music therapy and often
with it, offer a snapshot of their life outside school. Listening to their music together
is a shared activity and, having someone to talk to about their enjoyment of music and
what it means to them, might be a new experience. Students show that this is
meaningful to them because they often come equipped with music in anticipation of
their session.
4.4.2.1 Playing and singing along to pre-recorded music (DVD clips 7 and 8)
Students usually describe their experiences of music in a positive way: it is often
appreciated as something which can help lift their mood or calm down and relax.
! )'!