Derrington 2012 thesis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

Gerald in the story, the most remarkable change occurred. Jacob came over to
the piano where I was, stood in front of me facing the piano and continued to
read and sway as he read the words in time to the music. The two were
connected and the story held this time of change and stillness.
The story had introduced a different way of being in music therapy and, whilst
sessions continued to be loud and chaotic at times, they could also contain
periods which were quieter and unruffled. Jacob used the tale of the giraffe,
who felt different to the other animals in the jungle, to start to address his own
feelings. The story helped him to stop rushing around, stay with himself and
consider his own feelings of being different and not accepted. This occurred in
his own time when he was ready to do this. A few months later Jacob chose to
make up his own song and he asked if we could write it up like a story and do
all the pictures. He no longer needed to identify with Gerald, but had his own
story to tell.
4.5 Dealing with resistance
Students with very low self-esteem might resist at first because the environment is
unknown. I show students that there is no pressure and spend time showing them the
room, chatting and playing some instruments in an introductory and cajoling way.
Fervent resistance one day can equally be replaced with a sudden demand for a
session at another time. Such evidence of control needs to be addressed and is usually
best managed within a session where the timings for our next meeting and the
guidelines of attending session can be set.
In the classroom setting students are used to sanctions and being marked for
attendance, behaviour and cooperation. The teachers are authority figures and
students often rebel and confront them, which can result in disruptive behaviour. At
The Centre School there is a point scoring system used at three stages of each lesson
marking the student’s attitude and behaviour. At the end of each term, these points
convert to rewards as a way of enforcing good behaviour. Restricting students’
activities is a negative response and is used as well but, for some of these students
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