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Derrington 2012 thesis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

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letting them rule, can feel chaotic. It is a balancing act that can only work when the<br />

staff team and I work closely together.<br />

For a few students, music therapy can feel too intense and threatening and they<br />

choose not to attend. In such cases it is very important to keep the channels of<br />

communication open and offer them further sessions when it seems appropriate.<br />

Adapting to the needs of each teenager and taking them as they are at that time is the<br />

only way to connect as well as understanding that the work is not bound to the music<br />

therapy room, as illustrated in vignette 4.10.<br />

Vignette 4.10<br />

Matthew, 15, refused to attend music therapy after trying it a few times but at<br />

school greeted me loudly everyday with ‘G’morning, Shorty!’ This was<br />

usually accompanied by slapping me on the back, or leaning on my shoulder,<br />

followed by some comments about my height (or lack thereof)! He did not<br />

greet other members of staff in this way and it quickly became apparent that<br />

his gestures and our chats were a part of the therapeutic work: he just did not<br />

want to commit to it fully.<br />

His resistance to attending was made very clear to all the staff and he would<br />

shout over to me very loudly that he was not coming to music: “No-one’s<br />

gonna make me!” It became a humorous exchange on the mornings he was<br />

due to have music therapy. I always reminded him about his session but made<br />

sure that the humour and understanding was equal to his. This was the way I<br />

wanted to communicate with him and it enabled us to have a relationship.<br />

It was a consistent one and one that he trusted: he came to rely on this chat<br />

everyday and it sometimes developed into longer conversations about other<br />

things he was doing and how he felt about them. If a therapist hopes to relate<br />

to young people, it is absolutely necessary to chat and connect with them at<br />

the level that they are ready to engage. This is the same within a session when<br />

a student chooses not to use music: play and communication never stops.<br />

! "+&!

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