Derrington 2012 thesis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

asked if he could take one of the whistles home for the holiday. He promised
to look after it and I knew it was important that he should take it. Winnicott
(1971) identified such a physical object as a transitional object. It was an
object reminder that music therapy would continue, that he was held in mind
and that school was a familiar and supportive place to return to.
After the holidays our improvisations continued in the same way but now,
having survived a break, seemed more meaningful and communicative. Billy
had a greater trust in the therapeutic relationship which had been formed
through shared music-making. He knew that he was expressing himself in a
way that felt listened to and understood and that it was safe to do so, as the
process was ongoing, consistent and reliable.
3.4 The music therapy garage
This section describes the setting up of music therapy at a mainstream secondary
school which could provide a useful model for others. When I began at the school I
was offered two possible places to work, either a small room off the main area of the
Learning Support Unit or a slightly damp garage which was full of bikes. I thought
the garage was ideal. It was a separate building away from other classrooms but still
very close to the school. It had been converted into a bike workshop so it had heating,
power and windows. It was spacious and there was a graffiti logo across one wall
claiming ‘Wheel Fix It!’ I began with just a few percussion instruments but soon
afterwards bought a drum kit and digital piano which helped to set aside one corner of
the room for music therapy.
Within a few months, the school had increased my employment from half a day to
two days a week. I continued to collect instruments by finding bargains on ‘ebay’ and
responding to adverts for instruments which were being given away. I also managed
to retrieve various items which the school was throwing away. With the gradual
accrual of resources, including a piano, guitars, congas and a violin, cupboards, a
table and chairs, I was gently able to extend the boundaries of the music therapy
corner using old exhibition boards to mark out the music space from bike repairs. The
instructor who supervised the bike repairs was a keen drummer and understood the
! '$!