Derrington 2012 thesis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

All the instruments are of good quality and therefore do not tend to break easily. It is
important ‘not to limit the individual’s expression by instruments which can be
broken or blown to pieces’ (De Backer, 1993, p.37). The room is full of equipment
but roughly speaking everything has a place and I try to reset it at the start of every
session.
There is a range of CDs and playlists on computer, including rap, Hip Hop, dance,
rock, pop, grime, garage and R n B music. The video camera is always out on a tripod
and ready to be used as the students choose. Each student has their own digital tape
and any filming is transferred onto computer, edited and burned to disc. Other
technical equipment includes a DVD player and a laptop. I have used a computer and
DJ equipment in the past but found that the student’s intense focus on these distracted
from the impact that therapy could have with interpersonal and lively engaging
exchanges. I continue to use a laptop for recording and mixing, otherwise the work is
interactive, face-to-face and usually relies on live music-making.
Preparation before a session is important. It is necessary that the equipment is ready
to be used, for example, that everything is switched on, the drum sticks are on the
drum-kits and the guitars are tuned. With teenagers, music comes about because
instruments are left out so the layout of the room is important and makes a difference.
There is a bass xylophone, acoustic guitar, cajon drum and glockenspiel alongside the
comfy chairs. I have found that students who prefer to talk or who are reluctant to
play instruments tend to fiddle as they talk and create accompaniment which allows a
natural progression from talking to playing. For students who start playing in this
way, I might arrange a different instrument by the chairs each week so that they try
new instruments and can become more experimental.
The windows do not face directly onto busy areas such as a playground but the garage
is adjacent to another one which stores the fishing equipment. Occasionally, sessions
can be disrupted by excitable students who are about to go out on their activity but it
is accepted that to keep a music therapy room uninterrupted in a school environment
is bound to be difficult at times. Finally, concerning safety, it is imperative that I
watch for aggressive cues and inappropriate behaviours so that the session is kept safe
both for me and the student. At times this may involve filming, audio recording or, in
a few cases, having to finish a session prematurely.
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