Music Therapy Today - World Federation of Music Therapy

Pecoraro Esperson, P. (2006) The pleasure of being “differently able”: Integration through music therapy in primary
schools. Music Therapy Today (Online) Vol.VII (2) 413-429. available at http://musictherapyworld.net
In these years, the value given to the process of integration has changed
the focus from the single individual bearing a handicap, to all the
diversely able individuals present in a group. Each child is integrated and
takes part in the process of integration of the group contributing with his/
her experience and culture. Every single difference is a source of stimula-
tion and proposal, reflection and discovery of one’s identity.
Integrating diversity in a group signifies, from and educational strategy
point of view, planning a “background” in which this diversity is not
emphasized, but to the contrary obtains greater value. The actions of the
individual should never be out of context, for this reason in different con-
texts reality does not have the same meaning. The background in which
we move conditions our perception and our thinking modes, changing the
background changes the meaning of the situation in which we live.
Changing the Background changes the meaning of the situation in
which we are living. In other words the relationship between “figure/
subject” and “background/reality”.
“The radical and sudden change of background puts personal
integration into difficulty, values and abilities, which made existence
possible and gave it a meaning, become therefore unusable
…A fundamental educational problem will consist in a programme
which aims at structuring a context which favours processes
of integration, that is, of one so desires, the perception of
oneself as an integrated personality, in constructive relationship
with reality and the others.” (Zanelli, 1986).
Music therapy labs for integration have always held as the prime objec-
tive the establishment of “integrative backgrounds”. This background
encourages the structuring of integrative contexts, it therefore facilitates
the development of the child creating an “environmental container” even
from an emotional point of view. The “emotional container” helps the
construction of a motivational relational context, which allows the child
Integrative Music Therapy 416