23.7. 1993 Vitoria-Gasteiz / Spain - World Federation of Music Therapy

that he chose to create a shell of protection that would
ward him from everything and everyone. Inside this
shell, though, there was horror, anxiety and pain.
Now that this shell was beginning to open, with such
hesitation, ambivalence and fear, yet with courage, I felt
that I should be particularly soft and holding, inviting his
trust and strength as gently and inexhaustibly as I could.
On the tonality of F major or its related D minor, keys
that contained his natural sounds of D, E, F and B flat, I
would play soothing music in concordant harmonies,
while incorporating themes based on the motives of his
own vocalizations.
Then tonality and themes would reoccur, so that I could
function like his memory, so that he could experience a
continuity, a history of hearing memories between us.
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By the late summer and fall of '92, I was experiencing
the bond that Emilio was gradually creating with me and
the music therapy setting. In this, I believe that the
"bonding" music of those months, with its repeated
themes in F major - D minor, played a major part.
*************************
So by November '92, the reassurance of his existence
by stimulating his own face or body is not so necessary
any more nor are the self-inflicted injuries. The
quietness that Emilio brings into the sessions now has
another quality. lt is a quietness that finds its roots in the
security of a human relationship and that leaves him
free now to take pleasure in his hearing.
-- Video-excerpt from the session of 20 November '92