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

a musical input. (SLIDE 4). 'I'here was inevitable overlap
between the areas and as the project developed the
session format evolved into distinct periods of speech
and language therapy, of music theraspy and of a
combination of speech/language therapy techniques
and goals presented musically. One major finding was
the importance for each person to become aware of
and monitor their I ' D - their rate of functioning, their
physical limitations, their speech difficulties. The social,
mutually-supportive music-making enabled this
monitoring process with some ease. At the same time,
we became aware of the emotional effect of PD upon
the person and of the deeper level of music's potential
to reach this.
ln 1988 two music therapists (8) and an art therapist (9)
took part in a two-week project set in a residential
'holiday home' setting. The overall aim was to offer the
two arts therapies and for the eight people taking part to
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explore the media as they wished in individual and
group sessions. ( SLIDE 5 ) This was a difficult, intense
project which proved to be exhausting for all involved
without doubt, the clients made self-expresive use of
the media and all verbalised this experience as
beneficial to a greater or lesser extent. However, the
stresses of the strange situation everything was
"unknown" - combined with a prevailing 'holiday'
atmosphere had a strong influence.
Inspired by the eight people who bravely look part in the
second Skylarks venture, by the work of my colleagues
and by my own experiences, later that same year I set
up a three-month project with three people with PD in
Belfast. In discussion with Jennie Selman, who had
written about intensive work with one man with PD (10),
it was clear to both of us that music affected the person
instantly in a measurabale physical way. More
significantly, it was the intensity of the music expressed