"When we sing or play instruments, we are called upon to connect our ears with our minds, our eyes with our hands, our thoughts with our feelings, unconscious fantasies with our conscious intentions, our beliefs with our actions, our inner worlds with the outer world, and ourselves to others."

(K.E. Bruscia, 1998)

Cheryl Mow

"Music Therapy, a career?" That is the response I get when talking to most people I know. Nothing much has been said or done about Music Therapy, in a rapidly developing country like Malaysia. I have always wanted to use music as a tool to help people as music to me is "power".

Upon graduating from ICOM, I was working part time as a music arranger and taught English to children with special needs. After one year of working in the commercial line, I felt that it was time for me to pursue a career that I had in mind for a long time. So, here I am in University of Queensland, Australia, taking a Master of Music Therapy. Apart from the usual classes, I am currently doing my practical observation with an aged care.

It has been an eye-opening experience! I have never thought that working with the elderly can be so rewarding. I had in mind doing music therapy with children all along. However, my perception has changed and it is my pleasure to share with you some of my experiences.

Music therapy sessions take place every week at the aged care that I am with. We conduct one on one sessions to selected residence as well as group sessions. Most of the clients suffer from dementia, stroke or had brain injury. What happens during one on one session is that the Music Therapist will initiate conversation with the client and start singing songs that are familiar to the client. Then, the therapist will engage in reminiscence with the client through the songs as this helps the client recall memories, express their feelings and encourages interaction. The client is encouraged to sing along during sessions, and I was surprised to hear a 92 year old sing in pitch for the first time!

During group sessions, we start off with a "hello song" which helps them remember the names of all the people present at the session. There are about 10 people per group. Different percussion instruments are sometimes handed out to them to choose and play along as they sing. This helps them in their motor skills. Clients with stroke are often asked to use the arm that they are weak with. At certain point, questions related to the song will be asked by the music therapist and it serves as a platform for interaction.

I had the opportunity to observe a music therapy session with a client in palliative care as well. The atmosphere was different, but seeing that a person was still able to respond by taping her hand and moving her lips to songs just brought joy to the family members who were also present. In this case, music was used as a way to communicate and share with a person, engaging her in a meaningful time with her family members at her death bed.

Well, this is just the tip of the ice-berg of what is in store for me as a Music Therapist. I am looking forward to my other practical sessions with children, adolescents, adults, cancer patients, patients with traumatic brain injury, refugees, people with depression, the disabled…..there are just so many things music can do for people, and everyday is a different encounter!