VocalUseinReceptiveMethods

SharonR.Boyle

ExamplesofVocalUseinReceptiveMethods

• Forclientswhomaynotbeabletoengagemusicallyinconventionalways.

• Singinglyricscomposedbyaclientwhomayhavesomechallengesingingthem.

• Singingaboutanemotionorotherexpressionbyaclientinthemoment.

Providinga“voice”

• Oftenusedinreceptivemethodsforrelaxationandstressreduction.

• Mayincludeliveorrecordedmusic.

Speakingnarrative/scriptsinrelationto

music

Providinga“Voice”Imagineworkingwithapatientwhoisnolongerabletoengageactivelyinconventionalwaysofplayingmusic.

•  Determinewhethersingingwillbeanimportantadditiontoareceptivemethod.Theclientmayneedtolistentoliveandsupportiveinstrumentalmusic,withoutvoice,toalleviateanxiousnessorpainsymptoms.Or,perhapstheclientbenefitsfromtheuseofasongwithvocals,providingasecureandsafespacefortheclient(Grocke&Wigram,2007).

•  Vocalswithoutlyrics(singing“ah”or“oo”onasimplemelodic

line)maybemorebeneficial,aswellashumming,tocalmapatientinthissituation.

Providinga“Voice”Inanothercontext,imagineanadultpatientonanoncologyunitwhoneedsawaytoexpressarangeoffeelings,butwhoisunabletosingbecauseofintensityoffeeling.

•  Howwouldyouspeakorsingtothepatient?Empathyissomethingoftendiscussedasimportantinmusictherapy(Bruscia,2014).Bybeingpresentandseekingtounderstandanotherperson’sexperience,musictherapistscanmusicallyresonatewithwhattheclientmaybeexperiencing.

•  Asthemusictherapist,youmusttobeabletonavigatetheintensityofthepatient’sfeelings,andtoexpressthisintensityinsong.Inthisparticularcase,youmaytrytovalidatethepatient’sexperienceinthatmomentbysingingwithasimilarenergyandaffect,expressingthegenuinecompassionandfeelingexperiencedaspartofthetherapeuticrelationship.

Providinga“Voice”Insomecases,thismatchingofmusicand/orvocaltonecanberelatedtospecificdemonstrationsofemotion.•  Foramoment,imagineyouareamusictherapistworkingwithayoung

child,abouttheageof8-years-old,andasyouaresinging“Howareyoufeelingtoday(name)”,thechildloudlyexclaims“MAD!”-Youcreateachantsuchas“(name)isfeelingMADtoday”,accentingthefeelingword“MAD”.Doingthiscanvalidatethechild’sfeelingandallowforasupportedexpressionoffeeling“mad.”

Speakingnarrative/scriptsOnemayalsousethevoicewithinmusic-assistedrelaxationexperiences.•  Inadditiontosinging,theabilitytospeakwithdifferent

tempos,accents,dynamics,andtoneisalsoaconsiderationinmusictherapysettings.Musictherapistsmaychoosetospeakoveraselectedpieceofrecordedmusicforthepurposesofguidingaclientthroughaprogressivemusclerelaxation(PMR)exercise.InPMR,aclientisaskedtotightenandreleasespecificmusclegroupswhilebeingsupportedwithliveorrecordedmusic.(Clair&Memmott,2008).

Speakingnarrative/scriptsOnemayalsousethevoicewithinmusic-assistedrelaxationexperiences.•  Beingabletospeakwithanappropriatevolumeandtoneover

themusic,withoutbeingdisruptive,takessomepractice.Themusictherapistneedstobeabletoreflectthe“tensionandrelease”aspectofthePMRdirectivesinthewaycuesarespokenorconveyedvocally.Forexample,amusictherapistcancreateslighttensioninthewaytheword“tighten”isspokenbyclenchingthejawabitandspeakingthewordwithamorecompressedandbrightervowel,andthenrelaxthevoicewhensaying“andrelease”bybreathingoutwhilespeaking,andrelaxingthejawinawaythatencouragestheclienttobetterrespondtothedirectives.

Inadifferentsituation,amusictherapistmaybeplayingliveinstrumentalmusicandspeakingoverit,guidingaclientthroughadifferentrelaxationexperience.•  Itisessentialtopracticetheinstrumentalmusic/

accompanimentsothatitissecondnaturebeforeaddingavocalelement.Then,addthevocalaspectoverthetopoftheinstrumentalmusic.Inadditiontospeakingphrasesinasupportivemanner,itisimportanttobeabletobalancethevolumeandtheuseofone’svoicewiththeaccompanyinginstrument,assuringtheclientcanadequatelyhear.

Speakingnarrative/scripts

Inadifferentsituation,amusictherapistmaybeplayingliveinstrumentalmusicandspeakingoverit,guidingaclientthroughadifferentrelaxationexperience.•  Themusicdoesnotjustprovide“background”inthiscase;itisa

centralcomponenttotherelaxationdirectivesbecausethemusicisprovidingthesupportivespacetoencouragetheclientresponse.Theroleofbreath,then,isalsoakeyaspectofthistypeofexperience.Byaudiblyinhalingandexhalingwhilefacilitating,theclientmayrespondinkind.Thequalityandphrasingofthechosenmusicshouldbematchedvocally,keepinginmindspacesinthemusic.Itmaybeimportanttospeakoversilenceorspaceinthemusictokeepaclientfocusedonthetherapist’svoice.

•  Trypracticingthesetypesofexperienceswithothermusictherapy

studentsorclosefriends,whocanprovidefeedbackonwhatworkedordidn’tworkforthem.

Speakingnarrative/scripts

ConclusionImportantaspectstorememberwhenusingvoiceinreceptivemethodsisthatthemusictherapistmustmakemanyclinicalandaestheticchoices(Schwartz,Boyle,&Engen,2018)thatmayinclude:

•  Whethertousethevoicealoneortoaddaccompaniment•  Consideringthebalanceofone’svocalvolumewithotherinstruments/

sounds,spaceofroom,andclient’senergyandneeds•  Theuseofvoicecanprovidepowerfulemotionalsupportforaclientin

receptiveexperiences•  Alwaysconsiderspeakingvoiceinadditiontosingingvoiceintermsof

accents/inflections,dynamicshifts,energylevel,rhythm,phrasing/contour

•  Providewarmth,support,andempathyasneededthroughthequalityofyourvoiceinallsettings!

ReferencesClair,A.A.&Memmott,J.(2008).Therapeuticusesofmusicwitholderadults,2ndedition.SilverSpring:AmericanMusicTherapyAssociation.

Grocke,D.&Wigram,T.(2007).Receptivemethodsinmusictherapy:Techniquesandclinicalapplicationsformusictherapyclinicians,educators,andstudents.London:JessicaKingsley.

Schwartz,E.,Boyle,S.R.,&Engen,R.(2018).Functionalvoiceskillsformusictherapists.NewBraunfels,TX:Barcelona.