Up a whole step

We use music therapy to "fix" a problem. And as versatile as music therapy is, we can remedy most problems. Which means that as music therapists we have to be very critical thinkers. We must be experts at applying music in creative ways.

This video is an example of a musically creative way to get more people to take the stairs over the escalator. What are some therapeutic benefits of this? Well, I thought 1) we know taking the stairs is better for us because we move more and this is good for our health, and 2) people commuting past these stairs may be in a happier mood for the rest of the day because walking on a piano is unusual and, well... fun.



Can you think of more therapeutic benefits?

Interactive post: Black Swan (comment!)

In the previous post on advocacy, I mentioned the different hats we wear. I’m sure that many of you can relate that it is close to impossible to take off your therapist hat when not on the job. By this, I mean that we have rewired our brains to think analytically and therapeutically all the time. And never has this been more apparent to me than this past weekend.

I would love to know what you guys think of the new film, Black Swan. I went this past Monday with a group of friends to see the movie in theatres. I don’t want to spoil the movie for anyone with plans to see it, but I will say that Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) has a whole mix of issues. And while some will interpret the movie differently, I saw evidence of various mental health issues. And of course I thought to myself, how could music therapy help Nina?

The answer to this will differ depending on which music therapist you talk to. Really, there can’t be a wrong answer to this considering Nina is a fictional character in a movie that is made to raise eyebrows.

Nina was a girl in a crisis. First and foremost, I think she needed crisis intervention, as her life was spiraling out of control. But following this, I thought Nina might really benefit from both individual AND group therapy. One possible goal might be to improve self-esteem. If the group therapy included other members of the ballet, an added benefit would be improved group cohesion.

Considering the population and appropriate goals, what are some music therapy interventions you might use in this case?
Please leave a brief comment with your ideas!