Tag: CONNECTION

C O N F I D E N T

Posted on by Escape Global

You know when they say you never understand the value of what you have or what you do until you are in the very place it is needed.

The Hospital is one of the places I enjoy being and this past week I had the privilege of meeting patients again. I entered the hospital in a very nervous state because it was my first time of doing music fully this year in the actual hospital. I like always wondered if this would make sense to the patients, if I won’t get that look of ‘You are wasting your time’. Well I was right, I had those stares of what are you coming to do with musical instruments but it really didn’t matter ‘cos I was prepared for it.

This was me at the Hospital last week

I walked into the Paediatric ward of the Hospital, I scanned through the ward and saw two patients, two parents and a hospital nurse, then there was this joy and nervousness that welled up in my heart immediately I saw them because I knew I would spend quality time with them and have effective results.

My music administration started with a girl in Junior Secondary School who had an accident that almost cost her an arm. From first contact I could tell she was timid, had successfully walked transited the pain of being in the hospital and had found such contentment in solitude since the ward was almost empty.

In my conversation with her, I found out she had been in the condition since the previous festive season, she had missed classes and bills were constantly pumped in just to see that she gets well.

I figured out also that her confidence had been crushed even though she tried to hide it with an innocent smile on her face, so I said to her “Do you know you are beautiful?” and I got that smile again, this time nodding as though she wasn’t sure of it. So I said You sound like you have a good singing voice, are you in your school choir? She replied Yes and I asked her to sing me a song and there we were singing together, this made her loosen up a bit to get her groove after a long while of solitude and what I call loneliness.

We moved and I said “What Kind of musical instrument do you like?” She said “I like this one with you” (referring to my guitar), she added that she’d love if I give it to her. Fam I made her a promise to get her one. Smiles!

Now I knew the atmosphere had lightened up and it was time to do music that restores confidence, so I picked up my guitar and as you might know I love spontaneous songs. I had these short three-line lyrics;

You are beautiful,

You are Special!

You are Light!

That was it fam, the effect of this music on her was palpable that the parent of the next patient had to do a video recording of the session, he asked me to do it again and this time around I was intentional about this girl of mine singing it, this girl was so confident that we went on to exchange contacts. One minute the air was gloomy and she was timid, the next minute she had brightened up and was extra confident.

Fulfillment is an understatement for what I felt, I live for these moments and I love that I live for these moments!

This is the #DIARYOFANASPIRINGMUSICTHERAPIST Episode 1

Kindly drop your questions and feedback. It is always a Joy reading from You!

The Music Miracle: General or Specific Music?

Posted on by Escape Global

More often I get the question “What Kind of Music is administered to Patients in the Hospital?” This question comes especially from people who have difficulty believing that Music can restore a person back to his or her original state and even much better.

I have personally worked with patients who were choosy in the kind of music that should be administered to them, this happened in my days as an undergraduate of Music while writing my final year project.

One of the patients who I tried administering Music to as a form of Therapy was an Igbo girl who suffered Isolation and made it a habit to always talk to herself, she had poor relational skills, she also had tendency of moping.

As always I was seated a particular office in the Hospital, while waiting for an outpatient who would be kind enough to allow me carry out the practical side of my project.

This particular girl walked in at this time and in my excited state I welcomed her into the clinic. I conversed with her mother present in the office and she obliged to my offer, I got to know the genesis of the ailment and the length of time she had been battling with this.

From conversation I noticed this girl was so in love with Igbo Music that was Christian and so I sang quite a number of it with her, she sang a number that I myself did not know which made it more interesting as I did my best to catch up with the song lyrics.

I tried singing the songs and styles she wasn’t familiar with and in a space of seconds I could literally pick the turn off, her focus was off what I was singing. I tried again and again but I lost her attention because I wasn’t singing what she was familiar with.

I came to a conclusion, that the uniqueness of every human being is so important so is also what we love, she was able to flow because I sang songs that took her to the core of her real self, where she is from and who she is.

I learnt from this experience that it is expedient to know who a patient is by connecting deeply with them and not to be in a hurry to sing what I know off my heart.

I also learnt that It is important that we understand that a person or rather a patient is influenced by either the music of culture or environment or personal interest. They are likely to respond to one of these in ways that will blow your mind. One of the things that happen in Music Therapy is that Music is never forced on anyone, there is a freedom of choice because we must achieve the goal of connection and ultimately, wellness.

Can they sing other styles aside the ones they enjoy? Yes very well but it might take time based on patients personality to bring them to that point. It is usually a gradual process and as I always love to let lots of persons know, the administration of Music Therapy has a procedure but then it is so dynamic in nature. You might sometimes have to bend to make the patient satisfied.

I hope you learnt one or two things from my experience with my Igbo Patient as an undergraduate.

Let me know what you think in the comment section.

I love reading from you!

Lots of Love!