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.
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Lots of Love!
ESCAPE GLOBAL 