Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy Video Portrait
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB_s0PB2nQs
The preceding video presents two patients Marissa and Joshua. It focuses mainly Joshua, who suffer from autism. The video tells the story of kids who were “in their own little world” as those with the condition of autism have a disconnect from normal reality. In the video the story is told how music therapy has given them a way to access other people, to reach out and communicate through musical language.
The instruments used are mainly piano and guitar and also drums. There are many scenes of Joshua interacting with his music therapists of enjoying himself. Though it is not shown in the video, Joshua’s mom informs the interviewer that through music therapy Joshua has learned to walk and do things like brush his teeth. Joshua’s mother said, “He’s not just a little boy sitting in his own little world with his own little thing. He gets into a world with other people know.” Autism is not a condition with a cure.
Music for the therapists is the way to access the children. It is a documented way to reach the unreachable who have autism. I wonder what the music therapists are doing in order to allow parents of these children to bring the treatment with them at home. Joshua’s mother mentioned the financial hardship of the music therapy, and as music is something that anyone can engage with, the ideal situation would be a therapist not just giving autistic children fish, but teaching them how to fish to use that metaphor. Though it could cause the parents to reduce or cease cessions, a therapist truly desiring to help would be open to such an option.
