...silence...

Wow. It's been far too long since I've posted, and I apologize for that. My life has been filled with family camps and day trips, so I haven't really had a chance to do this for a few weeks. Needless to say, I haven't been hearing a lot of silence lately. This will be the last topic in my little series of how I use music therapy for myself.

"What does silence have to do with music therapy?" you might ask. To be honest, I think it might be one of the most important things about music therapy. Have you ever talked with someone who never lets any space get into the conversation? Or been forced to listen to the radio for hours on end without any respite or change in programming? Or gotten home from a hard day at work or school and just wanted to sit and remember what it feels like to have quiet? If you've answered yes to any of these (and I believe most people will have said yes), then you know how relaxing and centering silence can be. Even in regards to music, silence can be important. Claude Debussy is quoted saying, "Music is the space between the notes." Even Miles Davis is credited for saying, "Don't play what's there, play what's not there."

Working in hospice, I think silence may be even more important. Regardless of cognitive functioning or aphasia that can be found in some clients, many of my clients seem to enjoy my visits because I leave space. Space to think. Space to reflect. Space to breathe. Space to be. Just be yourself without any extra noise cluttering up your mind, which we often do. Think you don't have too much clutter noise? Try turning off all gadgets you have around you right now, like your TV, computer speakers, radio, even the air conditioning. Try to just sit there and see how you feel. Think about what you did that day. Focus on your breathing. Notice all the extra sounds that living provides, like traffic noise. I know that every time I do this, I'm amazed at how noisy I let my life become.

I know there have been studies that have linked excess noise with stress. Stress has been linked to a plethora of different maladies. It makes sense, therefore, to make steps to reduce noise and increase silence in your life. As a music therapist, I need to be mindful of this. People often turn off their TVs when I get there, which many of them haven't done all day. As long as the TV is off, then, I can take some time to allow space within the music therapy session where there is no sound. Where to leave the sound is personal and could be a different post entirely, so I won't go into that aspect this time. The important thing is that silence is present and that you and the client are present in the silence. Be aware of the lack of noise and how you feel when it's happening. I'm betting there isn't a person out there who wouldn't benefit from a little silence now and then.

I hope this little series gives you ideas of how to use music to help yourself. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but just the ones I use most often. What would you add to this list if you were making it?