30 Minute Conversation with No Words...

I was recently on maternity leave after giving birth to my son - Aiden.  I feel both sad and happy about going back to work, because I love my job but of course want to spend the days and nights with my baby!   

So, I wanted to ask you...  When was the last time YOU had a 30 minute conversation that consisted of NO WORDS? 

This last week, I had one of those sessions where I left KNOWING that it was a positive experience for the client - this person made great strides on his/her goals!  It was an awesome 30 minutes!  The music flowed through musical changes that were fueled by his/her changes in playing and singing.  (Don't be confused though, no singing with WORDS, just PITCHES!)  Pitches that purposefully follow musical progression and tonality.  The musical interaction went from upbeat and excited to rhythmically playful to vocally full and thoughtful.  We were "talking" all while "music-ing!"  It was 30 minutes where it felt GREAT to be a music therapist.

I take these moments home with me every day. Aiden doesn't have words to communicate - so I take my guitar and sit with him, vocalizing/singing together.   He coos and smiles and communicates with his eyes - probably very content and comforted because he heard these sounds from the womb for 9 months.  We have a conversation, with no words, because they are not always necessary. Give it a try sometime. You may be amazed with the outcome!

I was looking for a resourse to give a little more information for those of you who like links and small articles to read...  This is what I found:

Here is a good place to go to find more information on "Who Can Music Help?"

Nordoff Robbins is a UK national charity. They are part of an international network of Nordoff Robbins organisations that draw inspiration from the innovative work of their founders Paul Nordoff and Clive Robbins.