Music therapy is the only time I ever get excited about an elderly man telling me to "Shut up, you stupid kid." It's something that I look forward to all week long, but, afterward, I need at least an hour nap and a face massage from smiling so much. All of that being said, it's my absolute favorite thing in the entire world, and I wouldn't trade my community service activity for any other.
Music actually affects the part of peoples' brains that has to do with language, so when we sing to people with Alzheimer's disease, they're actually more capable of telling us to "shut up" or "go away" in response, which is a victory in and of itself. It can also bring back memories, which can make people laugh or cry. Our motto is, "It's all about the client," and we strive to make the people we're singing with as happy as possible. However, if people aren't feeling particularly musical that day, it can be difficult.
I had some absolutely amazing times working with people with Alzheimer's disease this term. My favorite place to sing is in a section of the home for the elderly where the Alzheimer's has progressed so much that the people are no longer mobile or able to speak. Although it breaks my heart to see people this debilitated, it's also amazing when they start smiling, participating, singing along, or using an instrument.
One of my favorite moments in music therapy was with a woman whom I sing with often. She rarely speaks, but she usually does laugh and cry. It's really beautiful to watch. Once, however, she started replying to my questions with "yes" or "no" answers, even though she had never spoken to me before. When I asked if she liked singing, she said, "Yes." When I asked if she liked the song, she said, "Yes." When I told her we had to go, she said "No." Although she couldn't answer more than yes or no questions, it was absolutely amazing to see that kind of progress with a client, and it brought tears to my eyes.
Another one of my favorite moments in music therapy was with a woman who usually didn't seem to want to sing with us. Every Thursday, I would walk over and try to sing with her, but every Thursday, she would tell me to go away. One particular Thursday, however, I went over to her and started with my usual spiel, saying, "Hi! My name is Jordan, and we're going to sing with you today." She immediately responded with, "No, not today... maybe tomorrow." But I sat down next to her and told her that we couldn't come back tomorrow, but we'd definitely sing some really fun songs with her today. I asked what her favorite song was, but she told me she didn't have one. I decided the questions weren't really working with her because she wasn't feeling up to it. So I started telling her about my favorite song that we sing: Somewhere Over the Rainbow. She became very excited about that song and remembered it! She began belting it out! Everyone in the group then decided that we would switch to singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow first because she seemed so excited about it. I grabbed her hand, and we sang and danced along together. It was so lovely. She has a spitting problem, so I would wipe down her hands and her mouth after every other song. It was so sweet because she seemed so thankful that I helped. Every time she thanked me and grabbed my hand again and started dancing. Then, when I dropped her hand to act out a song, she stopped the whole session to very loudly tell me that she really liked it when I held her hand, and she never wanted me to let it go. It was easily the best and funniest moment of my life.
Starting with the autistic children was much harder for me, however. My first session was filled with three tantrums and a boy asking if he could hit another child over the head to make him stop crying right before he peed his pants. It was so sad to watch these children become so upset during a session. I have to say that it was the worst hour of my life, simply because I wanted to help them to be happy so much. I went back to my dorm and cried and took a two-hour nap afterward; however, my next sessions were much better. I now love working with the autistic children, and I've never had a breakdown in a session since. Everyone just smiles, sings, and dances along with us.
This term, we were lucky enough to visit, for an entire school day, the school that brings students to us every week. It was an absolutely amazing experience. We stayed with a class for the day, and ended with a tour of the school. One of the boys in my class took a particular liking to me, and right after the teacher stopped teaching and play time began, he ran and jumped right into my lap. I tickled him, and we played a game my mom used to play with me when I was little. He seemed to enjoy it, and he was absolutely adorable! The tour of the school was amazing. It was decked out with exercise rooms, music therapy rooms, trampoline rooms, a recording studio, and much more. It was easily the most amazing school facility I've ever seen. So lovely!
I've definitely had ups and downs with music therapy, but whenever there's a breakthrough with a client, all of the bad times seem worth it. I haven't loved every minute, but I have appreciated every moment. It has been the best experience of my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
