Music Therapy: Intimate Notes

Book excerpt: The stories and reflections in this book describe powerful encounters between nine music therapists and their clients. These clients include four-year-old Giorgios, who is terminally ill; Wendy, a passionate, battered child who has been rejected by her mother; Olive, suffering from senile dementia; Martha, whose successful life is in crisis; and Steve, who is living with HIV/AIDS. Through music therapy the clients - and therapists - discover their creativity, and, in the process, come to terms with suffering. The stories reveal the passion and integrity of nine music therapists who themselves undergo profound changes as a result of their work. Music Therapy - Intimate Notes is a practical and inspiring introduction to music therapy, showing its range of possibilities in various settings. The book provides a lively and informal theoretical foundation, and connects music to our intimate lives.