From metal to melody

I have a client who is very interested in anything heavy metal — the clothes he wears, the guitar he has, and, of course, the music he wants to hear and learn. I have had a lot of difficulty finding ways to engage him musically, though he speaks of little else. Last week, I asked him to bring in CDs that he likes, and thankfully, he did. So my night began with some Rammstein — yes, we listened to “Du Hast,” among other tracks. He was immediately attentive, and his affect changed immensely. (I was not surprised in the least, but there are many other factors that are attached to this client’s sessions.)

My very next client is much more enraptured by live music (not to say that my first client wouldn’t be, were I to have the ability to pull off live music that had a metal sound), but we did use some recorded music tonight, too. However, this client’s recorded music was written and performed by a good friend of mine, who also happens to be an MT-BC. Lynn O’Brien writes outstanding music. Not only does she work as a music therapist, but she also is an actively gigging musician. Many of her songs would likely work well with adolescents and young adults. You can find two of her CDs out there in the world — iTunes, for instance. Find more information on Lynn here.

Oh, how different music can be for you and for me.

2 Replies to “From metal to melody”

  1. Dear Erin,

    Excellent website! I am just now catching up on emails and seeing this beautiful thing. Thanks for sharing. And ALSO, I am beyond honored that you thought to use my music in session. I’m so curious – did you say you used “Italy”? I’d love to hear what you did/what happened 🙂 I write a lot of music for use in the hospital and dream of recording a music therapy-focused CD in the next few years. we’ll see what scholarships i win that fund this project, but i’ll keep you posted. 🙂

    thanks for the kind words and continued support of my stuff, darlin. this website is so valuable and i look forward to staying tuned! thank you for your inspiration and initiative in promoting communication online and in person in this community! <3

    lynn

  2. Lynn, thank you for reading. And I imagine any CD you put out would be terrific. I look forward to seeing you again!

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