Response to "Spiritual Music Therapy: Opening Ourselves to the Mysterious Qualities of Music Therapy"

By William L. Rollins, Graduate Music Therapy and Clinical Mental Health Counseling student, Lesley University. Email: LAMARRii@gmail.com

I must admit, when I saw the title "Spiritual Music Therapy" I leaped for joy, expecting to read an article which articulates the language of giving credit to God for the support and/or healing that can take place in spiritual music therapy work. Upon reading, I saw yet another document that is careful not to give an identity to any one specific higher power. The author uses such language as feeling one with the whole universe, having experiences that contain sacred, healing moments. While these are safe expressions and true for many people, it’s helpful to give credence to those who claim expressions of an identity to God as their higher power, relevant in their therapeutic process. [For me, god is the higher power. Others identify someone else.] Let me make it clear that I am not suggesting that this author is denying any identity to higher spiritual powers, I only want to acknowledge the perception of avoiding the language.

Once I got passed the above mentioned disappointment, I was able to appreciate the information the author was presenting from her experiences which contribute to the plausibility of opening ourselves to spiritual qualities that are possible in music therapy. When Dorit Amir reflects on the ability for Bach’s Mass in B minor to lift her up and touch her spirit, I recall that Mozart’s choral work, Ave Verum, does the same for me. The spiritual element of the melody has a perfect connection to the text which adds to the experience for me, taking me to a place that is comfortable, safe, calm, and held away from fear and pain. The rising to the climax of the final phrase, "Imortis examine," brings shivers of pleasure to my body. Unlike Dorit Amir, I don’t feel that I am the music nor the music is me. I am one with God who provides the music to hold me and distract me. Could not the same happen for a patient wanting relief from pain and suffering?

Dorit Amir mentions a book by Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan. It’s interesting that she points out the documentation of feeling that she found difficult to articulate. I need to read it because I wonder if Khan goes into depth on the source of the divine inheritance and the role of creativity in the journey of discovering this within oneself.

I would love to have been a part of the Phoenicia group which Amir mentions. To be able to explore the creative and spiritual elements of music and human beings with like minded people would have been valuable to understanding its place in the therapeutic setting.

Spirituality is part of being human as much as music, suffering, etc... With that, I also applaud the organizing committee of the 10th world congress of music therapy in Oxford for recognizing and bringing music, spirituality and healing as one of the three main areas that are central to our global music therapy profession. I agree whole heartedly with Dorit Amir’s belief "that introducing spiritual elements, principles and terminology in our work will give us a deeper understanding of our work and allow us to build theories that will resonate more fully with what we do." If we are to move forward in providing a wider umbrella for the practice of music therapy, we’ve got to go deeper in to understanding various religious choices of clients so that the experiential elements of their religion can be wedded with the spiritual power of music made available.