Nordoff-Robbins Creative Music Therapy BY KATE B.

Paul Nordoff and Clive Robbins arguably remain some of the most profound innovators in the development of music therapy techniques in general, and for autistic children in particular. The evidential, widespread success of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy (NRMT), and its impact on clients, their families and therapists alike, creates hope for those with none, verifies the grave importance of music in all of our lives, and is unquestionably derived from a meaningful, spiritual place of care and love.

Nordoff and Robbins were inspired to develop NRMT by Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophical philosophies of nurturing the “whole child” from an artistic and spiritual point of view, and to engage student’s ‘head, heart and hands’. Both Nordoff and Robbins were active members of anthroposophical communities (Wheeler 2014, p.184) and that provided common ground on which to build a model of alternate medicine, therapies and teachings using music. Steiner’s mode of thought to focus on the renewal of a human being’s social, cultural, and spiritual lives was inspired by the Goethe writings on the philosophy of ‘naturalistic inquiries’ that Steiner edited in 1926 (Cohen 2017, p.132). This became the framework for NRMT’s concept of the “condition child” and the “musical child” of which the latter is encased by the former (Carpente 2009, p. 10). Nordoff and Robbins found that music detours around the condition child, connecting to the music child, therefore creating a pathway to a “new self”, and a subsequent new way to experience the world (Carpente 2009, p. 11). For autistic children who are often trapped in their own world, improving cognition, communication and self-expression helps them to flourish outside of their insularity which helps to improve their quality of independent life. Music therapy compliments the progression of development as the musical objectives are the same as the clinical objectives (Carpente 2009, p. 11). For example, a therapist may work on expanding a child’s musical dynamic range (fast or slow, loud or soft, rhythms and melodies), which in turn improves the child’s cognitive, expressive, social and sensory abilities, via stimulating motor planning, spatial processing, sensory modulation, and gross/fine motor skills (Carpente 2009, p. 11). Emoting, expressing, and communicating through music creates pathways in the brain that carry over to everyday living. Standard ways to pave neural paths and make connections are not suitable for all brains, music bypasses structured, literal or verbal instructions and dialogue, promotes learning from another angle, and achieves the same results.

A prominent musical element that NRMT accesses this learning is through the freedom of improvisation.

“personal freedom is realised through musical freedom”

(Enid Rowe, a colleague of Clive’s (Howat, 2012))

NRMT therapists are highly qualified in their field and must not only be accomplished musicians, have a master’s in music therapy, and be a board-certified therapist, they must be proficient in improvisation in order to complete the additional two-year NRMT training course (Cohen 2017, p. 144).

Improvising allows the primary therapist the flexibility to explore ways to engage and support the client by matching their emotional state, any noise or music they make (Carpente 2009, p. 12), and expertise in this skill means the therapist is free to direct their concentration to observe the client and guide the session along with the co-therapist.

Nordoff-Robbins therapists use various musical tools such as pitch, rhythm, tone, tempo, melody and loudness to mirror the client’s vocal output (be it tantrums or crying), and/or any noise/music the client makes with simple instruments, and thus begins to build a relationship through non-verbal communication and engagement (Carpente 2009, p. 12). This ‘supportive music co-activity’ (Cohen 2017, p. 140) of whatever (erratic or obscure) sound made by the client being responded to via music, opens a dialogue of manual language, a sort of primal, organic form of communication for the soul. The therapist/s reverse the call and response to create a back and forth musical conversation, and over time develop original songs or phrases that are revisited through subsequent sessions (Carpente 2009, p. 12). Simple lyrics may be included, like a ‘hello’ song or “Good morning Edward” to further encourage participation, interactions, and awareness. The explorative nature of improvisation appears to be at the core of the NRMT principles. The therapists use their ingenuity, musicianship and instinct to manage each client’s treatment case by case, which may be a main cause of the success behind these methods. As human beings vary greatly, so do conditions such as autism, dementia, and depression which means no singular, blanketed treatment will ever suffice for the spectrum within the spectrum of which music therapy is applied to. Improvisation creates the freedom for patients to participate in their very own, custom, self-tailored treatment.

Another essential facet of NRMT techniques that compliments the improvisational technique is the recording of every session. This allows the therapists to analyse and search for anything needing further discussion, for them to fully immerse themselves in the session knowing they will have a reference to go back to, and assists the development of further treatment building on the material created with the client.

This attention to detail, devotion to the method, and deeply connective involvement between therapist and client echoes Goethe and Steiner’s concept of nurturing the spirit through play, art and liberty.

“There’s someone in there…”

(Mother talking about her severely disabled, non-communicative child, Marissa (NRMT Video Portrait Part 1))

The success of NRMT’s non-directive approaches and practices appear to have resonated with autistic children especially is perhaps due to the technique being grounded firmly in musical foundations whereas other music therapy methods are more derived from psychological or philosophical elements (Cohen 2017, p. 147). People with autism are often found to possess an acute talent for music (especially with pitch perception (Carpente 2009, p. 9)) and art in general. It could be speculated that the proven etymological, emotional, and connective elements in music provides a more appropriate vessel for these human beings to express themselves as opposed to the conventional ways we are expected to engage with ourselves and others. Autistic people are often diagnosed as “deficient in social communication and interaction” (Knapik-Szweda 2015, p. 154), yet their response to (and often aptitude for) music shows viable alternatives to the limited mainstream behaviours and options of how we typically communicate and interact, and that they are in fact simply not practical or appropriate for autistic people to adhere to. Music provides a multitude of alternate options via genres, instruments and the endless combinations of structure/dynamics for human beings to explore. The explorations Nordoff-Robbins music therapists conduct within their sessions allows “self-creating capacities of the human self” for “special needs of the soul” (Wheeler citing Robbins’ lectures on curative education, 2014 p. 183) which is the foundation of NRMT’s triumphs with children on the spectrum.

As Clive Robbins says in the documentary ‘The Music Key’, creative music therapy gives people “more equipment for living” (NRMT Video Portrait Part 1), and the detailed observation of case studies thoroughly supports this. The video shows the seemingly unreachable client Joshua, develop not only a strong capacity and resonence to music, but drastically improves his skills and developmental abilities outside of music. He sings with deep feeling, jams on the piano like a pro, and learns many skills (teeth brushing, feeding himself etc., things his mother was told he would never do) as a result (NRMT Video Portrait Part 2). In addition, the profound joy music therapy brings Josh, his mother, and Clive (apparent in the heart-warming smile on Clive’s face) cannot be questioned and is moving to behold.

Marissa began treatment screaming, crying and resisting but progresses to laughing infectiously to improvised songs such as: “Jump! Marissa jump!” whilst Clive lifts her and lands her feet on drums in time to the music. They put bells on her ankles and sing “take a little walk” igniting her desire to attempt to walk, much to her grateful and thrilled mother’s delight (NRMT Video Portrait Part 1).

“Music to me is the language by which I communicate: with myself, with others and with the spiritual world. I do not understand it. I feel it.”

(Enid Rowe, a colleague of Clive’s (Howat, 2012)

Even though NRMT has made a name within the child therapy arena, the method has proved to be an effective treatment for a range of adult conditions as well. Variations of the therapy have been implemented all over the world for patients living with brain injuries, coma, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and HIV (Wheeler 2014, p. 192). The application of NRMT for adults as an alternative to traditional psychotherapy has also established many additional, positive facets. Not just for the clients, but the valuable articulations a communicable adult is able to relay, arms therapists with new information from the client’s perspective (Wheeler 2014, p. 192). Expanding NRMT clientele has subsequently expanded the model. Simple piano music was originally the tool of the primary therapist (which is appropriate for children), but due to a broader range of adult tastes in contemporary music, guitars and modern genres (jazz or rock) are being used more (Wheeler 2014, p. 192).

Maria, a self-referring patient of NRMT, found a deep sense of self, personal freedom, and healing after commencing the therapy due to her cumulative anxieties being exacerbated by a diagnosis of stage four cancer (Wheeler 2014, p. 193). Through her sessions she found she was able to uncover a range of dormant emotions that remained suppressed due to having no words or logic for. The vocal freedom her therapist encouraged allowed a release of obscure sounds that evolved into songs Maria used to heal her spirit and release many traumas (Wheeler 2014, p. 192).

“(the therapist) could hear my deep cry of sadness. He played music that didn’t just respond to my words but pushed my emotional awareness and recognition into unexplored areas” (Maria (Wheeler 2014, p. 193)).

Within the limitless universe of being the master of her healing, Maria not only found an effective, flexible tool to bend whichever way needed, she created pieces of art that anchored her to her new found sense of self. Viewing her new self through a creative lens, Maria not only overcame her sense of having no-self, she performed her songs, and through music, mended her fractured relationship with her mother even though her mother had passed many years before (Wheeler 2014, p. 194).

The range of emotional expression through art knows no boundaries, it uncovers obscure, latent feelings, creates a platform in which to channel emotions when mere words are not enough, and connects one to themselves, the outside world, and the spirit. Music can organise the chaos of unrealised emotion, it gives us something to grasp in a swirl of obscurity, it nourishes parts of ourselves that we never knew were starved and frees us from constraints of which we have no words or reasoning for.

“feelings are for the soul what food is for the body” (Rudolf Steiner,1967)

The expansion in the range of clients NRMT services continually pushes the boundaries of the profession musically, instrumentally, and therapeutically. As each therapist and client join to actively participate in the improvisation of their own journey, each experience creates diverse threads as it develops.

These threads that have spread out across the world were seeded by Goethe, further nurtured by Steiner, and then Nordoff and Robbins, to be gifted to therapists, and finally to the clients and their families. Nordoff-Robbins music therapy remains an ever-growing, ever-evolving vehicle for emotions, self-fulfilling prophecies for healing, remedies for neglected spirits and of course, music.

REFERENCES

Carpente, JA 2009, ‘Contributions of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Within a Developmental, Individual-Differences, Relationship-Based (DIR®)/Floortime™ Framework to the Treatment of Children With Autism: Four Cases’, (viewed 10 October 2019).

https://search-ebscohost-com.wallaby.vu.edu.au:4433/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsndl&AN=edsndl.oai.union.ndltd.org.TEMPLE.oai.server16002.contentdm.oclc.org.p245801coll10.42498&site=eds-live

Cohen, NS 2017, Advanced Methods of Music Therapy Practice: The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy, Analytical Music Therapy, and Vocal Psychotherapy, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. (viewed 1 October 2019).

Howat, R 2012, ‘Personal Memories of Clive Robbins and His Role in the Development of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy in Australia’, Voices, no. 2, (viewed 7 October 2019), https://search-ebscohost-com.wallaby.vu.edu.au:4433/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsdoj&AN=edsdoj.16bd3cb6b374d358522c905d5ca597a&site=eds-live

Knapik-Szweda, S 2015, ‘The effectiveness and influence of Vocal and Instrumental Improvisation in Music Therapy on children diagnosed with autism. Pilot Study’, Journal of Education Culture and Society, no. 1, p. 153, (viewed 8 October 2019), <https://search-ebscohost-com.wallaby.vu.edu.au:4433/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsdoj&AN=edsdoj.879678a19c964e7ea0623c771fa40696&site=eds-live>.

Steiner, R 1961, How to Know Higher Worlds, A modern path of initiation, Anthroposophic Press, Hudson, NY.

Wheeler, BL (ed.) 2014, Music Therapy Handbook, Guilford Publications, New York. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. (viewed 14 October 2019). <https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/reader.action?docID=1760730&ppg=151>

Video “Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Video Portrait (Part 1)” from NordoffRobbins via YouTube – Last Visited 17 October, 2019 14:18