I was both surprised and pleased to come across this essay by Helen Loth on the influence of the Gamelan on her work as a music therapist (2006). Having recently joined a Javanese Gamelan ensemble as well, I have often found myself wondering about the potential therapeutic effects of this exotic and complex instrumental ensemble, therefore it was quite synchronous for me to find this paper. In her essay, Loth describes a number of characteristics of traditional Gamelan music that relate to music therapy, and in my response I will examine some of these further and try to distill them to their essence, as well as explore some additional features that I think might be useful within the clinical setting.
As described by Loth, some of the Gamelan's potential therapeutic characteristics include "an emphasis on listening and responding to aural cues, group communication, the culture of inclusion and the lack of hierarchy" (2006). Having played Gamelan for a few months now, I definitely agree with her assessment. In addition, I feel like all of these attributes feed the same meta-goal of "connectedness," both within the group and possibly with some greater collective oneness, which to me is an essential component to emotional well-being. To incorporate an idea from the performance artist and psychotherapist Paolo Knill, "it is in the degree of opening to each other in communal engagement versus aloneness that makes the difference" (Knill, 1999, p. 41). This "communal engagement" is an essential part of the group music therapy experience, and playing in a Gamelan ensemble fosters this engagement in a very deep way as well.
However, I personally feel that certain other group musical experiences outside of the therapeutic setting can also foster those same feelings and effects. For most of my life I have been a choral singer, and within a chorus I have also felt this intense connective bond, group listening, and connection to something greater than myself through the music. So what, then, would be the essential difference between using choral singing as music therapy and Gamelan playing as music therapy, if any at all? I think the answer is twofold-- firstly that the instruments in a Gamelan are one step removed from the most intimate instrument which is one's own voice box, and therefore possibly more comfortable to explore for untrained music therapy clients. Secondly, as Loth states in her article, "what is particularly powerful in the Gamelan is the way that the group moves as a whole without a conductor" (2006). This is indeed true, as it still amazes me every time I go to Gamelan practice that the group manages to stay together and move through different sections and transitions so fluidly without a conductor to guide it. In that vein, for a Gamelan piece to be played well it requires careful listening, as explained by Loth (2006), but I think it also commands a certain "presence" from the players, which would also be a useful therapeutic benefit.
Another way that the Gamelan demands a player's fullest attention to the present moment is through the intricacy of the melodic rhythms. "Javanese Gamelan music is very polyphonic. In a full group, there are about twenty interrelated parts, which in general relate melodically rather than harmonically" (Loth, 2006). I have found that while playing the Gamelan if I let my attention lapse for even a few seconds, I can easily be lost in the repetitive and swirling melodies washing all around me, and find myself wondering if the phrase I am hearing is the one that appears in the third line of the music or the fourth. Therefore I have trained myself during rehearsals to stay "in the moment" as much as possible, and not let my mind wander. This is a useful practice not only for music therapists in training, who would benefit from learning how to be fully present at every moment with their clients, but also for the clients themselves as a part of their therapy.
In addition to the above mentioned possible benefits of Gamelan playing in a music therapy setting (connectedness, intense listening, and being fully present), I think there are some specific benefits that can be gleaned from the very sounds and structure of the music itself. For example, I personally find the repetitive and almost chant-like quality of the music very soothing, like being rocked or held by the resonating melodies swirling around my physical-emotional body as I play within the group. I could see how the structure and dependability of these very long and repetitious pieces (some longer than half an hour!) might provide a feeling of security to certain clients. In addition, the complex rhythms of traditional Gamelan music could be very stimulating to the brains and bodies of other clients, particularly those with developmental delays and also those suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The rhythm center of the brain is one of its oldest, most primal parts, and it seems that even though "language and memory skills fail in Alzheimer's patients, the ability to respond to rhythm and melody remains robust until late in the disease. In fact, structured music programs seem to calm people with Alzheimer's, improving their mood and sleep, according to research at the University of Miami School of Medicine" (Neimark, 2004). In addition, it has also been shown that rhythmic music can be "surprisingly powerful in treating people with neurologic disorders, such as stroke, cerebral palsy and Parkinson's disease" (Neimark, 2004). One study done specifically on the effects of Gamelan playing on people with mild to moderate mental handicaps showed significant gains in musical ability, rhythm production, and communication skills after 10 weeks of structured group playing (MacDonald & O'Donnell, 1994). In light of these findings, further research into the specific clinical applications of Gamelan in the music therapy setting could prove very illuminating and useful.
A few months ago, upon sitting down for my first Gamelan rehearsal, perched amid the various and at the time foreign looking instruments and bathed in their wondrous and soothing sounds, I immediately felt a strong connection between that music and the work I am doing as a music therapist in training. I felt intuitively that the Gamelan would make a multi-layered and effective tool for music therapy, and was therefore very excited to find this essay by Helen Loth exploring these very concepts. From the qualities of connectedness, intense listening, and being fully present, to the more technical applications of the musical structures themselves, it seems that the Gamelan has a lot to offer to the field of music therapy, and there is great potential here for further research into the effects of this intricate and beautiful musical ensemble.
References
Knill, P. (1999). Soul nourishment, or the intermodal language of imagination. In S. Levine & E. Levine (Eds.). Foundations of Expressive Arts Therapy: Theoretical and Clinical Perspectives. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley.
Loth, Helen (2006). How Gamelan Music Has Influenced Me as a Music Therapist – A Personal Account. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved November 24, 2008, from https://normt.uib.no/index.php/voices/article/view/246/190
MacDonald, R., & O'Donnell, P. (1994). An investigation into the effects of structured music workshops with adults with mental handicap. Occupational Therapy International, 1(3), 184- 197. Retrieved November 24, 2008, from PsycINFO database.
Neimark, J. (2004, March). Sound healing. Natural Health, 34(3), 70-106. Retrieved November 24, 2008, from Alt HealthWatch database.
I was both surprised and pleased to come across this essay by Helen Loth on the influence of the Gamelan on her work as a music therapist (2006). Having recently joined a Javanese Gamelan ensemble as well, I have often found myself wondering about the potential therapeutic effects of this exotic and complex instrumental ensemble, therefore it was quite synchronous for me to find this paper. In her essay, Loth describes a number of characteristics of traditional Gamelan music that relate to music therapy, and in my response I will examine some of these further and try to distill them to their essence, as well as explore some additional features that I think might be useful within the clinical setting.
As described by Loth, some of the Gamelan's potential therapeutic characteristics include "an emphasis on listening and responding to aural cues, group communication, the culture of inclusion and the lack of hierarchy" (2006). Having played Gamelan for a few months now, I definitely agree with her assessment. In addition, I feel like all of these attributes feed the same meta-goal of "connectedness," both within the group and possibly with some greater collective oneness, which to me is an essential component to emotional well-being. To incorporate an idea from the performance artist and psychotherapist Paolo Knill, "it is in the degree of opening to each other in communal engagement versus aloneness that makes the difference" (Knill, 1999, p. 41). This "communal engagement" is an essential part of the group music therapy experience, and playing in a Gamelan ensemble fosters this engagement in a very deep way as well.
However, I personally feel that certain other group musical experiences outside of the therapeutic setting can also foster those same feelings and effects. For most of my life I have been a choral singer, and within a chorus I have also felt this intense connective bond, group listening, and connection to something greater than myself through the music. So what, then, would be the essential difference between using choral singing as music therapy and Gamelan playing as music therapy, if any at all? I think the answer is twofold-- firstly that the instruments in a Gamelan are one step removed from the most intimate instrument which is one's own voice box, and therefore possibly more comfortable to explore for untrained music therapy clients. Secondly, as Loth states in her article, "what is particularly powerful in the Gamelan is the way that the group moves as a whole without a conductor" (2006). This is indeed true, as it still amazes me every time I go to Gamelan practice that the group manages to stay together and move through different sections and transitions so fluidly without a conductor to guide it. In that vein, for a Gamelan piece to be played well it requires careful listening, as explained by Loth (2006), but I think it also commands a certain "presence" from the players, which would also be a useful therapeutic benefit.
Another way that the Gamelan demands a player's fullest attention to the present moment is through the intricacy of the melodic rhythms. "Javanese Gamelan music is very polyphonic. In a full group, there are about twenty interrelated parts, which in general relate melodically rather than harmonically" (Loth, 2006). I have found that while playing the Gamelan if I let my attention lapse for even a few seconds, I can easily be lost in the repetitive and swirling melodies washing all around me, and find myself wondering if the phrase I am hearing is the one that appears in the third line of the music or the fourth. Therefore I have trained myself during rehearsals to stay "in the moment" as much as possible, and not let my mind wander. This is a useful practice not only for music therapists in training, who would benefit from learning how to be fully present at every moment with their clients, but also for the clients themselves as a part of their therapy.
In addition to the above mentioned possible benefits of Gamelan playing in a music therapy setting (connectedness, intense listening, and being fully present), I think there are some specific benefits that can be gleaned from the very sounds and structure of the music itself. For example, I personally find the repetitive and almost chant-like quality of the music very soothing, like being rocked or held by the resonating melodies swirling around my physical-emotional body as I play within the group. I could see how the structure and dependability of these very long and repetitious pieces (some longer than half an hour!) might provide a feeling of security to certain clients. In addition, the complex rhythms of traditional Gamelan music could be very stimulating to the brains and bodies of other clients, particularly those with developmental delays and also those suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The rhythm center of the brain is one of its oldest, most primal parts, and it seems that even though "language and memory skills fail in Alzheimer's patients, the ability to respond to rhythm and melody remains robust until late in the disease. In fact, structured music programs seem to calm people with Alzheimer's, improving their mood and sleep, according to research at the University of Miami School of Medicine" (Neimark, 2004). In addition, it has also been shown that rhythmic music can be "surprisingly powerful in treating people with neurologic disorders, such as stroke, cerebral palsy and Parkinson's disease" (Neimark, 2004). One study done specifically on the effects of Gamelan playing on people with mild to moderate mental handicaps showed significant gains in musical ability, rhythm production, and communication skills after 10 weeks of structured group playing (MacDonald & O'Donnell, 1994). In light of these findings, further research into the specific clinical applications of Gamelan in the music therapy setting could prove very illuminating and useful.
A few months ago, upon sitting down for my first Gamelan rehearsal, perched amid the various and at the time foreign looking instruments and bathed in their wondrous and soothing sounds, I immediately felt a strong connection between that music and the work I am doing as a music therapist in training. I felt intuitively that the Gamelan would make a multi-layered and effective tool for music therapy, and was therefore very excited to find this essay by Helen Loth exploring these very concepts. From the qualities of connectedness, intense listening, and being fully present, to the more technical applications of the musical structures themselves, it seems that the Gamelan has a lot to offer to the field of music therapy, and there is great potential here for further research into the effects of this intricate and beautiful musical ensemble.
References
Knill, P. (1999). Soul nourishment, or the intermodal language of imagination. In S. Levine & E. Levine (Eds.). Foundations of Expressive Arts Therapy: Theoretical and Clinical Perspectives. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley.
Loth, Helen (2006). How Gamelan Music Has Influenced Me as a Music Therapist – A Personal Account. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved November 24, 2008, from https://normt.uib.no/index.php/voices/article/view/246/190
MacDonald, R., & O'Donnell, P. (1994). An investigation into the effects of structured music workshops with adults with mental handicap. Occupational Therapy International, 1(3), 184- 197. Retrieved November 24, 2008, from PsycINFO database.
Neimark, J. (2004, March). Sound healing. Natural Health, 34(3), 70-106. Retrieved November 24, 2008, from Alt HealthWatch database.