The Role of Theoretical and Practical Knowledge in Becoming a Music Therapist

Experiences of an International Project

By Mariya Ivannikova

The question about the role of theoretical and practical knowledge in the context of Music Therapy is just the same as in many other spheres of human activity. But in contrast to some of them, the psychological health of people depends on it. Methods like "tests and mistakes" can lead to professionalism but cost too high a price for clients. Therefore both theory and practice are indispensable for a person who has an aim to become a music therapist.

So the idea of an international project "Social-psychological rehabilitation with means of music: Music therapy" was to avoid untrue conceptions of MT during teaching it in Ukraine. It was a very responsible task, because an illusion could occur to know almost everything after only a short introduction: we know, that at the beginning every new word said by an instructor means a whole world . Therefore not only the latest ideas were very important for a new trend in a land with other culture and mentality. Much attention was also paid to some points which were determined long ago and are valid today as well.

It was strived for a unification of theoretical and practical knowledge in the training of students. Because it is not a secret that receiving information works mainly for the development of memory, but searching for it expands thinking and search skills, which are necessary for being well informed about the latest novelties in the world of Music Therapy and for one's own personal progress.

One more point was associated with some particularities of the process of thinking which often starts only while doing of things. It was shown that it was not absolutely true to think that some books, lectures and seminars in MT could be enough to get the main principles of psychotherapeutic work with music and for practicing MT.

So active leading of a training group of MT by every student who was involved into the new form of educational cooperation between two universities was not the final significant part of it. Following discussion of the effectiveness of the group leading was included. It was devoted to feedback about features of functioning of a small group, group dynamics, and strategies of leading of the concrete group, with one statement about everything that took place during the training hours. The instructor impelled the students to seek and find new ways of going out of this or that situation, which came into existence during the leading of the group.

This work was so intensive that all who were involved in it understood what it means to bear the responsibility for the whole group as its music therapeutic leader. The participants saw one more time the need for much experience to practice MT with real clients or even patients. Thereby the main point was to overcome an urge towards the fulfillment of personal expectations by members of the group, to cope with personal negative emotions in cases of seeming failures in one's own leading of the group.

The last hours of this meeting also included discussion of results of theoretical studies of students, which they got up as a part of qualification in MT, "Social psychological rehabilitation with means of music." Writing these works helped the participants to realize how to find so much needed material in spite of its lack, how to come to a common point in spite of impossibility to join home literary sources to foreign ones.

The experiences showed the necessity of foreign languages for studying primary sources, for communicating with representatives of foreign schools of MT not only at the present moment but also in a future for exchange of experiences. Because real professionalism means not only reading of old notes made in a classroom.

Not only studying but also practical working is important for professional formation. Some moments need much time for its realizing and only after hard life- examination they become real professional knowledge and skills. To make it possible regular supervision during a certain time is needed given by a well-experienced music therapist every time disputable questions arise. But there is a hope there that this begin will go further.