I was excited to find out about the music therapy education being installed in Zaporozhye and about the progress being made with it. In this response I would like to cover the information gap that I feel there was in the description of music therapy in the Ukraine. Ukraine historically suffered from a lack of communication and connection between its Eastern part that was always very closely connected with Russia and its Western part with its centre in the Galician city of Lviv (Lvov, Lwow, Lemberg), which until 1939 was a part of Poland and had strong links with Europe. That is why, historically there is a lack of awareness of each other between the people of Eastern and Western Ukraine. With the help of "Voices" we can ensure that there are as few as possible gaps in the information about music therapy in the different parts of this large country.
I would like to mention here that there is a growing interest and a group of people who practice music therapy in the Western part of Ukraine. This autumn I have led a number of workshops in the psychiatric hospital in Lviv with musicians and therapists who are already using music actively in their therapeutic work. The working conditions and payment are far from ideal and the therapists often lack support in their immediate surroundings. In this situation they are building their work on interest and enthusiasm. Most of them are participants of the psychotherapy education programme, organised by the European Association for Psychotherapy and would like to continue their education as music therapists. Music (and particularly vocal music) is a living part of Ukrainian culture and that is why it is only natural for them to install communication through music in their therapeutic encounter with their patients. This group of people is searching for further possibilities of education, which is of course also a financial problem. There is a plan for my further involvement as an Ukrainian born and bred person, who has been trained in the West as a music therapist, as well as that of mine Western colleagues in helping to continue this training.
I would like to pass this information on to my colleagues in Zaporozhye and to any other interested people in the Ukraine who we are not yet aware of, since they could find it useful to be in touch with people from their country who are learning and practising music therapy. You can contact the "music therapy interest group" in Lviv through the:
Ukrainian Umbrella Association for Psychotherapy. E-mail filz_uuap@mail.lviv.ua
MMusic and Painting: Connecting the Worlds of MMusicArt and Therapy
Figure 1: FACE - The MMusic
Introduction
Having recently found Voices on the net, and especially after reading an article contributed by Maria Ivannikova which concerns folk instruments of Russia, Ukraine and Byelorussia, i thought perhaps it's possible to add a little to the discussion. Ms. Ivannikova's article was informative and inspiring to say the least. Her presentation of the various, interesting Russian instruments, i'd love to hear played. Trained mmusicians or not, one may discover that it doesn't matter how the instrument is made, or what country it originates; or even what the instrument actually being played is where Music Therapy (MT) might be concerned. No matter the form or substance, sound and silence affects life.
An instrument used for therapeutic aims can be anything available on earth/in nature etc. For example, it can be a rock, a stick, a waterfall, a piece of cake thrown towards the wall, a brake drumm from a vehicle, an anvil, a tuning fork dropped from a tall building and landing on a harp or even air passing through a tunnel. Modern percussion ensembles or John Cage, the contemporary, avante guard composer comes to mind. Even in the non-hearing whirled. one may observe this to be true. In the last few years by being involved in the fringes of that society through friendships with people in that particular community, i've created paintings with that segment of society in mmind; most recently, also attempting to produce paintings with the blind world being the main focus.
Observing the picture "Flying carpet" painted on the wall in a music college in Russia which Mariya Ivannikova presented in her article, inspired mme to paint a mmusic mural possibly with a Russian community. The painting is an inspiration not only for the brilliant colours within, but because it also depicts an example of what a band or any mmusical gathering could be.
It would be interesting to hear/read what specifically Ms.Ivannikova learned about these two observations... the first example she lists, seems to focus on playing an instrument while viewing a picture/piece of art. Interesting interpretations with fellow players at an art gallery; improvising on our instruments, as a band playing to/about each individual piece of artwork, has occurred in past personal collaborative performances.
Whether it's listening to classical mmusic, jazz, rock 'n roll, the blues etc...there's usually mmusic playing while i paint. Jazz performed by Mr. John Coltrane or Miles Davis are favourites as well as myriad forms of classical mmusic, depending on the mood or artwork to paint. During the creative as well as the painting process, this is a daily experience.
Drumm circles, no matter the geographic location, first and foremost seem to be promoted as primarily a healing activity. From the beginning of humanity as a form of communication to the present applications, the vast majority would certainly agree, that the most used of all instruments - is percussion. Perhaps for the simple reason that every human, weather they recognise it or not, has a perpetually beating drumm in their body...a heart. Therefore, one would conclude it's only natural for the percussion world to be considered for its usage in mmusic therapy. Mariya Ivannikokova's own percussion examples present their prominence in the MMusic Therapy world as well.
Painting Projects
Trained as a percussionist ever since childhood, i've observed percussion's affects in countless situations. This occurs in hundreds of situations and venues all over the world. This brings us back to the fact that mmusic is truly the only universal language and the thought that perhaps percussion is the foremost universal instrument/tool. It's in our souls. How it comes out, developed or not from each person depends on the individual environment.
Involved in many different mmusic situations at a myriad of venue's and situations throughout a mmusical life, and having conversations with both non-musical as well as mmusical people, i've observed that most individuals seem to be afraid of the written language of mmusic. Therefore after long contemplation, a thought occurred that perhaps one could help the situation by translating the mmusic language and its symbol system into another art form; that of the visual arts. The initial idea was that one could possibly change the perspectives and incorporate vibrant colours as well. Yes, many mmusicians do not use, nor most would argue, need the mmusic language to participate and excel at communicating or performing in the mmusic world. But from being involved in scores of ensemble situations, in scores of locations, it's amazing what untrained mmusicians learn to substitute for it. What one ensemble may call something another will call it something else totally different.. Translating was very interesting, but also very confusing to say the least. i've collaborated with one particular accomplished 'un-trained' composer who called everything the same thing!! Thanks John!
Through the years, in response and as a result of that idea, dozens of original paintings; approximately 400 designs, mostly large in size have been completed. A few are over 10' x 10' painted as murals on buildings. Another is 12' x 42' - a mixed media design/placed on a building on a Native American reservation in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Yet another, 12' x 12' was primarily a community mmusic mural painting project that involved a few dozen local participants. Others completed have been 4' x 8', 4' x 4', 3' x 7' etc. In another U.S. state (Michigan) at a grammar school, approximately 700 people helped paint a 10' x 10' piece (MMusic-MMedicine For Healing), which was placed temporarily on an outside wall of their school building. It was celebrated by community and unveiled at the schools 50th anniversary.
The main interest here is community painting projects, community therapy, where groups of people are involved in the actual painting of each mural. As members of the mmusic community, we know how mmusic affects people. MMusic IS truly a MMedicine For Healing. The following example of an original work is a signature piece which concerns not only mmusic's healing qualities but also the whirled of The XP Society's children.
Figure 2: MMusic - MMedicine For Healing
Most importantly, this work is created to make available to anyone, another tool to communicate not only mmusic, MMusic Therapy and a universal peace, but is in the realm and in honour of those who promote peace such as Ms. Edith Boxill. This is not mmy language but something adapted to promote a universal communication. Therefore yes, these are definitely original designs, but the originator makes no claim to ownership unless used for personal or monetary gain without permission.
At this point in time there are 400 completed and over 200 more designs in the works. New ideas as well as inspiration, is incessant. This has been a personal interest since the concept began while residing in London, England in 1977. i've many ideas for this work in relation to mmusic, art and healing as well as helping those who find it difficult to understand or 'see' the mmusic language. Besides producing paintings, sculptures, and other works; creating a 24 page frieze (in playful pictures only/no words) showing how mmusic is 'built' from an empty grand staff to a finished symphony is also a collaboration in production. 'Listen Too This Book,' is approaching a final form. Its style is a little different from the paintings referred to at this point. These are 2 sample pages of treble clefs:
Figure 3.
While living in Michigan, a mmusic therapist who lived a few hours away contacted mme after a fellow MT observed this work at a local gallery opening. He asked to visit and view this MMusicArt in hopes that he would share his feedback about how this work would help people in the MT world. After sending him a few email examples and before his visit, he asked to bring 3 more of his MT associates to review this work as well. Of course there was an affirmative response. All volunteered very positive comments and were excited to see new, colourful ideas relating to mmusic. They were enthused at the possibilities and adaptability to MMusic Therapy.
While at mmy studio, they were asked to begin a 5' x 5.5' painting which was completed in the state of Oregon a few years later, again titled: 'MMusic-MMedicine For Healing.' It was completed by over 175 different individuals, an overwhelming majority of non-artists, who attended a local four day Art Festival. Afterwards, by a consensus of all the participants, it was donated to a local community health organization where it still hangs to this day, over 3 years later.
The following examples are part of a number of original designs in a simple black & white - lines only format, that may also be applied for a mmusic therapy colouring activity.
Figure 4: "From Soup to Notes."
Figure 5: "Ballet."
Throughout this work, many of the titles are a play on words. Most times they give clues as to what is being presented in that particular piece. There are those that are whimsically funny as well.
Figure 6: Before Three Four there was Annnnnacrusis.
Many designs created have stories to tell. One can easily envision a mmusic or art therapist discussing an individual piece ie. What meaning/purpose each picture may represent in the simple, basic theory of mmusic. Or as one may interpret a story of what the design may represent, a discussion of the shapes or colours used may also take place. As far as the world of MT is concerned, one would hope it entails not only the playing of mmusic but also the colours and designs mmusic can represent.
Is the Work of MMusicians and MMusic Therapists Very Different?
Is it true that different professions can use the same tools having different aims and ways of achieving results? Whether one is a mmusician or a mmusic therapist; i feel we're not really in different professions at all. Although the specific duties may vary, obviously they're both mmusic oriented. The most obvious telling point is the simple fact they both have the word mmusic in them. Therefore, one may consider it possible not to really separate the too.
Reading Mr. Alan Turry's article in Voices just today has confirmed that fact. Especially when he describes the process of progress of his cancer patient who when they first met, she just wanted to die; then she became a performer and mmusic creator of her own compositions. Fantastic! The same kind of story minus the cancer and changes in the mmusic process can be told about many performers past, present and most likely future. One may propose the avenues to be very similar.
What a professional mmusician does as opposed to what a mmusic therapist does seems to have many of the same results; results that can be and are accomplished in many same circumstances and situations. For instance, have we not heard of a band performing at a school, or a hospital perhaps? 'We Are the World...' remember those mmusic concert examples promoted 'to help' society at large? 'Band Aid for Africa?' Christmas CD's recorded by mmusic's contemporary super stars for the benefit of those in need? As world wide multimedia simulcasts, all of these concerts can be in the MASS mmusic therapy realm. Can't these also be considered MMusic Therapy? One would think so. The 'MMusic - MMedicine For Healing'(MMFH) community painting as well as its accompanying song, The XP Society are originally created pieces of visual art and mmusic contributing to this fact.
There have been a few times in this mmusical life when observing the same things happening in both our worlds. Reading Mr. Turry's article is a similar story woven many times by many mmusicians. For example, as mentioned previously, a mmusician or group might perform a concert at a senior centre, a school, or a hospital. Performing any mmusic concert/gig (if you will) or listening to mmusic in general, in ANY situation one can name, can be viewed as mmusic therapy or a healing for the simple fact of why people attend concerts or listen to mmusic initially. As trained or un-trained, amateur or professional performers, many would agree that this is an obvious observation.
Years ago in the embryonic stage of a mmusic career, i had the opportunity to perform with a band of fellow mmusicians at a venue non-existent now called, 'Willowbrook State School.' This was not really a school per se, but mostly a mental hospital and one that was closed down by a local senator years later because of the abuse discovered. It was a well known institution locally, and a place where 'society' placed people with various mental problems. i was 15 years old at the time, and will never forget the concert because of the reaction we received before, during and after performing. It helped mme decide to become a professional performer for the rest of mmy life. It was amazing to see the love, warmth, enthusiasm, and especially the healing that took place that day.
MMusicArt, Poetry and Social Consciousness Themes
Most recently i've been researching more and more articles, and a myriad of organisations found on the net, involving healing through mmusic. Multitudes of articles featuring stories of amazing people with wonderful ideas and hundreds of ways of using mmusically related solutions are available.
One may be amazed to ponder all the things MT people are discussing and by application are producing positive results worldwide. Examples of MT patients life stories being used by putting on an original Opera; MT guides cancer patients to create and perform etc...The list goes on forever. No matter how many stories or personal examples of MT one may read, this sameness presents itself. Similarly, if any mmusic person who wants to be a professional, or perhaps reach the top of that field, these same avenues of experiences occur. Learning ones craft under a guidance of teachers/universities etc... by working hard to put one's self out there in some sort of performance/recording/recital etc... It's a wonder if MT's or mmusic people see how our so called different professions are so closely related. The more research done, the more this becomes evident. Yes, as i've said even after being aware by reading all the technical/clinical things as well, where i'd imagine some MT's may think they're more like 'doctors' than mmusicians. Most certainly true to some extent, but it's amazing the similarities.
Reading articles about her work with MMusic Therapy and Peace, Edith Boxill is inspiring. Her legacy will live on through the work of MT & Peace and beyond. Personal works involve social consciousness subjects as well. Original poetry is included with designs concerning wars, (Helicopter Son's Sit, She Cried Until She Died, Love's Again ) alcoholism, (Cowboy Up!) homelessness, (Have You Ever Habitat?) as well as children's and other issues (Children of War, The XP Society, Hearing for the First Time, Does it Now?) are presented. Perhaps like many creative people, they're just part of what goghs through one's psyche in relation to art, social consciousness or life in general. It's an ever changing and interesting world we live in to say the least. Hopefully MT will play a larger part.
Summary
Most recently discovering Voices on the net, one may observe that on the whole, many of the articles accessed in Voices, though technically, clinically/medically discussed are familiar to us as happening all throughout the mmusic world. Many mmusicians would agree that these are things occurring every single day. Therefore, i'd propose that with technical/clinical and medical differences aside, our professions are not that different, but perhaps ONE in the same. Mr. Turry is a pianist. Not being very familiar with the MT world one would imagine that many MT's are accomplished mmusicians as well. Could this statement be disputed? In any case both worlds seem to agree with Michele Forinash as she so aptly put it in an article contributed to Voices titled, "I am grateful for music."
Primarily these mmusic-art designs are meant to be enjoyed. Hopefully some may have relevance and meaning or create thought to the world at large. As an artist/mmusician, perhaps like Cristo the artist, to facilitate community, mmusic painting projects i'll travel anywhere in the world to assist. Perhaps your community will be the next won?
A personal hope is that after viewing this work, one may have ideas in which these works can be applied internationally, especially in the field of mmusic therapy.
In conclusion i'd like to pass on a saying which translated from the language of the Maasai people means, (have a) ' Long life '...
References
Boxill, Edith. (2003) Developing the Use of Peaceful Non-violent Language through Music Therapy. Voices:Moderated Discussions - Music Therapy, Peace and War -- #1 Retrieved February 14, 2006 from http://voices.no/?q=content/music-therapy-peace-and-war
Boxill, Edith & Schieffelin Roberts, Cella (2003) Drumming Circle for Peace. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved February 14, 2006, from http://voices.no/?q=content/drumming-circle-peace
Ivannikova, Mariya A. (2004). Ukrainian Music Therapy - Does It Have a Chance to Exist?. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved February 13, 2006,
from https://normt.uib.no/index.php/voices/article/view/188/147
Ivannikova, Mariya A. (2005). Can Folk Music Instruments of Russia, Ukraine and Byelorussia be of Interest for Active Music Therapy? [Contribution to Moderated Discussions] Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved February 13, 2006,
from http://voices.no/?q=content/response-music-therapy-ukraine#comment-609
Turry, Alan. (2005) Music Psychotherapy and Community Music Therapy: Questions and Considerations, Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved February 11, 2006 from https://normt.uib.no/index.php/voices/article/view/208/152
Forinash, Michele (2004) I am Grateful for Music Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved February 11, 2006 from http://voices.no/?q=fortnightly-columns/2001-i-am-grateful-music
Acknowledgement
Thanks to MMusic Therapists worldwide, especially Mariya Ivannikova for feedback while writing this contribution and to Mr. Tor Olav Heldal for his response and interest as well as Voices in general for the many informative, inspirational articles. Thanks also to Mr.Yuji Igari MT, Mr. Andrew Stewart MT-BC as well as his associates.
Response to Mariya Ivannikovas' articles in Voices
I just finished reading through Mariya Ivannikova's articles in Voices. I am a music therapist from Israel, working for many years in the field of rehabilitation of substance abusers (drugs and alcohol).
In Israel we have many immigrants from the former USSR. Many of our clients in the therapeutic community I work in are from Ukraine, Russia, Uzbekistan, Dagestan, etc. Working with them, I have become very interested in the Russian culture (and the way it is manifested in so many different countries) language and music. I was very interested in the article about using folk instruments in music therapy.
I have a small Russian accordion-like instrument (it has "kalinka" written on it in Russian). I don't know if it is a bayan, garmoshka, garmonia or just a toy instrument - but it has a great sound, even though it's difficult for non musicians to play on. I also found (in a flea market in Toronto!!) a gusli or peripiolotchka (it's small, and maybe also is a toy, or made for children). It has a beautiful sound. The following site has a picture, they call it "perepelochka" (http://belpiano.narod.ru/other.htm"). In any case, my Russian speaking clients become very excited when I take out these instruments during the music therapy groups, and playing them brings up many memories of the past.
Among these clients, some came to Israel 15 years ago, as children or teenagers. Others have been living in Israel for 4 years or less, and some speak very little Hebrew. In general, most of them suffer from what I call "immigration complex" (for lack of a better term). Feelings of being outsiders-not belonging to our middle eastern culture-and cultural identity problems are common. My impression is that these instruments (and a cassette of Russian children's songs, of Shainsky) enable me to convey to them my respect for their culture and their social and personal histories. Also, as we are a multicultural society and our clients reflect this diversity, this cultural/musical input enriches all members of the group.
Can Folk Music Instruments of Russia, Ukraine and Byelorussia be of Interest for Active Music Therapy?
By Mariya A. Ivannikova, MA, Dipl.-Psych., made her guest study at the Department for Music Therapy at University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal /Germany/ from April 1999 to July 2000. From 2000 to 2003 took part at caring out of a new collaborative project between State University Zaporizhzhia and University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal "Social psychological rehabilitation with music" /Music Therapy/. From 2002 to 2004 worked as a Lecturer for Psychology and Languages at the Department of Social Pedagogy and Psychology at State University Zaporizhzhia /Ukraine/. She currently studies in Norway to complete her music therapeutical education. Email: mariya_ivannikova@hotmail.com
Abstract
This writing contents wonderings around folk music instruments of Russia, Ukraine and partial Byelorussia and their usefulness for active music therapy, contact addresses of folk instrument makers and references with explanations how to build this kind of instrument.
Introduction
Can Folk Music Instruments of Russia and Ukraine be of Interest for Active Music Therapy? This question became especially important for me after "A Perspective of Using Self-Made Instruments in Sessions of Music Therapy" was published. I felt a need to find out whether any authentic instrument could be used instead of or additionally to famous Orff-instruments, which for many years have been known and applied in Music Pedagogy and Music Therapy in more than thirty countries of the world. I thought that it would be good to find them not only because it would be so expensive to import them from other countries.
As Even Ruud formulated it in "Music therapy: improvisation, communication and culture" (1998):
So I thought that in the same way it could be useful to have authentic instruments to give clients and/or patients supplementary impulses "to encode such dimensions". In the case when people would not exactly remember names of instruments, these instruments still could bring back memories and associations:
While wonderings I had in my mind the theory of Music Therapy after Christoph Schwabe with his understanding of Music Therapy as "an implicitly resource-oriented psychotherapeutic conception" (Schwabe, 2005, p. 50).
So in the paper I would like to illustrate how all this worked with me when I was looking for authentic instruments for music therapy sessions. I tried to use every possibility I had last summer visiting Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Moscow and Chelyabinsk. I talked to people, took photos, made copies of publications, printed out more and more pages with pictures, drawings and texts.
Reflections and observations
First of all I had to recall memories about instruments used by our people in general. I remembered garmony, an instrument like an accordion. I heard from my grandparents that it was very popular when they were young. Could a man play it, he became "the first guy in the village" [ первый парень на деревне], he was always welcome at weddings, celebrations and other activities of his place. People gathered around him, sang songs, danced or just listened to him. Both in films and cartoons I saw the following picture: a garmonist playing while he walked around was surrounded by other men and girls. I remembered my parents telling us that they dreamt about learning to play this instrument as well, but they were not able to do it. So one of my brothers once was given an honour to learn it and he even received a famous instrument from Tula (a city in Russia where these instruments are produced) to practice on. But the time when young people dreamed about learning to play this instrument was mostly over.
When our parents were young guitar was on. I wanted to learn to play it too. People gathered around a camp-fire with a guitar or on the benches in the yards of blocks of flats. If they knew three chords they were considered to be good players. So as soon as I learned five chords, I became a very good player both for my family and our friends. Could the garmony and the guitar be used instead of Orff-instruments?
I went on with my recollections. Balalaika was the next instrument I remembered. Here I got an association with Russian folk dances and performances. I remembered fairytales with balalaika music in the background as well. The balalaika player told stories and accompanied them on the instrument. When there was something special in a story, something was going to happen; he showed it by changing the tempo or volume of his play. It gave space for fantasy and emotions and made us, children, listen to them again and again.
I remembered kobsa, a Ukrainian folk instrument, and kobsa players [кобзари]. They were mostly blind old men who went from one place to another playing kobsa and singing songs about Kazaks[1]. We learned at school that sometimes there was a young boy with a Kobsary and helped him to find the way. This memory came especially intensive when I looked at the monument in Kyiv which represented a Kazak playing a kobsa.
Photo 1: A Kazak with a kobsa in Kyiv.
There was one more Ukrainian folk instrument which I associated with school. Some of my classmates were in a folk ensemble and played banduras singing folk songs. These instruments were extremely heavy to carry, especially for kids, but they were fascinating to play and listen too. So in Kyiv, I saw some Bandurinsts as well and enjoyed for a while their singing and playing taking them for authentic street musicians.
Photo 2: A Bandurist in Kyiv.
Could balalayka, kobsa and/or bandura be used instead of Orff-instruments in sessions of music therapy?
My next recollection was about gusli. This instrument was played to accompany byliny stories[2]. The player touched strings with the fingers and recite byliny. Gusli existed already in the time of Kiev Russ, before Russian, Ukrainian and Byelorussian nations began their development. It made me wondering whether there were any other similar and/or common instruments to find in these three countries because of common history. This question seemed to be very interesting to have in the focus of my research too.
Searching more deep in my memory I recalled coloured wood lozhki [spoons]. When my brother and I were little, we liked to eat with them at our grandparents' place. There were very unusual to eat with and almost made the food tastier. Similar spoons were used as rhythmic instruments in folk ensembles. So we were one day at a performance by a children folk dance ensemble. The boys danced with spoons and banged with them on their shoulders and knees. I thought that it would not be easy to play with them like they did. But this instrument still attracted my attention. I went to a souvenir store in Zaporizhzhia and made a photo of them.
Photo 3: Lozhki.
Thinking further about folk ensembles I remembered some other rhythmic folk instruments, but I had no idea what they were called and whether they could be used in sessions.
Meetings with books, people and instruments
On a base of recollections and observations I started a search in a library. Every book I could find had special things of interest. For example, in "Atlas of Musical Instruments of the Peoples Inhabiting the USSR" (1975) by K.Vertkov, G. Blagodatov & E. Yazovitskaya authors presented instruments of all the Republics of Former Soviet Union. There were a lot of pictures of described instruments and records to illustrate their sound as well. Written in a scientific way, it seemed to be the only one of this kind in the Region Scientific Library of Zaporizhzhia which was the reason why I could not borrow it. I was neither successful in Moscow trying to find out whether a new edition of this book existed and could be bought.
One more book I found in the Region Scientific Library was published a year later. It was written in a narrative way by Y.Vasilyev and A.Shirokov and contained different stories about instruments. I was surprised to find there not only a history of instruments of Russia, but also some examples on building them. A bit later I discovered a web version of these "Stories..." And I was surprised once more: there was even information about folk orchestras and notes with folk instrumental melodies as well. Pictures and materials were free to use: "Every use of materials of the link for good purposes is welcome". Reading this sentence made me smile. It showed that people knew that it was not as easy to find such information and were ready to share it with others.
My next luck in the library was to hold in my hands Vasiliy Bychkov's "Music Instruments: Bases of Art Craft" (2000). This publication also contained a history of folk instruments of Russia. The difference here was that it described ways to build and play, not just for some, but for every one instrument. In the summer I even met a person in Chelyabinsk (Russia) who used this book for making instruments. It was one more surprise for me especially coming from Ukraine just for a couple of days to see my people. We talked about growing interest for folk music generally, folk instruments, about his band and their musical meetings after their work. Together we visited some music stores in Chelyabinsk and a museum of folk instruments. I noticed so much joy in his eyes when he was sharing "his findings" with me!
It was time of holidays and when we entered the museum; its assistant was occupied with paper work. He asked us about the aim of our visit looking seriously at us. As soon as he heard that I was going to write an article about Russian and Ukrainian folk instruments, he loosened up. He showed everything that was of interest to us, answered questions, and played instruments to demonstrate possibilities to produce sound. We were even allowed to take pictures. It was really a great experience for me. Music brought together people who met each other just for a couple of hours! In the museum I learned about more instruments, recognized some that I already knew. Now I wondered whether they also existed in smaller sizes.
Visiting music stores in Chelyabinsk we could see not only "guitars and strings" as it had been some years ago in Zaporizhzhia, but also Carl Orffs' instruments, drums of different sizes and so on. Searching for Russian folk instruments, we entered a music college. The first we saw there was a fairytale picture on the wall with folk instruments.
Photo 4: Flying carpet.
I grasped my camera and heard behind my back a strong voice saying that I was not allowed to take photos of this picture. It turned to be a security man. He noticed my reaction and started laughing loudly. It was just a joke, and I could both take a photo and get further information about where to look for. We went to the next building. There was a music store with Russian folk instruments there. It was closed because of holidays, but I could see in the window small (!) instruments which would be amazingly good for active Music Therapy. I could not describe how glad I became because I realized that somebody was working on making them!
My days in Chelyabinsk passed away very fast. Making one more short stay in Moscow on the way home, I visited two music stores to compare the variety of instruments there. The stores I found were not the biggest ones, probably therefore there were not as many different instruments as they were in the stores I visited in Chelyabinsk. I also noticed that the prices in Moscow were higher than they were in Chelyabinsk.
Searching on the web
Summer holidays were over very soon as well. I returned to my studies in Norway. Impressions I had got through reflections, observations, meetings with people, books and instruments helped me to continue with a web search. I did already know what to look for and found rather quickly three links devoted to:
The booklet by Viktor Mishalow "Folk instruments of Ukraine" (1996) was meant as an introduction to the folk instruments of the country and contained description of forty six original Ukrainian instruments and ten recently introduced foreign ones. Among the foreign instruments there were the bayan-accordion and guitar adopted from Russia.
The next link was devoted to Russian instruments (2003) (http://folkinst.narod.ru/). Both history and pictures of twelve the most famous instruments of the country were presented here. Music collection with examples of sound of some of them and a collection of links were supplementary added as well.
The link to Belarusian Folk Musical Instruments and Folk Music (1994) (http://www.belarusguide.com/culture1/music/Instruments.html) introduced about twenty Belarusian folk musical instruments with pictures and notes of melodies to play.
Narrowing the search
I came slowly to the point where I began to feel lost in all the information I had found. I began to get new focuses, as for example the history of folk instruments. It was interesting too, but I had to narrow my search according to the task. To make it work I developed some criteria for a choice. So an instrument had to be:
The last criterion was one of the most difficult ones. And in some cases I just had to forget about it when all the others were working well.
I also wanted to find both melody and rhythm instruments. The garmony/ bayan-accordion, guitar, balalayka, kobsa and bandura seemed not to correspond to the most of my criteria. I also tried to avoid wind instruments as well. And it turned out to be that not many were left. Gusli was just the only one! And I felt that I needed to find a bit more information about it especially because of that.
So I learned that in the times of Kiev Russ, the word gusli was the generic word for a string psaltery-like musical instrument. According to Victor Mishalow it continued to be played in Russia, but it was no longer used in Ukraine (Mishalow, 1996). The gusli were originally used "to play folk songs and dance tunes and to accompany one's singing..." (Vertkov& Blagodatov & Yazovitskaya, 1975: 202). This instrument had 11 to 36 gut or metal diatonically tuned strings and was made in various sizes. That was why I thought that it could be of special interest for music therapy sessions. Even when the instrument was no longer used for making music, I supposed that memories about it were still alive.
Photo 5: A gusli from a museum.
Fortunately it turned to be much easier with percussion instruments than it was with melody instruments. There were a lot of different ones. Here I tried to combine the results of reflections, observations, and meetings with people, books, the museum and the web search.
This way I found out that Rubel (Russain) or Zatula, Rubal, Kuchelka, Kachanka, Kachalka, Rebra (Ukrainian) was common both for Russia and Ukraine. It was a household item for washing and ironing clothes, used as a percussion instrument as well. It sounded like a guiro. In the museum I saw both Rubels as household items and as music instruments. It could probably be seen on these photos that there was a difference between them.
Photo 6: A rubel as a household item.
Photo 7: A rubel as a music instrument: the instrument on the right.
The first type of a Rubel was much bigger and did not have any resonance slit. Therefore the sound produced with it was not as clear, as it was by the other one.
Two further instruments in the middle of the picture attracted my attention too. One of them, the Russian Buben [tambourine], was generally widely known. I just supposed that the difference could be that this one had a bit narrower and thick frame. Comparing pictures with the Byelorussian Buben, I saw some more difference (A picture of it can be seen at Virtual Guide to Belarus).
In Ukrainia this instrument was called the Bubon, Resheto or Taraban. This one also could have a membran over one or both sides as well and was a popular instrument among the Ukrainian Kazaks. Looking at these pictures I supposed that different tambourines could probably exist in all three countries and that those pictures did not show how all of them looked earlier.
Trezhotki in Russian or Kliashchotki in Byelorussian [rattle] was the name of another instrument on the photo. I found following description of them in the "Atlas...": "Rattle – set of wooden plates (up to 20) on a string or a leather strap; when the ends of the string (leather strap) are alternately jerked, the plates strike against one another producing sharp ratting sounds. Rattles were played by women at weddings when songs in honour of the newlyweds were sung" (Vertkov& Blagodatov & Yazovitskaya, 1975, p. 203).
My next idea was to continue the list with further percussion instruments made of wood. So I scanned a picture of Drova [firewood] from "Stories..." It was a kind of xylophone in Russia. The pieces of wood were cut according to the scale, so that they could be used to play melodies. These instruments were easy to roll up and to carry. A similar instrument in Byelorussia was called "Cymbalki". (A picture of it can be seen at Virtual Guide to Belarus).
I had had no memories about this instrument before. Learning about it I felt very exited to try the sound of ordinary firewood which was not made up according to the scale. It turned out that even without any "special cutting and tuning" they sounded differently. I also heard that the sound had to be different according to different kinds of the wood as well.
Photo 8: Firewood.
One more wood percussion instrument I noticed in several books was a Korobochka [a wood block]. A similar instrument of Byelorussia was called "Kliakotki". And it was a bit strange to discover almost the same instrument which was among Orff-instruments.
Pogremushki or pobryakushki [maracas] were presented very detailed in "Music Instruments: Bases of Art Craft" (2000) by Vasiliy Bychkov. Here I could find descriptions of maracas made for example of wood and birch bark. One of such maracas made of wood I had seen in the museum in Chelyabinsk.
Photo 9: Pogremushki made of wood.
Kolotushka or kokoshnik was the next Russian folk instrument I had seen both in the museum and books and wanted to add to the list. It was made of wood and had some bells inside. In English it could be probably called a wood drum because of a small hanging ball which clapped on the wood sides of the kolotushka when it was turned from one side to another.
Photo 10: Kolotushka.
Bubenzi [jingle-bells] were generally very popular. They were fastened on a collar of a Troika, a team of three horses in Russia. This way it could be heard from a long distance what created in a way a holiday mood. Later bubenzi were used in folk orchestras to imitate troikas (Vasilyev & Shirokov, 1976). At this point I remembered a Russian song which started with words about a troika and bubenzi ["Ехали на тройке с бубенцами, а вокруг мелькали огоньки..."]. I compared the English text of it with the Russian one and found neither mention about the bubenzi, nor about a seven string guitar which also was in our version of the song. Instead of it there was a line "Once upon a time there was a tavern..." (text by Gene Raskin). So I thought that it would be not as easy for someone to work with English versions of Russian and Ukrainian songs.
I was surprised to see in books some lozhki [spoons] with bells. It looked like it could make the sound of this percussion instrument even more authentic. Coming back to them I also found out that it was not obligatory to play them by baging with them on the palm, knee and shoulder. It was possible to take different sizes of them and clap with one lozhka on another. I also noticed that there were some unpainted lozhki, which meant that they had to be less expensive than painted ones.
One more unusual instrument came this time from Ukraine. It was the Batih, described in "Folk instruments of Ukraine" by Victor Mishalow. The Batih was a thick stick that is rhythmically tapped on the floor. According to him it was popular among Kazaks from the Zaporozhian region. They sang, made music and danced to the rhythm of it. Sometimes pieces of metal or bottle-caps hang on this stick (Mishalow, 1996). Nowadays, wondering about the simplest ways to make instruments, we can take a handle of a spade and it will turn, with a bit of imagination, to a batih.
I was especially excited reading about one more instrument described by Victor Mishalow. It was a steel Horseshoe used as triangle. So he wrote that in some folk instrument ensembles it "dangles from the end of a gut string and is struck with a piece of metal wire" (Mishalow, 1996).
Photo 11: Horseshoe.
Other instruments as for example Drum with two heads, Baraban [primitive drum], the Tarilky [Cymbals] and Lytavry, Tulumbasy [The Kettle Drums] did not impress me as much as the instruments described above. I just noticed that the last two of them were used in Ukraine from the times of the Kazaks which meant that they also were authentic.
Summary
My search for authentic instruments of Russia, Ukraine and Byelorussia to apply in Active Music Therapy was over. I went once more through the list of instruments. There were similar and common ones for Russia, Ukraine and Byelorussia and even instruments similar with Orff-instruments.
I remembered that it had been important for me to compare different sources to come to my own understanding and choice. Therefore I would like not to generalize it. Especially because I noticed that some of Ukrainian percussion instruments I added to the list were connected with Kazaks. I supposed that associations I had got here with Zaporizhzhia region could had been one of possible reasons of my choice. I also underlined the Russian name for instruments which were common for all three countries, when I had a strong association exactly with Russia. Besides that I did not get a possibility for a solid study of Byelorussian instruments, and could just hope that some glimpses presented in this paper were able to give a slight idea about some of them.
During this search I felt a need to learn more about different drums to have a brighter choice. It could probably work to look for them and/or some further instruments in other former Republics of Soviet Union as well. There is no Soviet Union any longer, but our countries are mostly still multinational. So it would probably make sense to have also other authentic instruments.
One of ideas I had had was to make not only a list of instruments, to present references with descriptions to make them, but also to find some contact addresses of instrument makers in all three countries. This information is not absolutely complete, but I still hope that it can be of certain use.
It was a pleasure for me to work on this writing and I hope that even having its limitations it can give you some new ideas.
Acknowledgment
I would like to thank all the people I met last summer for warm discussions about folk music and folk instruments, my family and relatives for their acceptance and assistance during this search. I appreciate a lot the support in English offered by Sally Gloppestad.
Notes
[1] The Kazaks were the freedom fighters in Ukraine originally living in Zaporizhzhia region. In the time of the Russian Empire they were rebels and military reserve units at the same time, always more or less independent and rebellious.
[2] Byliny are oral heroic poems or legends from 1200-1860.
References
[Bychkov, Vasiliy (2000). Music Instruments: Bases of Art Craft. Moscow: AST-Press] Бычков, Василий. Музыкальные инструменты: Основы художественного ремесла. - Москва: АСТ-Пресс. – 2000. - 175с.
Dowdy, Paula (2005). Contribution to Ukrainian Music Therapy - Does It Have a Chance to Exist? [Contribution to Moderated Discussions] Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved December 3, 2005, from http://voices.no/?q=content/response-music-therapy-ukraine#comment-606
Ivannikova, Mariya (2004). Ukrainian Music Therapy - Does It Have a Chance to Exist?. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved December 11, 2005, from https://normt.uib.no/index.php/voices/article/view/188/147
Ivannikova, Mariya A. (2005). A Perspective of Using Self-Made Instruments in Sessions of Music Therapy [Contribution to Moderated Discussions] Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved December 11, 2005, from http://www.voices.no/discussions/discm10_09.html
[Levasheva, Olga & Keldish, Yuriy & Kandinskiy, Alexey (1973). History of Russian Music. - Volume 1. – From the Ancient Times to the middle of the 19th century. –Second Edition. Moscow: State Publishers "Music"] Левашева, Ольга & Келдыш, Юрий & Кандинский, Алексей. История русской музыки. – Т.1. – От древнейших времен до середины XIX в.- изд.2-е. - Москва: издательство Музыка. – 1973. - 596с.
[Micheeva, Ludmila (2005). Dictionary of a Young Musician. Moscow: AST, Saint-Petersburg: Sova] Михеева, Людмила. Словарь юного музыканта. - Москва: АСТ, Санкт-Петербург: Сова. – 2005. - 333с.
Mishalow, Victor (1996). Folk Instruments of Ukraine. Retrieved from http://home.att.net/~bandura.ca/VMfolkBook/index2.html
[Ritov, D.A. (2001) Traditions of Folk Culture in Musical Education of Children: Russain Folk Instruments. Moscow: Vlados.] Рытов Д.А. Традиции народной культуры в музыкальном воспитании детей : Русские народные инструменты: Учебно-методическое пособие .- Москва.: Владос. - 2001. - 384 с.
[Russian Instruments (2003)]Русские инструменты (2003), Retrieved from http://folkinst.narod.ru/
Ruud, Even (1998). Music Therapy: Improvisation, Communication and Culture. Gilsum: Barcelona Publishers. pp. 32-47
Schwabe, Christoph (2005). Resource-Oriented Music Therapy – The Development of a Concept. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy.14(1), 49-56.
Schwabe, Christoph (1991). Aktive Gruppenmusiktherapie für erwachsene Patienten. 2.überarb.Aufl. [1.Aufl. 1983]. Leipzig, Stuttgart: Georg Thieme
Schwabe, Christoph &Haase, Ulrike (1998). Die Sozialmusiktherapie (SMT). Crossener Schriften zur Musiktherapie, Bd. VII. Akademie für angewandte Musiktherapie Crossen
Schwabe, C. & Rudloff, H. (Eds) (1997). Die Musikalische Elementarerziehung. 2Aufl. Crossener Schriften zur Musiktherapie, Bd.I. Akademie für angewandte Musiktherapie Crossen
[Vasilyev, Y. & Shirokov, A (1976). Stories about Russian Folk Instruments. Moscow: Soviet Composer] Васильев Ю., Широков А. Рассказы о русских народных инструментах, - Москва: Советский композитор. – 1976. – 95 с.
[Vasilyev, Y. & Shirokov, A Stories about Russian Folk Instruments] Васильев Ю., Широков А. Рассказы о русских народных инструментах. Retrieved from http://rm.hoha.ru/?dir=rus_instr&id=0
[Vertkov, K. & Blagodatov, G. & Yazovitskaya, E. (1975). Atlas of Musical Instruments of the Peoples Inhabiting the USSR. Moscow: State Publishers "Music"] Вертков К., Благодатов Г., Язовицкая Э. Атлас музыкальных инструментов народов СССР. - Москва: издательство Музыка. – 1975.
Virtual Guide to Belarus (n.d.) Belarusian Folk Musical Instruments and Folk Music. Retrieved from http://www.belarusguide.com/culture1/music/Instruments.html
Additional links
Web Sites
Instrument Makers
Chernigov, Ukraine.
Tel: 0038/ (0462)139 – 297; 0038/ (0462) 248 – 199
E-mail: vensub@bigmir.net; buch317@bigmir.net
Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
Web:http://sydorsky.narod.ru
E-mail: sydorsky@narod.ru
Maliy Kislovskiy Pereulok, 9, Moscow, Russia.
Tel: 007/(095) 506 – 10 – 49
http://www.gusev.ru
E-mail: ggoose@mail.ru
Prospekt 100 let Vladivostoku, 103
690039 Vladivostok, Russia.
Tel: 007/(4232) 31 - 90 – 26
Fax: 007/(4232) 31- 97- 42
Web:http://www.folk-veche.da.ru
E-mail: folk_veche@nm.ru
Lenin Street, house 35, flat 5-6, Vladimirskaya oblasty, 602256 Murom, Russia.
Tel: 007/(09234) 3 – 25 – 70
007/(905) 618 – 18 - 27
Fax: 007/(09234) 4 – 80 – 39
Web: http://www.forte-k.ru
E-mail: sirius81@mail.ru
Minsk, Belarusia.
Web: http://www.gusli.narod.ru/eng/trade.html
E-mail: edellin@mail.ru
A Perspective of Using Self-Made Instruments in Sessions of Music Therapy[1]
Abstract
The paper presents the process by which the idea of making instruments for music therapy sessions was developed. It gives some examples of building simple instruments and using them offering music therapy for depressive patients. Advantages and disadvantages of using such instruments are briefly presented.
Introduction
During the past few months I began to learn about more and more people striving and wondering in music therapy. Every time it was a unique feeling I got: a feeling of common interests and common questions, a feeling of belonging to the common world.
Reading the contribution by Paula Dowdy, a music therapy student from United States, and seeing our common points I have got an even stronger wish to share some more ideas about covering lack of musical instruments for therapeutic sessions I came up with whilst being an Ukrainian student and embarking on my first clinical project in music therapy.
Buying instruments myself was not a feasible option: not only due to the high cost involved, but also an apparent lack of choice in the one music shop I knew of in Zaporizhzhia. Available in this shop were guitars, tambourines, big cymbals, squeezeboxes and so on. But I had my doubts, even if I had the means to purchase them that they would be suitable for patients suffering from depression. So my mission in finding musical instruments, for my clinical project, changed its emphasis. I had to make a free improvisation to the theme "making music instruments" as soon and as inexpensive as only possible...
I began to examine every available object in my room, the kitchen, and the balcony with old and sometimes completely non useful things. The bathroom and the store-room followed. My family observed me, running from one corner to the other. Although they kept silent I could read the question constructing itself on their faces about what I was doing... Every time I had something new in my hands; I was trying many different ways, to achieve different sounds from each object. Moving from one to another until I found something which could possibly work...
Making Instruments
In the bathroom I found a soap-dish, in the kitchen I discovered a wooden set, which we used as children when cooking with our mother: an instrument used for grinding potatoes, a small hammer for beating meat, a rolling pin. So I could use two of the wooden pieces as claves and combine the third one with the soup-dish as guiro. I thought it was a good start, and so continued with my search.
Photo 1: Wooden kitchen utensils.
Unexpectedly in the cupboard on the balcony I found empty bottles, which used to hold soluble vitamin tablets. I also found many other plastic bottles such as shampoo bottles, other dietary supplement containers. Under the desk I noticed an old tin can of beer, which my brother kept his old soviet coins in... So I put some of coins into two tight and long bottles of vitamins. The sound they produced was like tambourines. Also they were small, simple and easy to use.
Photo 2: Vitamin bottles with coins.
In observing my efforts, my mother suggested to put different types of groats into the other bottles. So I had two bottles with peas, which produced rather loud sounds; two with rice, producing softer sounds. The last two bottles I filled with kidney beans. It became a "heavy groats instrument". The bottles with millet in them produced the softest sounds. Thanks to such a variety of products I produced different kinds of maracas.
Photo 3: Bottles with groats.
I thought it would be great to have an equivalent instrument to the triangle. And no sooner than I had this thought I saw a cake trowel. This combined with a teaspoon, I thought, could possibly have the same effect as a triangle! So I bound some nylon thread from the trowel to the spoon. So the string suspended the trowel and the latter had to be long enough so the tea spoon could be used to tap the improvised trowel "triangle". If one held the trowel without using the string the hand reduced the vibration and therefore the sound could become toneless.
Photo 4: Trowel and tea spoon.
My next idea was connected find an equivalent set of chimes. It could be only a hand chime, because I could not see that I'd have the ability of producing a holder to create bar chimes. Such a holder seemed not to be a musical instrument and my imagination could not work in this direction. So I noticed that cartridge-cases of patrons that my brother had on his bookshelf as an addition to composition he had made once. They were of different size and produced different sounds. I just needed something to put them together. A wooden school-lineal seemed to be not enough to hold the weight of them. So I required a much more sturdy peice. I thought, maybe a thick stick would do, but had no luck in finding one the right size. I found a flat wooden plank, but feared that it was too small. But I preserved and began winding every cartridge with nylon threat. Afterwards I bound them to the wooden stick. I had to make sure that cartridge-cases had no contact to the stick in order to make the sound clear and lasting.
Next I remembered a German seminar in improvisation. We used small one-way plastic glasses for one of our musical activities. At this point I began to contemplate, whether different kinds of such glasses could produce different sounds. So I took the larger ones, which were made of thick plastic, supposed to be used for beer; and smaller ones, which were just universal for all other kinds of beverages. Small plastic glasses were different color and also of different thickness. So not only did I get different resonance-surface, but also different resonance-quality.
Photo 5: One-way plastic glasses.
Another find I had was some pebbles, collect by myself. I found them one summer on the beach of The Black Sea. These pebbles had different natural ornament qualities and had been made smooth by the sea. They attracted my attention because they were unusual. So I picked small and bigger ones and carried them home. Seeing the pebbles again I thought that it would be possible to use them as simplest percussion instruments.
Photo 6: Pebbles.
Last but not least I discovered an old hand bell, which was hand made by someone else a long time ago. It was not aesthetically pleasing. It had a rubber handle and a rusty metal surface. But the sound was near fantastic for the situation! And that was the most important thing.
Photo 7: Cartridge-cases of patrons.
So the arsenal of instruments was ready. With sinking heart I waited for the first music therapeutic meeting with my group of patients.
Photo 8: All objects together.
Using Instruments in Sessions
I had reservations connected with using the instruments I'd created. Pure music activities with them, I thought at first, could be clumsy to carry out. But I remembered doing a practice with other students in a heriatric department of Pfeiffersche Stiftungen in Magdeburg. We worked as co-therapists and sometimes used marsh-music or polkas, which had a clear rhythm to play an accompaniment to with a group of patients. The difference here was not only that our patients in Magdeburg (heriatric) and my patients in Zaporizhzhia (depressive) were rather different, but I also did not have any co-therapists. So I was not absolutely sure whether it would work also in other conditions.
To find such kind of music in Zaporizhzhia was almost absolutely impossible task too! I visited all the music shops, but classical music was not easy to obtain: there were some CDs, but were only the popular pieces, which everybody knows, and which I could hardly use for my purpose. Maybe the patients could have fixed emotional memories to this music. Other point was the rhythm of them, which was not suited for my purpose in active forms of music therapy.
My next idea was to find something with rhythmic potential, to use the instruments to. And it turned to be tongue twisters, sayings and short poems. Russian was language I used for that: some of the group members could not understand Ukrainian, because we were in the eastern part of the country.
So, for example, I could offer some tongue twisters like following:
It was also possible to use poems like that in the sessions:
At some points it was not so easy to find such poems which were both short and had a rather neutral tonality. I had my doubts whether children poems would be suitable, because the first remark I heard from one member of the group when seeing instruments that he felt be taken for a child. So I wanted to avoid such impression trying to find poems for adults to offer, with no age determination. Therefore I had much less material to take under consideration.
In poems for adults there were generally emotions and feeling which played a key role. To have such feeling when working with depressive patients was, as I thought, rather dangerous. So I strived to focus on objects and not feelings first. But there were not so many "object-poems" available among poetry for adults. It could be that my family and I have special favorite authors who devoted their poems to the human feelings and emotions. But at some points I felt that it had to do not only with our preferences, that that could really be one of the features of Russian adults' poetry.
To find a way to go I had to take long poems which could be suitable and to choose one passage or two for offering them as short ones. So I worked with a poem written by our classic Alexander Pushkin:
If it was that someone did not feel ready to use these created music instruments, she or he could be included in the group process by reading the available twisters, sayings or poems. The group chose which instrument to take to accompany, and everybody was welcome to make suggestions about the ways of accompaniment, and therefore could chose an instrument suitable for that purpose.
Before going into a musical improvisation I offered one of combinations described above. During first active sessions some of my patients expressed verbally and nonverbally that they did not feel comfortable with instruments; they changed them after every musical activity we had. But at the end of the project the members of the group found their favorite "instruments" and kept using them.
As for the one-way plastic glasses, they could be used for finding a difference of sounds which could be produced by them (differentiating). So the members of the group began to compare the sound of different qualities of plastic, of different sizes of glasses, founded out how they sounded when falling on the floor, on the table and so on. Afterwards a "plastic-glasses-symphony" followed, whereby the patients used their glasses as they wanted in the common improvisation.
Advantages and disadvantages of self made instruments
It was clear for me that using of self-made instruments had both weaknesses and strengths. So "chimes" turned not to be a very solid, and after the first active session cartridge-cases separated from the stick and they became two separate instruments. Now they could be held in the right and left hand and used as simple metal claves. But even so this "instrument" turned out to be a favorite instrument for one of the group members.
The maracas and tambourines were opened up to see what was inside of them. First it focused the attention away from the group activity. But afterwards we could use it for describing the instruments. So it was possible to involve all the impressions into the therapeutic process. Thereby the most important point was that the patients were distracted from their negative experiences and emotions, and turned their attention to other things.
The point to consider was that I could not see beforehand which verses or proverbs would be suitable for wich members or whether all the instruments I had created would be accepted by the group. But I could offer a possible variety to choose. And that was a method, which I liked best. Thereby I felt more free and not seen as a person who knew everything and could prophesize what would happen after an hour or a week, or what the patients would do or feel. Such things could not be foreseen, as I have already learned myself.
So during one of musical activities with elements of improvisation one patient unexpectedly began to use her voice playing an "instrument". The lady sang a folk song "Во поле берёза стояла" ("In the field there was a birch"):
And frankly speaking I could not even imagine that it could work this way. Making as we call it my "observing practice" in one of clinics in Germany where sessions of music therapy were offered for depressive patients, I had never noticed that some of the members of the group began to sing during an improvisation using "real" instruments... I suppose it had to do not only with these improvised instruments, but I would to underline that it was possible even when using them.
This case showed me a possibility to use also songs in sessions offering them to the members of the group. And at this point I also had to pay much attention to the content of the songs I could offer to choose: the most known ones were also about feelings and had some certain sadness already in the texts not speaking about the melody...
Speaking about one more advantage I would like to say that using improvised instruments provided the group members with good possibility to criticize the quality of instruments, which were "not suitable" for making a perfect sound. During the first activities I got such feedbacks. But later the patients did not say anything like that any more. They described the music they made together, noticed who was louder and who was less so. They noticed whose "instruments" made a "carpet of sounds" more bright and gave positive feedback to each other.
The "instruments" seemed to help the patients to realize that it was not about perfect musical play that it was about other things, which were even more important than perfect music or absolute musicality.
It was challenging to use self made instruments, but I felt that it was a generally successful experience. On the one hand I wished to have real instruments to give better possibility to my group for expressing themselves, but on the other hand I realized that I did the best to my ability at the time and with the circumstances.
Summary
There could be found many different strategies to built instruments to use in sessions of music therapy. One possibility which could preserve your time and even more is by looking around you. You may find many usual things which could, with a little imagination, be used in various unusual ways to make music. So a wooden kitchen set and a soup-dish could be turned into claves and guiro; old bottles become tambourines and maracas; spoons and cartridge-cases turned to be triangles and chimes; and pebbles to be used as the simplest percussion instruments.
Self-made instruments can be applied for making brighter musical pieces, for accompanying of proverbs and sayings. Having both week and strong features they could help you to offer active forms of music therapy working in rather uneasy circumstances.
I think it could be even nicer to take slightly different materials and make instruments more attractive. But it is not only this way that we can achieve musical instruments for our aims. We can also use already created objects for making music. Some time ago I noticed a little wooden mortar on one of the shelves in a supermarket. Every time I went there, I looked at this object; at first I could not understand what attracted my attention. Some days ago I just bought, it without any idea how to use it. It was only later whilst unpacking it from the packaging. I automatically tried to produce sound from it and recognized it as a "stirring drum".
Photo 9: Wooden mortar.
Psychology is rather a new thing for Ukrainian society and in most cases ordinary people do not know exactly what it is. It can be perceived as a miracle. To visit a psychologist is not seen as a normal thing to do. A visit to a psychotherapist seems to be even worse. There is also a feeling that psychologists and psychotherapists can see everything about complete characteristic of a person in maybe just first few minutes.
Using self made instruments for active forms of music therapy I could clearly see one more time that it could not be foreseen exactly what a concrete person would prefer: what instrument to play, what musical activity to follow, how she or he would behave during sessions. I could see that every member of the group had an own understanding of making music.
The world around us is really full of different sounds and we can find new ways to produce them.... So I hope that some of thoughts, which occurred to me, could give other interested people helpful ideas. And maybe develop more advanced ones to use in practicing music therapy, in countries where getting real music instruments is not always easy or affordable.
Notes
[1]I would like to thank warmly Mia Marie Wraight, who helped me a lot by offering different English expressions and therefore making my text easier to read and understand.
References
Ivannikova, Mariya (2002): Music Therapy in the Ukraine. Voices A World Forum for Music Therapy. 2(3). Retrieved December 10, 2004, from http://voices.no/?q=content/response-music-therapy-ukraine#comment-607.
Ivannikova, Mariya (2004a). Ways to Gain Understanding of Music Therapy. [online] Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved October, 2004, from http://voices.no/?q=content/response-music-therapy-ukraine#comment-603.
Ivannikova, Mariya (2004b). Ukrainian Music Therapy - Does It Have a Chance to Exist?. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved November 2, 2004, from https://normt.uib.no/index.php/voices/article/view/188/147.
Ivannikova, Mariya A. (2004c). Further Facts About the Historical Background to the Development of Music Therapy in the Ukraine. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved December 2, 2004, from http://voices.no/?q=country-of-the-month/2004-further-facts-about-histor....
Jochims, Silke (2004). [Music therapy in the East of Europe, #7, September, 13, 2004] Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved March 8, 2005, from http://voices.no/?q=content/response-music-therapy-ukraine#comment-605.
Schwabe, Christoph, Rudloff, Helmut (1997) (ed.). Die musikalische Elementarerziehung, 3 Auflage, Crossen: Akademie für angewandte Musiktherapie Crossen.
Schwabe, Christoph (1997). Aktive Gruppenmusiktherapie für erwachsene Patienten - theoretischer und methodologischer Kontext, 3 Auflage, Crossen: Akademie für angewandte Musiktherapie Crossen.
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I want to begin by saying that as a music therapy student I find the global expansion of music therapy to be exciting. As a student I often read about the studies and expansions of music therapy within the United States; however, it is also rewarding to see how music therapy is spreading around the world and how techniques are being used to reach the needs of the different clients.
In this article, it took a lot of hard work and dedication from Mariya Ivannikova to create a music therapy session in Ukraine. The challenge to create music therapy instruments from common household kitchen utensils is just one example. In addition, the lack of things that many music therapists take for granted such as a CD player show how determined she really was to prove the worth of music therapy and that it could exist within Ukraine.
This same type of dedication can also be found with in the United States. Having grown up in rural Kentucky I can honestly say that there is a lot of creativity when it comes to musical instruments. The mountainous terrain caused geographic isolation for those in Eastern Kentucky leaving many areas in poverty; therefore, families had to find ways to make instruments from everyday household utensils. A few of these instruments include spoons, jugs, and washboards. Music therapy is also gaining more expansion in the state of Kentucky. It was not until 2000 that there was a university in Kentucky that offered a degree in music therapy. With the development of the program at the University of Louisville, there has also been a growth for music therapy work in the state. I am very excited to see this expansion of music therapy; however, I believe when music therapy encompasses the rural areas in Kentucky it is crucial to incorporate the self-made instruments that so many people associate with. In the future, I would personally like to help music therapy expand to all regions of Kentucky not just the large cities like Lexington and Louisville but also the rural areas of Eastern Kentucky like Inez and the small Kentucky area that I call home.
If all music therapist could and would take the same level of dedication that has been displayed in this article music therapy could soar to new levels. One person has began making the difference in Ukraine to help expand music therapy. With the help of the four cities mentioned in the article that are beginning to teach more about music therapy at the Universities, music therapy can grow and have a wonderful chance to exist with in Ukraine.
I close by saying that I do indeed agree with Ivannikova by saying that with support music therapy has a great opportunity for existence in Ukraine as well as small rural areas in the United States particularly Kentucky.
Being since 1997 the coordinator of the working group for music therapy within the European Association for Psychotherapy ( EAP) I gave a lecture about music therapy at the 11th EAP Congress in Lviv ( Ukraine) in 2003. Most of the 30-40 listeners had come from East-Ukraine so that my paper as well as the paper of a young Ukrainian music therapist (living and working in Germany) had to be translated into Russian as east-Ukrainian people obviously do not understand Ukrainian language.
There was a high interest in active music therapy, which seems to be unknown among the former east block countries. In these countries the medical profession used music solely in the receptive way. The specialisation of a music therapy profession is unknown. The same experience I had in Armenia, where I held a 10 days training course in the year 2000.
The politics of the EAP is in general to help free of charge the former east block countries in establishing psychotherapy by starting training courses. Therefore I offered at the end of my paper to give a workshop in music therapy free of charge if this would be of interest. Immediately I was asked by a young Gestalt therapist if I would come to Dnepropetrovsk to give a seminar about active music therapy with children. This was the beginning of a still-lasting contact with Ukrainian psychotherapists who are interested in our method.
In fact in February 2004 I started for a three days seminar to Dnepropetrovsk. Loaded up with two suitcases filled with instruments I had at the airport to open all cases for security reasons and to prove by playing that these are real instruments! At the end I was asked by the security personal: "Are you a music therapist?"! I was very amazed that they already knew about our profession! In Kiev I was collected from the Gestalt therapist as she was the only one speaking a little bit English. She and I organized together the whole seminar. We travelled by train all the night and arrived in Dnepropetrovsk in the morning, two hours before the beginning of the seminar. After two nights of nearly no sleep because of travel circumstances it was quite hard for me to concentrate for ten hours speaking in English and being translated after every sentence. My translator was very quick and very flexible, but she was neither a professional in music nor a professional in psychotherapy. Quite often she had difficulties translating special terms or she translated wrongly, which I did not realize because I cannot understand Russian. But one participant could speak German and Russian very well so that sometimes she asked me in German what I had said and then she translated into Russian for the rest of the group. The translator and I had a fulltime job as in the breaks everybody wanted to ask something and every question plus my answers had to be translated.
The room was quite small for the nearly 25 participants, most of them between 30- 50 years of age. I had asked them to bring some small instruments which nearly everybody did. However, they were all very difficult to play and nearly all wind instruments so that they would not give them to others. As a result, we had a lack of deep, bulbous and muffled sounds as for instance big drums or even a piano- necessary for moments of containing. On the contrary we had a too much of high frequency sounds which had an impact on the whole improvisational feeling.
The participants were professionals of Gestalt therapy, client-centered psychotherapy, psychoanalysis and family therapy. Their wishes for this seminar had been to go into case studies, to show how they could add some music in their professional child psychotherapy, to give a theoretical frame of music therapy. But within the three days their seminar goals changed quite dramatically: they asked less and less about professional advices and theoretical understanding, but more and more about personal and social issues. The last day they preferred just to play and could not stop it! When improvising with them and observing them I felt that the main task of these three days was to give them space for personal feelings of freedom, without controlling themselves and without the anxiety of attracting attention when their behaviour did not conform to that of others. From the relational perspective it seemed necessary for them to feel uncontrolled by me as the leader. For instance at the beginning of the seminar they waited for a sign to be allowed to play. Later on they played through the breaks observing me if I would stop their noises. The last day it was a tremendous noise in the room during the breaks, but when they saw me smiling about these noises, they started to behave like little children. Some asked to be allowed to take an instrument home in order to improvise at home in the evening. They gave me the feeling of being starved of freedom and joie de vivre, of letting go of control over their behaviour and of not being controlled by somebody. On the other hand I felt an incredible tension between the members themselves, which they were not able to express either in music nor in language. In my role as a leader I felt that I should not go into details of relationships. There was a feeling of danger around it. As a group they functioned very openly and freed, but as individuals within a group they were closed and unable to express relational problems. Concerning written material or even pre composed music they were like a sponge: they copied every single word I had with me for my own memory and taped all music cassettes I had with me, even those very well known pieces as the Air from Johann Sebastian Bach's orchestra suites. Obviously they have difficulties in accessing western style information, thoughts as well as music, although classical music is often performed and highly acknowledged in Ukraine.
As a result of the seminar I was asked to run a training course for professional psychotherapists to become music therapists. Just now we are in the planning phase, but we decided already to start in 2005 and to end two years later, with five to six one week phases of training. In case they decided later to want to be called music therapists I insisted on learning an instrument to play for everybody. This might be a problem, but I hope we get this solved. The main problem is actually a translator as this is money consuming. The participants will have a mixture of group and individual training, including classes in music theory, music psychology, practical playing on instruments and voice, practical improvisation on instruments and voice, different music therapy methods, praxis of music therapeutic intervention, music and movement, diagnostic and indication for music therapy, individual and group supervision of music therapeutic treatment of children and adults.
I never thought before that music can play such a key role in the life of people. I haven't had a strong interest in it - just listened a music for pleasure and to improve my mood.
However, after my first seminars I got to know, that music can be used in the psychotherapeutic context. Music always was important in the life of mankind-it was as a catalytic, it promoted interpersonal relationships.
After this I started not only to listen but to notice natural, mechanical sounds as well. Within the course, I studied the theory of music, learned to play piano (I haven't had a musical education before), studied musical psychology.
The teenage years are a critical period, the transition from childhood to youth and can have many difficulties. That is the reason why I study the influence of simple music playing on communicative difficulties of the teens.
In the year of 2004, January through March, I had my practicum in the school No. 3 of Zaporozhye, applying the practice of music therapy. I worked with teenagers with aggressive behavior and communication difficulties.
This method is a very new one in our country, so the teenagers I worked with were really interested and involved in the work.
In my practice I used a receptive music therapy in the beginning, because I found that it's difficult to start an active type of work, especially because of teenager's negativism of this age. Step by step we were moving to more active music therapy. Also a questionnaire "Communication and music" was developed.
After the end of the project I want to strengthen a theoretical knowledge and to practice and so plan to continue working with aggressive teenagers applying music therapy.
Ways to Gain Understanding of Music Therapy
There are many methods of music therapy, many ways to gain an understanding of it. And only one of all the ways is the right one: striving for getting knowing more. Looking back to the end of the year 1998 I remember my first research work in psychology about music and its influence on a human: There were too few literary sources to find in a library, limit of time to get the work ready.
Some months later in an international office of State University of Zaporizhzhie I held a list of subjects to choose for guest study at the faculty for Social Services and Public Health according to a new collaborative agreement between State University Zaporozhzhie and University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal /Germany/. The task then was to study social work in Germany. But a list of subjects changed everything at once. Theoretical basics of music therapy, group work with music, receptive music therapy, music therapeutical fields of activity sounded much more interesting for me than introduction into the methods of social work, organizing of social work, social safety in EU.
There were lots of recommendations of my home supervisor in psychology about what to look for, what to ask during studying MT, and visiting practical institutions. So my first attempts were to find lists of music to use in therapeutical sessions. A lecturer in music therapy answered, saying me something like: "Everything depends on a concrete situation, on a concrete patient. You can't speak about certain lists of music for certain cases". Searching in libraries I tried to find, what I had to, by myself.
Permanent confrontation with a task to find "treatment programs of music therapy" and a client-centered approach was a quite difficult thing to manage. So my first semester was spent between two different understandings of music therapy and could not get almost anything from lectures: perception was tuned to certain programs in music therapy, and nobody wanted to tell me about them. The new world of music therapy seemed to be like a secret laboratory with a plate above it "No entrance without a code".
Home during my summer holidays, I tried to define this code by analyzing copies of books brought from Germany, drawing a brain with different centers responsible for processing of different sounds. Going home I had had a feeling that I had all I needed for my research work in psychology. But during the next meetings with my home supervisor I understood that all that I could find was not enough. I said to my supervisor: "They do not give me any lists". Together we came to a conclusion that this information was a professional secret of every therapist. So we decided that next semester I had to write down all music which would sound in a classroom during seminars in MT and in clinics during sessions with a hope of getting an understanding of music therapy in this way.
Now when I look at my research work, which was devoted to the theme "Influence of music on emotional-psychical condition of a person," I smile remembering my feeling of wanting to know a secret. In this work many things were analyzed: psycho-physiological influence of rhythm, melody, style of music on a person; auditory and vibration sensation; differences of processing music by right and left cerebral hemispheres; biological reactions of organism on simple and musical sounds, emotional-affective reactions of a human during listening to music, influence of music on conciousness.
With warmth in my heart I remember questions I got during my holidays home like "When are you going to practice MT in clinics of Zaporozhzhie?" "Do you plan to teach MT?" To this time I could hardly say what was going on in music therapeutical sessions. I was only a student and had no idea about my future and my future occupation. I knew only one thing - I had to do a lot to come to understand MT a bit better.
I remember two examples, which were mostly used to start a conversation about MT: increasing of yield of milk because of using music by W.A.Mozart and a bible story about Saul and David.[1] Or sayings like "oh, music therapy, it's great! Sing or play something for me to make me feel better!" All these experiences are unforgettable for me.
After the 2nd and 3d semesters, when I had not only observation but also practical using of methods of music therapy, I got one more time a feeling of having learned a secret. At the same point I also noticed that a 40- minute session sometimes needed more than 2 hours of supervision discussion after it. I realized that some things came to my mind only during speaking about them with an "adult" music therapist.
In 2000, a collaborative project was started. Some more students began their striving to learn to understand music therapy. This way was already much straighter than mine. It was like a new beginning of my own way: the same questions I once had, the same answers from a lecturer I once got. It was like winding off of a film which you have seen earlier. I had been alone in a new world and then my lecturer appeared in a world of Ukrainian understanding of music therapy. I felt support of ideas that I had gotten and was glad that others might get to learn about them.
My first experiences of using methods of music therapy in a clinic in Ukraine were in 2001 and 2002. I had at home neither a co-therapist nor a supervisor to discuss lots of things about working with a group of depressive patients. But a contact with my lecturer in music therapy still remained, I could write some mails to ask questions, speak about some points during his visits at our University.
Client-centered approach was a rather unusual thing at the clinical department where I made my first researches in MT. But everybody tried to help me as she or he only could: physicians, nurses and patients. I came home tired but very happy because I could see good progress. It is still a wonder for me how could it be possible to enjoy so much trust. During defense of a diploma project I was asked questions like "Did you use any equipment to measure the influence of music? " "How can you be sure that exactly music caused positive progresses?" It was like a new test for me.
Working as a lecturer I see how much experience is needed to bear the responsibility we have giving lectures or leading seminars even in psychology: so many students and colleagues could be influenced by our ideas and our work. After being a co-mentor of some research works of our project students I see that the real way of mine has only began, that there is much to do and it could be impossible without further collaboration. It is good to have colleagues in MT and some students of our project with their own points of interest to share this task in the future.
So I have been asked to take part at a seminar giving for social pedagogues working with children with special needs as a voluntary post-graduate short-course recently. The great wish of participants was to learn about music therapy, particularities of using it with children having special needs in mental level, and to get "some exercises" to use them in practical activities. For all these points the organizing staff could offer not more than 30 minutes. After some discussions the conclusion was made that such a thing needs more time and maybe a whole day. So there are plans to try to do it in a nearest future. And I suppose, some day Alena Svatyeva could be the right person for making a short presentation of her experiences and giving examples which could illustrate that this theme needs even more than one day to touch upon.
Some time ago, our project student Tatyana Tyby presented to an examining committee her final work in social psychological rehabilitation with music and had to give an answer on following statement: "All this sounds great and how could you prove that it was music which caused changes? Did you use any methods for measuring musical influence?"
Every of us have her or his own ways to get to understanding of things, not every of us has enough experiences, but sometimes there are similar points and we can join efforts to give common ideas more chances for development of Music Therapy in Ukraine.
Notes
[1] 1 Saul, the king of Israel, was unhappy in his palace and felt very bad because of evil spirits. He told his servants to find someone who could play the harp well and the music would make the king feel better. David came to the king's palace. when he played his harp, Saul felt much better and the evil spirits left him. 1 Samuel 16:14-23, Old Testament.
Getting Knowing More About the Music Therapy World
By Olena Svatyeva
My interest in music therapy at the begining of 2001 was quite intuitive. I just felt myself that it could be important and interesting for me. By that time I had already had a musical education and studied medical psychology for more than 3 years. That's why such a field as music therapy sounded great for me. Moreover, there is a collaborative project between the Department of Social Padagogy and Psychology of Zaporizhyazhya State University (Ukraine) and Department of Music Therapy of the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal (Germany).
In spite of the fact that I didn't participate in this project from the very beginning, immediately after familiarization with it, I set my mind on understanding and learning more about what music therapy is and how I can participate in this project more actively.
In 2001 I became an inspired participant of the project and got an opportunity to learn more about music therapy and so to achieve my goal. The feeling that my scope and outlook in the field of music therapy is getting rapidly wider and broader was absolutely great.
In the framework of the collaborative project, I have been involved in 2003 in a student study program in Magdeburg in the field of music therapy. Studying in Germany, I'm trying to collect as much information as I can about different kinds of musical psychotherapeutic approaches. In Germany there are a lot of kinds of music therapy and students learn and practice most of them here.
As for me, I'm interested in children's music psychotherapy and how to work musically with handicapted and mentally retarded children. As I have during my study in Germany not only a theoretical chapter, I have had an opportunity to make my practice in one of the most largest centers for children in Germany, Kinderzentrum München in Munich. There I saw how to treat and to develop children's possibilities for life in the framework of one kind of music therapy - Orff Music Therapy. My 3-weeks practice there was financed by the Orff Music Therapy Society. During my practice I had an opportunity not only to observe the process of psychotherapy but also to take an active part as a co-therapist in a music therapy setting. I have had a real experience in working musically with children who have special needs. Such kind of music therapy as Orff-Music Therapy is needed for Ukrainian children who have dysfunctions on the neurological or physical level. It will be very important to provide the knowledge that I have gotten here in Germany in developing the process of music therapy in Ukraine.
I plan not to stop my investigation of the music therapy field after coming back home. I still want to know more about music therapy works. Music for me is my everyday life. And now when I know that music can help others to become healthy, I cannot work without using it.
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.
Modern Technologies in Teaching Music Therapy
By Mariya Ivannikova & Thomas Wosch
Modern Technologies make it possible to get new information, to communicate, to work without leaving the home place. The internet is one of the main discoveries of the past century. It connects people from all over the world: we learn about the existence of each other, exchange ideas, share our knowledge. All this does not take so much time, comparing with employing the "good old methods."
Internet linking of computers from education institutions, social centers, and different kinds of agencies also takes an important place in passing informations about events happening inside the home country. This way is especially helpful for the specialists working in the same field of activity. So the Eastern and Western parts of Ukraine learned about each other's steps in teaching music therapy last year. Since that time a new music therapy event has happened in Zaporozhzhie.
So in spring 2003 in the period of March 11th - 14th the group of 12 students of the 8 th semester of the faculty of Social Pedagogy and Psychology studing in the State University Zaporozhzhie, Ukraine, took part in the fourth section of the module in music therapy taught by Dr. Thomas Wosch, lecturer of music therapy of the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal, Germany, as part of the course "Social-padagogical rehabilitation with music", which is taught in cooperation with both universities. Section two and section four were lectures and seminars over the internet. A year before, these lectures were the first internet-lectures of Ukraine and also the first, which were sent by University of applied sciences Magdeburg-Stendal.
The first section, March 2002, were lectures of "Introduction into active group music therapy (AGMT)" (see also here in voices the column of Thomas Wosch from April 2002: Internetseminar with Ukraine or Unknown II). It became an impulse to the search of new possibilities for increasing the effectiveness of using of modern technologies in the learning process. The effectiveness was that a lecture could be sended live from Germany to Ukraine and after each 60 minutes students could ask for different details of the last lecture. So the lecturer could get different and very important feedback: how was the understanding of the last lecture, which are the points that need further clarification and what are the next possible contents for this group for the next 60-minute lecture? After the 4-hour-lectures five days one week the students in Zaporozhie studied further in the afternoon in their university and the foreign lecturer worked further in his German university, what is very effective in time economy. But before that internet-teaching lecturer and students did know each other in section one of experiential training in AGMT at Asov Sea and in lectures of psychology and social pedagogy at State university Zaporozhie in September 2001 (see also here in voices the column of Thomas Wosch from November 2001: Intercultural Experiences with Music Therapy I). This was a very necessary basis for the IT-lectures. Also in the lectures could recall situations of the experiential training from September 2001 as illustration and understanding of theoretical principles of AGMT.
The second successful try to use the resources of Internet helped to realize an interactive course "Clinical practice of principles of AGMT". Among the main points of it were following topics:
Generally, this part of the course "Social-padagogical rehabilitation with music" was composed of 20 teaching hours. Comparing with the first IT-lectures the second one was characterized by using of students' group work, performing not only audio-, but also video examples of clinical work, what could make difficult theoretical terms clearer. Also students' group work was very important for a very new step of learning in this module of music therapy. In September 2002 all 12 students were in Germany and visited clinical practice of music therapy and developed themselves in the second experiential training in AGMT. Now the students could discuss and create ideas in small groups of cultural specifics of music and social life in Ukraine and theoretical ideas of AGMT. Some traditional and popular songs and childrens' games were analised, sung and played during this unusual interactive IT-course. And everybody felt, how great it is to live in the third millenium, where it is not necessary to travel to Germany spending long hours in a bus, train or even plane to learn, to have joy of this learning and to get a feedback about the results of this learning. Such a learning process is every time a process for both sides - for the students and for the lecturer. During this spring week the student group of Zaporozhzhie also present their first ideas to their home works in music therapy to Dr. Thomas Wosch and to receive some pieces of advice according the possible continuation of their research.
The next and last part of this module will be again live in September in Ukraine, where all experiences and knowledge of the last four sections will be finished with first students' attempts at group leading and the results of their homework.
In the IT-lecture on each side approximility three technical collaborators did a very great work and so this year only two very small interruptions (5 minutes) of the IT-line influenced the IT-course. Such an experience is very useful not only for students, their lecturers and technical collaborators, but also for everybody who hears about new possibilities and perspectives of intercultural learning. The interactive IT-course gives to every participant a chance for his personal and professional development: the possibility to better his professional skills, to feel himself as an important person and in a very good mutual work, where each side gives and creates his contributions to the other.
Lots of thanks to all who has made these steps coming true!!!