I found “Voice Forum: The Voice as Primary Instrument in Music Therapy” to be a really fascinating article. I appreciated the point that is made at the beginning about the voice being our oldest, closest instrument. I am currently interning at an early intervention site, and I can definitely see this in practice. The infants and toddlers respond beautifully to vocalizations and very freely vocalize themselves. They tend to move when hearing familiar songs sung to them, and they vocalize more when they hear their own vowel-consonant combinations reflected back to them musically. I especially feel that the levels of vocal intervention presented by Sylka Uhlig and listed in this article apply to my experiences in early intervention. Most of the clients I work with are pre-verbal, but they still use their voices expressively on the “Affective” and “Relational” levels. She points out that these expressive aspects of the voice are occasionally untapped as a therapeutic tool, but I have found that when words are not an option for the clients, these aspects become especially significant.
I loved reading about Inge Nygaard Pederson’s instructions to get rid of the inner judge and make sounds even if they are considered ugly. I really liked, in her first prototype exercise, the way she focuses on each client finding a sound that expresses the self and then blending that sound with the surrounding sounds. It seems like such a good model for maintaining personal identity within a group. I thought Sanne Storm’s presentation of the core tone reflecting the core self seemed to tie in particularly well with this.
I was interested also in Kate Richards Geller’s presentation about the community building aspects of the voice and music. Her example of the “voicestra” very much reminded me of several of the group bonding activities used at Lesley’s expressive therapy program orientation retreat at the beginning of the school year. This was, in fact a very effective way of building our sense of community.
I’ve wondered, while in school, about the implications of the personal nature of the voice. It’s our most natural form of expression, but it carries a lot of emotional baggage. Some people have been taught not to use their voices too loudly. Others over use their voices, but are completely in touch with its true potential for expression. I really appreciate the focus this article has on freeing the voice and using it for self-expression. Each of the four music therapists discusses a different approach to the voice, but they all integrate well into a new way to think about and use the voice. The article includes methods to free the voice, to find and express the self through the voice, and to relate to others with the voice. The Voice Forum sounds like it was a very rewarding experience. I have greatly enjoyed reading about it, and I look forward to learning more about the voice as primary instrument in music therapy.
Uhlig, Sylka (2009). Voice Forum: The Voice as Primary Instrument in Music Therapy. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved November 27, 2009, from https://normt.uib.no/index.php/voices/article/view/365/288
Reflections on Uhlig’s Voice Forum
As a vocalist, the idea of voice work from Uhlig (2009) is very intriguing. I always find a comfortable safe space when using my voice during sessions with clients. Reciprocal responses from clients seem to flow easily as well. Uhlig suggests that the human voice is the most natural instrument for expression and communication across cultures. This truly resonates with me. To me the voice is our calling card; others recognize us by our voice, pitches, inflections, and volume. In addition, Uhlig states the voice promotes exchange with our environment and our inner self. The voice is part of us, not a separate instrument we can set aside. The voice expresses the essence of who we are and how we feel.
As I read the article, I began to reflect on my clients, students with Autism, clients who have difficulty with voice output and production. These clients are constantly struggling to find their voice. Sharing themselves with others is even more difficult. As I continued to read, Uhlig describes the voice as a natural instrument for primary expression, including laughter, crying, screaming and shouting. All of these are very authentic sounds that exist beyond the realm of words. For most of my clients, words are the breakdown in communication with the self and communication between others. When words are not existent, primary sounds are still present, conveying the essence of each individual.
I work closely with several other related service professionals who focus on helping the client with autism find words to communicate with others. As a music therapist, I am concerned with helping the client find his or her voice, not necessarily the voice that uses words, but rather the voice that embodies the fundamental nature of the client. I often use vocal play and improvisation to focus on vocal sounds, practicing using both breath and spontaneity. In my years of practice I have found that children with autism often have repetitive vocal utterances. In working with each client I hope to use his or her utterances as a basis for improvisation and exploration to be present with themselves and their vocal sounds.
Uhig (2009) discusses the differences between cultural styles of vocalizations. We would find vocalizations from other cultures to be unusual to our ears. It is my belief that typical communication can be foreign to someone with autism. To effectively interact with my clients, I find it essential to meet the client in his or her world of communicational skills, recognizing the pitches, rhythms, repetitions, and silences and of each client as unique with diverse individual cultures. When I can effectively meet each client within his or her comfort zone, communication truly begins. It is nonverbal communication, spoken through body language, facial expressions, expressions, sound of the breath and movements. When there are cultural differences between client and therapist, Uhlig uses a vocal intervention focused on different levels of understanding including affective, relational, cognitive and aesthetic.
I am unfamiliar with Uhlig’s specific techniques; however, I see similarities in my clients’ therapeutic work across Uhlig’s four levels of understanding. The affective level focuses on human expression displayed through sighing, laughing, groaning, shouting, screaming, crying and silence. Several of my clients with autism have these expressive vocalizations even though words are not present. These expressions signify emotions and moods. Emotions often lead us to interact with one another
The relational level centers on human contact through calling, telling, talking, singing and silence. This relational exchange and understanding happens in the moment of the improvisation even though words continue to be lacking, passing sounds back and forth, or listening to the client share of him or herself. Uhlig also suggests this level is to soothe, or activate the relationship. In the vocal music, client and therapist can experience nurturing, confrontation, provocation, inspiration, and protection. Within this exchange, relationships build and insight is drawn from the experience.
Insight signifies the cognitive level, hinging on symbolic representation. This is where my work does not parallel so easily. Given my current clientele, all of my clients display cognitive impairment, as is common with the diagnosis of autism. It is difficult to measure the symbolic representations that may develop during the vocalization process. While I do find it possible to activate concentration through sounds and words as Uhlig describes, it is not easy to measure brain development and change the thought processes of my clients. Though cognitive development may not be easily measured, the beauty in the process is quite prevalent and tangible.
The last level is aesthetic, authentic appreciation. Through aesthetics, client and therapist are open to the vocal sounds each other creates, encouraging each other to vocally exchange and participate in the moment. In this process, client and therapist appreciate each other and their sounds. Often smiles are shared and eye gazes soften while the client and therapist meet together in the vocal music. They meet together understanding each other with and without words.
As a therapist I had not put much specific thought into my vocal work. I tend to run with what works, and move forward. As I read this article, it gave me some perspective on the voice and the sounds we create, giving a bit of perspective to the importance of vocal work and vocal exploration. While we are each unique, we can come together through the voice, experiencing and supporting one another, regardless of the personal beauty we glean from the other person’s sounds. Uhlig’s (2009) article moves me to continue to analyze the work I have been doing with my clients to find their individual voices, while respecting their own communication styles and vocalizations.
References
Uhlig, S. (2009). Voice forum: The voice as primary instrument in music therapy. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved from https://normt.uib.no/index.php/voices/article/view/365/288