Memories of Tony Wigram-His Early Career

By Helen Odell-Miller

Introduction

Tony was employed as a part-time Professor in Music Therapy at Anglia Ruskin University at the time of his death. Initially as a visiting professor and lecturer he had undertaken various roles since the inception of the MA Music Therapy in 1994. He contributed to the established Music and Health Research Centre at Anglia Ruskin University, and led the formation of an International Music Therapy Research Consortium which our university joined. I had the privilege of working with Tony throughout his career, and in this article will focus mainly on his early years as a music therapist.

"Wigram" was one of the most prolific writers in current music therapy publications, and wrote or edited fourteen books on music therapy, authored more than fifty articles in peer reviewed journals, and over seventy chapters in books. His research interests included the physiological effect of sound and music; assessment and diagnosis of Autism and communication disorder; Rett Syndrome; methods of training and advanced level training in music therapy; and the documentation of methods and techniques in clinical practice in music therapy.

Tony's affiliations, board memberships, and lectureships worldwide are extensive, and his publications span three decades. I hope to capture the essence of what he achieved in the early years, and how he managed to contribute so much.

Early Clinical Work and Training

In addition to his phenomenal energy and outstanding musical skills, as a pianist and viola player, Tony was described by our head of department recently as "a brilliant academic, a generous and supportive colleague, and an inspiring man." His personal generosity included attentiveness to other people, and in particular, encouraging students, for example, to push boundaries. Tony had a wonderful sense of humour. He managed to outdo the university's health and safety policy and secreted a fridge un-checked by the authorities into the office, so that he could keep favourite food at work, and share olives (fresh from his most recent trip) and chocolate with colleagues. Nearly 40 years ago, similar characteristics were witnessed by all who encountered him.

I was lucky enough to meet Tony in 1972 before either of us became music therapists, when we played in The Apollo Symphony Orchestra. After studying music at Bristol University, Tony trained as a music therapist at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London with Juliette Alvin and Maggie Pickett. I trained two years after Tony, and he generously took time to come to my home in North London to tell me about the course; he arrived characteristically on his motorbike. He enthusiastically described Juliette Alvin's improvisation classes, including her phenomenal drive and musicality as a 'cellist, Alfred Nieman's free improvisation classes, and movement classes (which apparently occasionally took place in the dark)!

After qualifying as a music therapist, Tony soon became a leader of the music therapy profession in the UK, pioneering and developing music therapy treatment for adults and children with learning disabilities. He demonstrated musicality and warmth in his relationships with the adults and children who participated in his sessions. Working with him was informative, creative, and fun, despite the often difficult settings experienced by staff and residents.

As a student, I was sent by Juliette Alvin on a placement with Tony as clinical supervisor. This involved working at Harperbury Hospital, then a large residential Victorian setting for adults and children, and also in Cambridge where together, during my placement, we set up a full-time music therapy service at The Ida Darwin Hospital, a more modern environment for adults and children with learning disabilities. I thank Tony for his pioneering work which enabled me to take things forward in that post in Cambridge, after qualifying in 1977.

Tony taught me a great deal about the composition of song and improvisation in groups. Above all he had a phenomenal ability to connect even with the most withdrawn, behaviourally challenged people; I learned very early on about getting right inside the personality and character of the person, musically picking up emotional nuance, and never to be afraid of working in depth. This learning was greatly facilitated by the working environment Tony created outside the music therapy sessions. He sang songs along the corridors in a French accent, fondly impersonating Juliette Alvin whilst transporting instruments. There were also early morning ritual stops at the shop on the way to Cambridge to buy cheese and chocolate biscuits. Tony offered food regularly to ward staff, and I learned early on that working in the multi-disciplinary team in these settings was central to the success of treatment for residents. One of his very first academic conference papers in the field was 'Noise in the institution' which he presented in 1983 at Hertfordshire College of Art and Design. The paper stemmed from his passionate belief that the environment in institutions was often overwhelming for residents. He campaigned for staff to consider the unhelpful effects of loud background music which may also have no meaning for the people living on a particular ward.

Early Political and Professional Influences

Tony's drive in those early days was also apparent in the political development of the profession of music therapy. During my training year at The Guildhall School of Music, I attended meetings of The British Society for Music Therapy (BSMT) and the then newly formed Association of Professional Music Therapists (APMT). I witnessed Angela Fenwick, the first chair of the APMT, and Tony who succeeded her as chair in 1980, skilfully setting up this new organisation. Focussing upon the professional interests of qualified music therapists and their services, the evolution of the APMT provoked debates and arguments. Juliette Alvin and Sybil Beresford- Peirse 'accused' Tony of being a trade unionist. Not all could see the merits of proper pay and conditions for music therapists out of concern that this might damage the quality of the therapy work. Embedded within and arising from this process was Tony's drive to set up proper mechanisms for assessment, treatment and research. Later evidence of this is reflected throughout his publications. (Sutton, J 2011).

To "become" a profession in the UK, we first had to set down basic elements of music therapy training. I will never forget a meeting at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, led and organised by Tony in 1980, when he, Leslie Bunt and I met with the three UK music therapy course heads, Juliette Alvin, Sybil Beresford -Peirse and Elaine Streeter to draw up and agree upon the components of basic training for a music therapist. In his usual way, Tony forcefully but calmly set down each heading, facilitated discussion, and listened. This resulted in a document, similar to current expanded documents, clarifying core elements of music therapy training. Subsequently, together with Professor Diane Waller, Tony continued leading us in the initial negotiations that culminated in the setting up of a career structure for art and music therapists in the National Health Service (NHS) through the Whitley Council in 1982. Later he contributed to the initial processes that resulted in the legal registration of music therapists under the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine (CPSM) in 1997.

At the end of his career, he was honoured by the organizations so important in his early career. Despite his illness, Tony was able to appreciate three special UK honours even during the last few weeks of his life, and many more from around the world. These included an award from The Guildhall School of Music, where he trained and was a guest lecturer, a Vice Chancellor's Award from Anglia Ruskin University, for outstanding international contributions to research, and a similarly titled award from the British Association of Music Therapy for outstanding achievements to music therapy research. His work will be a legacy that future generations of music therapists will learn from.

Reference

Sutton, J (2011). A dialogue with Tony Wigram: Considering music therapy and music therapy research in a changing world. British Journal of Music Therapy, 25 (1) 8-31.