Special Section: In Memory of Clive Robbins 1927-2011

Lifelong, Through the Years, An Intensifying Friendship

By Johannes Th. Eschen

In my music therapy studies at the Guildhall under Juliette Alvin, my first practical experience was with Mary Priestley who had an enduring impact upon my future in music therapy. My second practical experience was together with Jean Eisler in Nordoff-Robbins music therapy, working with children with autism under the supervision of Sybil Beresford-Peirse. Before the third term began, Sybil requested that I continue working with Jean because Sybil was undergoing removal of her retina and in those years such a surgery was complicated, not at all like the modern laser procedure. I agreed to her request and one day we were visited by Paul Nordoff, Clive Robbins and Konrad Schily. That was the beginning of many contacts that I had with them in the following years.

In Germany at that time there was no literature on the NR approach so we decided that I should translate one of their books into German. Dr.Konrad Schily funded me for six months for a half-day each day of translation work. When I encountered sections of the book, where I wanted to hear how Paul and Clive would like to have their views expanded, we met in the restaurant of the Copenhagen main train station, a place where we would share many meals. The book was published by Ernst Klett-Verlag Stuttgart under the title Musick Als Therapie Für Behinderte Kinder.

In the well-known Symposium on Music in the Life of Man held at NYU in 1982 I learned a great deal from Clive and a lifelong friendship was starting.

When Paul was lying in the Herdecke-Hospital with cancer, Schily and I spoke with him about our plans for our music therapy training program at Herdecke. One day I got 15 minutes to introduce music therapy to the Minister of Science Rau with help from the examples of Edward. He was deeply impressed and supported our program.

Important teachers in this course besides others were Clive and Carol Robbins. In this time we three together made some “associative improvisations” with revealing daydreams.

Since 1997, my companion Rotraut and I traveled approximately every two years to New York. Each time I visited Clive in his working room in NYU he showed me videos of his clinical work and we would then have lunch together. Clive gave me new publications and something that was especially meaningful was the book of tributes to Carol Robbins What a Wonderful Song, Her Life Sang with the following dedication: “Dear Johannes, with fond memories, celebrations and trusting hopes, and love. Clive NYU Sept 97.”

In October, 2011 I made a final visit to Clive in his home in New Jersey and I was welcomed warmly by Kaoru. I was worried about Clive’s bodily weakness, but I enjoyed the vivid exchange of ideas and memories and a bit later the good telephone dialogue with Clive.

For me, these last contacts were something like a last farewell.