Where the Music Takes Me

Authors

  • Lisa Jackert Community Hospital Long Beach

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v12i3.639

Keywords:

Peak Experience, Perfomance

Abstract

The author tells her experience at performing at the memorial services of a man who shot and killed two others before killing himself.  She describes how her many years of working as music therapist with psychiatric patients, using  clinical improvisation and through her study of the Bonny Method of Guided and Imagery prepared both professionally and personally for this experience. She also reflects on her development and as a singer and explores her identity as a singer and how it is intertwined with her identity as a music therapist.  During her performance at the memorial services she has, what she describes, as an intense peak experience and describes it as similar to Helen Bonny's peak experience she had during a violin performance.  She further describes her experience as becoming one with the music and recounts how the music served as a therapeutic container for the entire memorial service and how trusting where the music was leading was a powerful and humbling experience.

Author Biography

Lisa Jackert, Community Hospital Long Beach

A practicing music therapist for over 20 years.  Specializing in improvisation, as the co-creator of the Strength-Based Improvisation approach.  Clinical practice areas include adults and geriatrics with mental health and substance abuse issues, as well as mind/body work, with a specialty in women's infertility. Also a BMGIM level 3 student.  A singer/song-writing as well.

Downloads

Published

2012-10-09

How to Cite

Jackert, L. (2012). Where the Music Takes Me. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v12i3.639

Issue

Section

Original Voices