This academic year, I worked with a young person referred to Music Therapy due to difficulties engaging with peers and classroom activities. In collaboration with the teacher, Therapy aims were established to support the student’s attention and awareness, develop ways of relating to another person through sustained musical interactions and encourage vocal exploration.
Due to sensory processing challenges, transitions to the Therapy space were initially difficult. By introducing a calming vocal motif during these journeys, the young person began to respond with eye contact, smiles and occasional vocalisations. Over time, transitions became smoother.
In early sessions, the young person was often unsettled and showed minimal interaction with instruments. However, with consistent weekly sessions, they began to engage more meaningfully. I identified instruments that resonated with them, such as the cabasa and shaker, and discovered that responding musically to their movements encouraged reciprocal interaction, forming the basis of our improvisations.
By the Spring term, these musical exchanges became increasingly sustained, with one session featuring a 7-8 minute improvisation involving shared vocalisations, instrumental play, and evident emotional connection, culminating in mutual laughter and engagement.
This session was shared with the class teacher, who noted:
“It was truly amazing to see how engaged and involved he was…I have never seen him as engaged in the classroom setting as he is during these sessions.” – Class Teacher, St Ann’s School
This insight prompted the teacher to reflect on environmental factors affecting the student’s engagement, noting the positive impact of the smaller, quieter Music Therapy space compared to the noisier, more stimulating classroom.
“This led me to reflect on the differences between the environments. The Music Therapy room is small, quiet and comfortable, which I believe plays a big role in [the student’s] positive response. In contrast, our classroom has high ceilings and tends to be quite noisy, which might be contributing to his reluctance to engage.” – Class Teacher, St Ann’s School
Although Therapy concluded at the end of the academic year, ongoing dialogue with school staff has helped translate insights from Music Therapy into the classroom setting. It is hoped that small environmental adjustments will continue to support this young person’s engagement in learning.
By Lauren Brant, Music Therapist