Hilary Sandler

Hilary Sandler 4/14/08

A common desire that musicians in general want from their audience, student, or client is their focus. As a music therapist, we desire focus and attention from our clients. Whether working in a one on one client situation or working with a large group like a choir the session will be most effective if you have the participant’s attention. So, what gets someone’s attention? Is eye contact effective of does it make people feel uncomfortable so that you loose their attention. Does standing up effect your outcome? What about sitting down? According to the online TESL (teachers of a second language) Journal, eye contact is a very important non-verbal communication skill involved in getting the attention of students. Of course I am taking the word student in replacing it with client in my mind. Being consistent with eye contact seems to be the factor that will make it effective. Lets use a scenario of me being in a music therapy session with a Down syndrome children’s choir. As soon as the children walk in the room I need to demand eye contact. Trying to all of a sudden convey that I want their focus without having established the use of eye contact will make it probably ineffective. In Briana Baileys article, “Movement in the Choral Rehearsal” she dives into the idea and usefulness of movement in the choral rehearsal. Transferring this to music therapy, movement in a session is a positive way to keep things rolling. The more change, the better and the more likely you will keep the patient engaged. What about standing verses sitting? Which is a more effective tool to get attention. For example, sitting might give the idea that this is more intimate so you have to pay attention while standing up could get attention because you are basically commanding it. In the article “Reaching New Peaks in Choir Rehearsal”, Victoria Meredith talks about standing verses sitting within the choir’s effect on attention level. She implies that any sort of change reinvinigrates the choirs focus. So, transferring this concept into the music therapy session, this implies that a change like standing up or sitting down does reestablish the focus and intent in the session.