Music Therapy with a Woman Who Was Hurt by a Cowboy/La Musicothérapie Avec Une Femme Blessée Par Un Cowboy : éTude De Cas

IntroductionThis article presents the work I did while a music therapy student at my first pracricum placement. During my third year of studies in the music therapy program at Capilano College, I was assigned to apply what I learned through classroom lectures and textbooks into practical use at a local long-term facility. I hdd 10 weekly, one-to-one music therapy sessions with a young client living with multiple sderosis (MS). O'Connor (2005, p. 117) says of the person living with the illness:MS has the potential to diminish your self-esteem, as you lose the sense of being a healthy person and begin to see yourself as an ill person who has to work at regaining good health and the positive self-image that goes with it.Songwriting is revealing itself as a primary modality in more and more of the music therapy literature (Baker & Wigram, 2005; Hatcher, in press; Smith, in press; Jones, (2006). Songwriting enabled this resident to share her thoughts, feelings, and stories through a means of expression that was both meaningful and accessible to her. Writing and singing original lyrics can provide a person with nontraditional opportunities for empowerment and catharsis like no other medium can (Macintosh, 2003). A song can come from the deepest roots of our being... it is in a sense both a container and transformer of feelings, whereby new meanings may be forged (Robarts, 2003, p. 142). Informed consent was obtained in order to share Bridget's story, whose name has been changed in this article to protect her anonymity.The SettingThe setting of this case study was a long-term care facility that provides support and housing for seniors. Bridget was in her thirties, differing considerably in age from the majority of the dderly residents. The facility is run under a philosophy that counters resident loneliness, boredom and helplessness, and offers music and art therapies as well as a variety of recreational and religious activities.The ClientBridget is a bright, witty and gregarious woman who was diagnosed with multiple sderosis in her early adolescence. Prior to institutionalization, she lived in several Canadian dties and held a variety of people-oriented jobs that were well suited to her outgoing personality. Always having an opinion and never hesitating to share it, Bridget is quite the conversationalist and carries a good sense of humour mixed with light touches of cynidsm. She was referred to music therapy because of her high affinity to music.She Was Hurt By a CowboyOn the afternoon of the second week of my practicum, I happened to see Bridget by herself in the hallway of the extended care unit. Hi Bridget, would you like to do some music? I asked. She cheerfully agreed without any hesitation. With my guitar strapped to my back, I helped transport Bridget to her room in her wheelchair. From having attended two morning group music therapy sessions in which she parridpated, I had already observed that Bridget identified herself as a songwriter. In both sessions, she spontaneously volunteered to sing a song that she had written when it was her turn to talk about her week during a discussion activity. At this point she had only written the lyrics for a verse and a chorus which she redted to me with a great sense of pride:She was young and scared, being played a foolKnowing what the cards read, knowing all the rulesA one night stand, Thank you ma'am, it was good and I had funSee you around in a year or so, right now I'm on the runChorus:She was hurt by a cowboyA stranger she thought she lovedHe was there and then he left herRight now, he's on the runBridget spoke with great enthusiasm when answering my questions regarding her song. She explained that she had been working on it for many years and desired to complete it with her lyrics set to music I felt an instant connection with Bridget-perhaps it was her sense of humour or nonchalance that I identified with-and selected her to be my first ever one-to-one music therapy client. …

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