Rachel’s Blog

This was a response I had a while back from someone to whom I was trying to explain my work.

But I think he had a point. I have recently started playing with a string quartet The Oxford Four, and in order to get experience, promote ourselves, earn some beer money, but most of all to have fun, we’ve started busking. In the weeks leading up to Christmas we managed to get a much-coveted busking pitch in Oxford’s Covered Market. It’s a good place to busk because it doesn’t matter if it’s raining, and because it’s got a roof there is an acoustic, which there isn’t always when you busk out in the open. It was lovely to watch out of the corner of my eye as people stopped to listen – and the groups of people who seemed to appreciate it the most were older people, and parents with small children in buggies. It was wonderful to watch the faces of the children as they watched us play – transfixed by Hugh’s bowing, or by Janet’s left-hand as she moved it up and down the neck of the cello. I think busking can be seen as a community music activity. I wonder if the groups (the very old and the very young) I mentioned who seemed to appreciate it the most are those most precluded from attending concerts because of the barriers put up to some by traditional classical concert formats – finishing late at night, which may be difficult for older adults who may be uncomfortable being out at night, or who might rely on public transport – or the idea that you have to sit silently and still to listen to the music – and not be able to respond with your voice or body…. I really felt during that busk that we were providing something important for people – the unfolding of live music, something to enjoy for free, something that connected them with a heritage…..

Lately I’ve been using the Pegasus Theatre cafe to work from. There is a tree sculpture full of quotes, one of them is:

“Culture – it’s what we grow people in”

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you’ve all had a restful break over Christmas and have found yourselves renewed. I always quite enjoy going back to work in the New Year – even though initially responding to the alarm clock for the first time in a couple of weeks can be difficult.  I realise I haven’t blogged since August (!!) so I thought I’d better do an update…

Last term was amazing. I started the Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Masters programme in London, and I was also on placement a day a week in a community mental health setting in London. The work is difficult emotionally, and the level of musicianship required for the programme is demanding. On top of this we must be able to reflect personally on the work – and we are guided through this by a therapist (Health Professions Council requires that trainee psychotherapists or arts therapists have a minimum 40 hours psychotherapy before they qualify).

I am feeling really positive about the coming year – my placement is a year long in a special school a little bit closer to home – and I suspect it is in the work with children I will find the different aspects of music therapy coming together for me. But probably not in any way I would expect, because if there is anything I realised after last term, it is to expect the unexpected.

In other work, I am continuing to run three Singing for the Brain groups, work on an ad hoc basis with various day centres, and another series of Sound Bites is coming up at The Warneford. I’ve now handed over all the Age UK singing groups to various people, and I hope these continue to grow – and that it gives the singing leaders who took them on a chance to stretch their wings and try out new ideas too.

And do I have any New Year’s Resolutions? Not really. I’ve tried before and they usually are over-ambitious and crumble instantly. However, now I’m commuting to London a little less I’m hoping to have more time to go swimming, which I find so beneficial for strengthening my back, and my wrists, hands and fingers (I know this sounds really specific – but when you play drums, piano, violin and guitar as much as I do – finding low-impact ways of keeping these joints strong and supple is important). I’m also going to try and blog a bit more. Last term was a strange time of transition as my identity as a community musician shook as I became a student. I won’t be able to share here any detailed reflection on my work as a trainee music therapist as of course this needs to be confidential, but I do hope to share my more general learning.

Have a wonderful 2012!