Face to face! This is the moment I have been waiting for!
Lockdown has felt like such a long time - nearly half a year with no face to face music. Online has been a great way to connect, given the challenging circumstances 2020 has thrown our way. I still believe there could be further local lockdowns and restrictions still to come, but hopefully we have learned to adapt and use technology for all the right reasons. But here we are.. at the start of Autumn and face to face is about to begin.
What lessons have I learned from the lockdown?
1. We are more resilient than we think we are.
2. Technology is pretty amazing.
3. We can still foster connection through screens.
4. It's nice to have time to work on personal goals and develop skills like learning to grow veggies and practicing my scales.
What am I excited about when starting face to face music therapy?
Everything!
The most exciting thing is about meeting new people and starting up those magical musical relationships, or in some cases continuing to build strong musical friendships. I'm also very excited about planning fun musical interventions and preparing for work on those very important life goals.
The therapeutic use of music creates social connections and offers a canvas for development and self expression. There are many ways to apply music to every day life to help with daily transitions, expressing emotions (beyond words) and building confidence to take on new challenges. And that's really what this year has been about, working out how to best navigate our day, getting used to our own company and preparing to take on whatever life has in store.
Face to face brings so many delights but most of all to be there together after so long - face masks and all - will be just what we need finish off this very strange year.