Last week, we finally had the chance to visit the Apex Harmony Lodge in person. I was super nervous on the bus ride there as I wasn’t sure if I could do everything correctly. Contrary to that expectation, the experience was one of the most memorable moments I had during this school year and it truly inspired me.
While I was listening to music together with the patient, the patient sometimes sang along or started clapping their hands and that made me very happy. The experience was especially special for me because it confirmed my belief in the power of music, which I already had based on my personal experiences. Music is a significant part of my life and I find it very useful for my mental support. It was amazing to know that music can help everyone in different ways.
During music therapy, I tried to keep in mind to speak loud and concisely, always make eye contact, and smile. I first thought that maintaining this cheerful atmosphere would make me tired, however, after seeing the patient smile, I felt like all of my efforts paid off and it made me truly happy. I think the most important key to having a great relationship with the patients is to speak slowly and smile while paying respect to them never looking down on them as even if we are unconscious, the patients may notice the subtle change in our attitudes. I think, through this experience, I gained a lot of communication skills as I sometimes had difficulty in communication, due to the language barrier and their cognitive ability, however, we eventually overcame that challenge by using body language. eye contact, etc. I think this will also be useful in my daily life when having discussions with my friends or when I give a presentation to the class. I am looking forward to knowing more about my patients and developing a music playlist that is specific to them.
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