This weekend, a few of us took a trip to Salzburg, Austria. I knew Salzburg was going to be a fun and wonderful city, but I didn't know how breathtakingly BEAUTIFUL it was until we arrived. The city is surrounded by mountains, and every building in the city is unique and ornate. I found myself complaining about living in Ohio, when people get to experience this amazing beauty every day when they walk out their door in Salzburg.
On our train ride home today, I was thinking about all of the beautiful sites we saw, and a certain discussion we had in class earlier this week. One of the chapters in the book "Defining Music Therapy" discusses the nature of music interventions, and how music therapy should be beauty-centered. This was a new thought to me; I always focus on creating a musical atmosphere and working on my clients' goals, but I had never stopped to think about how I am creating something beautiful with each and every client I work with. Not only is the process of using music to help others a beautiful thing, but watching each individual blossom into their true self is a beautiful process.
My trip to Salzburg this weekend reminded me that I should always be finding beauty in every day things. I may not get to live next to breath-taking views of mountains, but there is something in everyday that I can find beauty in, including myself and my music therapy clients.
Hannah, I’m a former student of Dr. Keith’s, and reading this post was a truly beautiful experience. Recognizing the notion of “beautiful experiences” was probably very cathartic for you, and the simple fact that you took the time to process the class discussion says so much about you as a future music therapist.
ReplyDeleteI would encourage you, in future blog posts and as you think about your experience in Germany, to continue to explore this notion and to “write it out”, so to speak.
This was powerful. Thanks for sharing!