Musical Matters

People encounter music on a daily basis. It is such an integral aspect of life, that it seems to fit seamlessly into our day without us taking too much notice. The morning joggers listening to their iPods. The pleasant elevator music that manages to disperse awkward silences. The theme tunes to our favourite TV shows- I can't imagine watching Offspring without first singing along to 'When We Swam'!

My beginner guitar fingers...

My most recent musical challenge has been teaching myself to play guitar. However, music has certainly been a large part of my life since I was little, I've always had a reasonably good 'ear' for music, or natural pitch. I have been a flautist for 10 years now, and know from this experience that music provides an avenue for communication on a level different from words. It can be a powerful way to express emotion or tell a story.

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I'm currently completing an honours research project about the use of music as a therapeutic tool by occupational therapists. Being a research topic that I am interested in I'm finding it a very enjoyable process! The part I have most enjoyed is hearing stories about the ways music has successfully helped people overcome barriers to communication and participating in daily life with others.

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Music is a great way to bring people together. It's something that everyone can relate to, and provides wonderful opportunities to connect with others. I can't wait to complete my dissertation and have my research findings available to the public. I hope that in my future career I will be able to incorporate music into my practice in one way or another to assist my clients to achieve their goals.

Emma xx.