There’s no question – music is such a powerful conduit and medicine. Sound has the capacity to create depth to our experience while allowing us to move through emotions that our mind perhaps can’t understand. Have you ever felt moved to tears through a piece of music? Or maybe a song has brought you right back to a time in your life? If so, you likely understand this power behind sound!
At Transitions Counselling, we recognize music as an incredibly powerful tool to assist in the growth and development of both children and adults. This is why we offer both music lessons and music therapy as a part of our services. If you’re exploring the use of music as a modality for healing and development, you’ll want to consider what your best options are! Throughout this article, we’ll explore the benefits of both music therapy and music lessons and how each one can enhance and elevate your life in different ways.
Read on to learn about these wonderful services at Transitions Counselling.
Why music lessons?
Music is such a gift. Not only does it enhance our capacity to feel and process beyond logic, it’s also a gateway into creativity, deeper empathy and personal exploration. There are many ways music can touch a person’s life, which is why Transitions Counselling is so pleased to also be offering music lessons! As much as music therapy can be an aid for personal development, music lessons are also a wonderful pathway for anyone looking to grow as a person while also growing their skillset.
While music therapy offers activities that use sound to aid in healing, music lessons come with their own set of unique benefits. Learning an instrument is no easy feat – it’s a journey that will require ample self discipline, motivation and consistency. If you have ever struggled with setting a goal and sticking to it, committing to the process of learning an instrument is an incredible way to build that sense of character and consistency.
In addition to building self discipline, learning to play an instrument can work wonders in the self esteem department. There’s nothing more gratifying than overcoming obstacles and proving to yourself that you can do hard things. Practicing the skill of playing an instrument can offer those landmarks of improvement, so you can look back and see how far you’ve come through your efforts!
There’s also an aspect of social development that comes with taking music lessons. This is why learning to play an instrument can be so powerful for developing children.
Music lessons require a level of interaction and engagement whether it be in a classroom setting or with a teacher one on one. There is such great value in developing a sense of teamwork and collaboration! Not only will this be beneficial in a classroom setting, but these skills will easily transfer out into life and greatly support a child’s future.
Why Music Therapy?
Music Therapy is an incredible modality. The methods used in music therapy are intended to promote not only a person’s physical needs, but their emotional, mental, and spiritual health. The beauty of this service is that it touches all aspects of the mind, body, brain, and behaviour.
When participating in music therapy, clients get a chance to engage in a range of musical experiences, allowing them to express themselves in a way that transcends language and thought. Because this therapy addresses the physical, emotional and cognitive needs of an individual, it makes for a wonderful tool for reframing behaviours, building cognitive function and creating deeper, more meaningful connection to self and others!
The music therapists here at Transitions Counselling are highly skilled at addressing their participant’s unique needs while designing a program that will tailor to those needs. Specializing in both children and adults, here are some activities that you could expect to be included in a music therapy program:
- Musical storytelling
- Puppet plays
- Picture books
- Creative writing
- Songwriting
- Music exploration through instruments
- Musical parodies
As you can see, there are many different methods that can be applied in music therapy! This multi-faceted service allows for a variety of activities that work to alter the mind and transcend various emotions.
Our emotions can often feel overwhelming and difficult to process throughout our day to day lives – this is where music therapy can be both functional and therapeutic. By slowing down the rhythms of the mind and plugging into music as an outlet, one can experience great healing and transformation.
How to decide what is right for you or your child
Music can offer so much value to the social and emotional development of both children and adults. As you can see, there is a wealth of benefits that can come from both our music therapy program as well as music lessons.
Are you looking to use music as a pathway to better coping and deeper emotional understanding? Or is your goal to enhance and grow life skills such as discipline and perseverance? It’s really about weighing out your individual needs in order to decide what’s best for you!
Are you interested in using music as a tool for either you or someone in your family? Transitions Counselling is here to support you! We work with you and your family to determine what program is best for you. Get in touch with us today and let’s find the best pathway for you.