#47: Jessica Harris - Moving Forwards with Music
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In this episode, The Earthly Delights’ duo speak with music therapist, Jessica Harris. Jessica recounts her sister’s car accident to Jim and Jim and explains how her sister’s recovery changed Jessica’s focus on how she wanted to use her musical gift. The conversation then moves on to cover what music therapy can entail, how it benefits us and who is most suited to this form of therapy. We also discuss the emergence of ‘alternative therapies’ and why mainstream acceptance is lacking in many parts of the world. Before closing, additional areas discussed included the emphasis on medication on treating many of our mental conditions as well as the difficultly in measuring with our limited scientific methods the ‘effectiveness’ of certain modes of healing, such as music therapy. This is an informative dive into a new world of clinical therapy. Please let us know what you think and thank you for listening!
Here are 3 reasons why you should listen to the full episode:
1. What exactly is music therapy? What does it look like? How does it work?
2. Who could benefit from music therapy?
3. How music and belonging intermingle with each other to meet our deepest needs.
6 Powerful Quotes from This Episode
“There is a place for everybody to feel a part of something bigger with music. I always knew there was something more than the sonic beauty of music.”
“Music therapy can look very different depending on who is involved. We work towards very clinical goals. Working with a young child with autism will look very different to if I’m working with someone with dementia.”
“When I create music with someone, it tells me a lot about how they are relating to occurrences outside of this musical interaction; how they are relating to family, friends or their wider community.”
“We can say things through music that we cannot express in other ways. Music can feel like the first time you are connecting with someone. This is something we cannot underestimate or undervalue.”
“It is a courageous step to say ‘I want to feel better’ and seek means of achieving this. Society needs to be a place where people feel that they can make that step in the most encouraging environment possible.”
“It’s us that responds to the music. It’s not that music necessarily activates a certain response for everybody. The response lies with us. A lot of the time, our musical responses are also wrapped up in our identity.”
Episode Highlights
How does one fall into Music Therapy?
● Jessica discusses how she found herself working in the relatively new field of music therapy following her sister’s recovery after a car accident. Jessica had a deep love and connection with music for a long time but it was this stage of her life that inspired her to use her musical talent for healing.
What does it look like and who is it for?
● Jessica explains to us that music therapy sessions can look very different depending on the people involved. Jessica highlights that she adapts her approach to facilitate a greater sense of comfort for the patient. Jessica also wanted to make it clear that music therapy can help a wide variety of people from children with autism to elderly people with dementia to people in their twenties with no clinical diagnosis.
Music can reflect our true selves
● We talk about music’s ability to communicate where words fall short. Jessica underscores the role music can play in connecting with ourselves, expressing ourselves and feeling a part of something bigger. Music can remind us of what we knew but couldn’t articulate through other channels. For many, music helps us communicate our true voice, our true selves.
Changing Perceptions
● Jessica makes an interesting point concerning the need for people to open up their idea of those who are not excelling in the limited spheres offered in mainstream society. Often we disregard or look down on people who cannot fully express themselves fully in the accepted forms of traditional schooling/work environment etc. Jessica states that this includes the loved ones of people she is working with.
Cultural Shift in relation to Mental Health
● Jessica is an advocate of all angles in tackling the rise in mental health conditions however, she highlights the ugly role Big Pharma has played in pushing medication as the ‘go-to’ aid for people experiencing mental distress. The significance of feeling supported and connected, while also being able to express ourselves authentically is unfortunately often neglected when treating mental disorders/conditions.
We are constantly evaluating
Jessica reflects on the difficulties attached to measuring the impact of music therapy but this is certainly not stopping her or the field generally in continuing the evaluation on a consistent basis. She gives the example of one of the clients she had started using new words in conjunction with music therapy with her which shows progress, particularly for this person’s condition; however, this isn’t exactly a robust means of evidence according to certain scientific evaluating methods.
Enjoy this Podcast?
We are very grateful to Jessica for giving us her time and speaking so eloquently about this emerging area of therapy. Jessica was such a fantastic guest and her work is incredibly inspiring. We hope this conversation can help (ever so slightly) spread awareness of this crucial channel of healing and offer hope to people who may be feeling that more conventional forms of therapy are not for them. As ever, thanks a million for listening! We would love to hear your feedback!
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