Paving the Way Towards Rhythm

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This article was published 29/03/2018 (2730 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Michelle Paddock lay cuddled inside a cushioned, black chair, a tambourine in hand, and stared up as the guitar strings showered her with music.

As Courtney Kjaldgaard leaned her guitar in closer, Paddock looked back and a large smile crept across her face.

Paddock, known to her friends simply as Shelly, is unable to speak. But the smiles and laughter that come from Shelly when the music starts is unmistakable to those around her.

“It’s great, it’s wonderful. I’m saying that because I see the benefits,” said Brian Chaboyer, a support worker with Family Visions, a non-profit organization that supports adults with intellectual disabilities. “It’s very therapeutic for somebody like Shelly.”

Every Monday, Kjaldgaard meets with the workers and clients over at Family Visions for a weekly jam session.

As the only certified music therapist based out of Brandon, Kjaldgaard uses her practice, Roads to Rhythm Music Therapy, to help people in a variety of ways, from managing their emotions, improving their social skills, and in some cases, helping their cognitive functioning.

Music therapy, as Kjaldgaard describes it, is the use of music for non-music goals, and her clients range from adults with dementia, to children as young as two who are on the autism spectrum.

Kjaldgaard started her practice as a music therapist in 2014, after completing her bachelor of music degree at Brandon University and her graduate certificate in music therapy at Concordia University in Montreal.

Originally from Gimli, but raised in Stonewall as a teenager, Kjaldgaard said it was her piano teacher who first introduced her to the practice.

“I knew that was what I wanted to do.”

During an actual session, Kjaldgaard may use a number of different instruments, from drums and bongos, to rattles and shakers.

A session will look different for each person or group and may last between a half-hour to 45 minutes or longer.

For a child with autism, Kjaldgaard may use music therapy to help him or her learn how to make eye contact, or how to interact with other kids in school.

“We use music and instruments, and music making, to work on skills like sharing and turn-taking, greetings, and all those types of skills that you learn when you’re a little kid,” Kjaldgaard said.

For a group like the one at Family Visions, music therapy allows them to socialize and bond with each other in a way they may not be able to do elsewhere, especially for someone like Shelly.

“For them to be able to participate in this program, in music therapy, and to do these performances and to express themselves in this way, it’s something that they value because it’s shown a different side to some of the clients,” Kjaldgaard said.

Chaboyer didn’t know much about music therapy at first, but after sitting in on Kjaldgaard’s sessions for a few years, he said he has come to understand the importance music therapy plays in building a sense of camaraderie at Family Visions.

“Music therapy is a big thing for our clients, absolutely.”

Even though music therapy has been around for several decades, the practice is still relatively new.

Music therapy isn’t covered by health insurance, meaning clients have to pay for the service out of pocket, and Kjaldgaard said there are still misconceptions that music therapy is a volunteer service or just a music lesson, which it isn’t.

But year after year, Kjaldgaard has tried to make headway not just in Brandon, but across Westman.

With the help of Variety, the Children’s Charity of Manitoba, Kjaldgaard has been able to use grant money to expand her services into two Westman area schools: Tanner’s Crossing School in Minnedosa and Oak Lake Community School.

Kjaldgaard holds sessions at each school once a week and the hope is to expand the program to other schools in southwestern Manitoba in the coming years.

“We were pleased with the success of the program last year,” said Brenda Masson, principal of Oak Lake Community School. “It really seems to make a difference for children, especially children who are non-verbal.”

Oak Lake Community School got in touch with Kjaldgaard last school year to see if she could work with a particular student in kindergarten.

Masson said she didn’t know much about music therapy before bringing Kjaldgaard in, but where other conventional therapies haven’t been as successful, music therapy seems to have filled that gap.

The school now has 13 students, ranging in age from five to 13, who work with Kjaldgaard in either one-on-one or group sessions.

Masson said she would very much welcome bringing Kjaldgaard back in next year to continue with the program.

“It’s a way of reaching them and it seems to provide them with the support they’re needing to have some success.”

Even in the last 10 years, Kjaldgaard said there has been a lot more awareness brought to music therapy and slowly she has seen it be used more and more. March has even been designated as Music Therapy Month to try and do just that.

Variety, the Children’s Charity of Manitoba also has a special needs program which parents can apply for to cover the costs of services like music therapy.

And while there are still people who may not fully understand what music therapy is, Kjaldgaard points to the music itself as a way to ease people in.

“I used to write a lot of music for myself and I used music to help me get through a lot of different events and experiences in my life,” she said.

“The idea of being able to provide that for individuals who don’t have that much access to that kind of an experience, as say other people would, was something that I knew I wanted to do.”

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Who Can Benefit From Music Therapy?

Below are examples of medical conditions, living conditions and goal areas of individuals that might lead to someone accessing music therapy.

• Acquired Brain Injury

• AIDS

• Autism and other Pervasive Development Disabilities

• Critical Care

• Developmental Disabilities

• Emotional Traumas

• Geriatric Care

• Hearing Impairments

• Mental Health Difficulties • Neonatal Care • Obstetrics • Oncology

• Pain Control

• Palliative Care

• Personal Growth

• Physical Disabilities

• Speech and Language Impairments • Substance Abuse • Teens at Risk

• Victims of Abuse

• Visual Impairments

www.musictherapy.ca

Roads to Rhythm Music Therapy

Roads to Rhythm Music Therapy is proud to provide community-based programming, such as our early childhood music classes for babies and toddlers and group music programming for adults.

Programs include: Babies n’ Beats

A unique introduction to music for babies, ages 0 to 17 months. Each class is filled with singing, instrument playing, musical games and movement activities, providing a quality bonding experience between parents and their babies.

Music n’ Munchkins

A fun exploration of music for toddlers, ages 18 months to 4 years. Each class is filled with singing, instrument playing, musical games and movement activities, providing a quality music experience shared between parent and child. “Find Your Rhythm” Summer Camps

Introducing a diverse music camp experience for children all of abilities filled with music, art and movement experiences for children ages 2-10. Drum in the Sun!

Come and take part in an outdoor drumming group for all ages this summer!