Music Therapy Clinician: Supporting reflective clinical practice Volume 1 | Page 37

Angela:

Well, with our, um,
our inclusive open mic night…it’s an
open mic night and community art
show. So we’ve done a few
different things. With the open mic
nights, or coffeehouses, we want
people - community members - to
bring in artwork to display. And
when we ran them in the King of
Prussia, Pennsylvania area we had
some photography, we had
different art work, we had an
author one time. So that was really,
really nice. In New Jersey we had
art work as well, and one time we
just didn’t have as much art work,
so what we did was we brought art
making materials and had an
interactive open mic night and art
show. So people were creating art
as the evening went on. And that
was just an idea in the moment,
because we do adapt, we do learn

every time, and that was just a nice
addition. Regarding the Sensory
Friendly Concerts…the last one we
did in December, with the Valley
Forge Chorale, they partnered also
with the Chester County Ballet, so
they did a piece with them, and it
was
really
exciting
to
see…everyone was really focused
on the dance aspect of it. So we’ve
incorporated other arts mediums in
a few different ways. It hasn’t been
a formal partnership with any art
therapist or dance movement
therapist, but as we continue to
grow and adapt that may be in the
future.

Roia:

Yeah! We actually, um,
this was not
through
our
coffeehouse, but we had a music
festival happening in our facility,
probably about the same amount
of…well, it started about the same
time, 1995, and we based it on the
Bethlehem Musikfest, and…and
back in 2010, and, in fact, I think
that might have been the year,
Christine, that the Kardon Choir
came to perform. We did a music
and arts festival, and we invited a
local ballet troupe who included
dancers who use wheelchairs and
had them do a performance and
then do a workshop for the folks
who live at the developmental
center which went over very well,
which we thought was really neat.
Um, I think, as we’re kind of
winding down, I’m wondering if you
have…just…any last thoughts about
what you think makes music, or,
more specifically, um, coffeehouses
and open mics and the choirs and
stuff…sort of an effective way to
build inclusion, or do you think
there are other ways that might be
more effective or respectful or
inclusive?

Christine:
Amy Clarkson performing at
the Common Grounds
Coffeehouse
35 | P a g e

Um, I think
that…what was…what did you say
before “respectful inclusive”? There
was just a little bit of a cut-out, and
I want to make sure I’m answering
this accurately.

Roia: Well, I guess…I guess my

question is, kind of, almost larger
than that. I’m kind of mashing
questions #7 and #8 together. Um,
but, I mean, what do you think
about these experiences that…I
mean, do you think that these are
effective ways to build inclusive
communities, that are really truly
inclusive, and I guess part of
question #8 was: does it feel truly
inclusive if we draw attention to the
participation of people…um…who
are different, who are labeled as
different?

Christine: Hm.
Roia: So I know that’s sort of a
strange and challenging question,
but I just wanted to throw it out
there.

Christine:

Yeah. [Pause.]
Yeah, I guess…you know, I wonder
if that…the singers that participated
with my choral group, um, I think
really were living their life already in
a very inclusive environment. Um,
so, I don’t necessarily think that the
choral group, um, added to that
experience for them. I can see how
it would really apply in a setting like
yours.

Roia: Mm-hm.
Christine:

But I think that,
um, it’s…you know, the individuals
were living with their own families
for the most part, or, if they were
living in a community arrangement,
um, they had such frequent contact
with others and other members of
their own family and developed
really…really
rich
social
relationships with each other. I
don’t know that they…that their
experience would be necessarily
different. I know that…um, where I
did see some of the benefit of t