On the child within the adult: “It takes a very long time to become young.”
– Pablo Picasso
On music: “I never practice. I always play.” –Wanda Landowska.
A raise of hands, who sees the words “adult play” and thinks, “that’s not appropriate for a respectable blog” or “that’s an oxymoron”? I would assume you’re thinking nothing less. Usually, when we see the word “play” in close proximity to the word “adult” we think the worst, nothing about being a playful adult can be good, right?
Well, actually, according to Levy, in the text, Play Behavior, “Living in play means confirming our existence and celebrating life. . .Play brings out the greatness, dignity, and sacredness of our existence, which in turn gives impetus and meaning to our lives” (Levy, p. 1, 2).
“Yes, yes, yes, play is great for kids,” you’re probably thinking, “and that’s why I did it as a kid, I was celebrating life, my dolls gave my life meaning, but why, Davida, are you bringing it up now, I’m an adult and have things to do!”
Well, here’s the thing, in his text, Joseph Levy explores play therapy as therapy for adults and in reading this old, 1978 text, all I could think was, “man, music therapy is such perfect play therapy for adults!” To get you on my page, let me ask you this question, what kind of “play” would an adult engage in to “celebrate life” or bring out “greatness, dignity, and sacredness of our existence”? Let’s see, there’s always board games, tag, dress-up, or duck duck goose. Is this the type of play we are talking about? Perhaps, but for many of us we look for more sophisticated structured play, as in sports, hiking, or meditation. This is where playing music finds a residence. Music is not only a structured, sophisticated form of play, but it can be social or individual. Additionally, it affects us both psychologically and physiologically, as it builds the elasticity and affects every part of the brain, balancing a bevy of neural chemicals as it trickles into our ear and resonates in our bellies.
In Play Behavior, the question is asked, “How do we confirm our existence and affirm our worth?” Many psychotherapy clients come to therapy with that question. And to that question, there is the answer, “By having an effect on our world.” In music, with every swing of the arm or hum of the voice, one is affecting his or her world. It’s immediate and immediately fulfilling. Just by hitting a drum, one takes action by first picking up the drum and hitting it, this affects himself through the rush of neural chemicals that flush the brain and affects the world by pushing all the molecules in the room into a dizzying spin.
Often, as adults, we suppress feelings out of the necessity of being an adult. And all too often, these feelings of stress, anger, or sadness, manifest somatically as headaches, heartburn, weight gain, or in worst case scenarios, heart-attack. According to Levy, play therapy provides an, “excellent arena for trying out combinations and permutations of individual traits that would not be tolerated and reinforced in the real world.” This can simply be those feelings that are not appropriate to express in the conference room, to your children, or your loved ones.
In the music therapy room, it is possible to act out anger, frustration, sadness, joy, or release, and nobody has to be the wiser. Additionally, it is an arena in which we are free to take risks, to risk playing the wrong rhythm, risk falling into the wrong beat, risk our current understanding of who we are and expand our concept of who we are becoming. Also, when we play music together and we find our entrained rhythm, we are given the opportunity to experience our best selves. We are able to be considerate, thoughtful, loving, honest, compassionate, empathic, and wise because it takes all of these traits to successfully create rhythm together.
When in therapy, we are often searching for that which will make us more self-aware, mindful, help us cope, give us reprieve. In music, we answer this search with the power of flow. It is something that all musicians know intimately and most people have experienced. We have all at one point or another fallen into a trance of love making to whatever it is we are doing, whether that be playing music, running, yoga, painting, or anything else. According to the play theorist, Csikszentmihalyi, “Play is the flow experience par excellence.” When we are in “flow” we give up our ego, we transcend our skin, our self-consciousness, and exist in the space between consciousness and prayer.
With regard to adults playing, Levy asks, “As adults, . .where are we to look for the same kind of temporary immunity, for the same brief but inviolable sanctuary we found perfectly adapted to our needs in those old games of hide and seek?
Where indeed, but in playing music, itself? Once, while in music school, I was told, “make your song your sanctuary.” I loved this and the vision that created in my mind: of every sound made, throwing up walls with buttresses, giant stained glass windows, and steeples to temple my heart. This vision probably propelled me into music therapy and believing in the power of playing music. Music is a place of solace even if we have never played an instrument before because the sanctuary is built when we engage in the act of play. And to do that, takes no talent, no skill. It takes the willingness to play.
Levy, J. (1983). Play Behavior. Robert E. Krieger Publishing Company, Inc. Malabar Florida.
Davida Price, MS, MT-BC works in private practice providing psychotherapy and music therapy in San Diego, CA.
Follow Davida on Twitter at BlissMusicTx
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Learn more about Bliss.Music.Therapy at www.blissmusictherapy.com
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Have a lovely, musical Day!
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