“Everybody Should Be Heard; Everybody Has Got a Story to Tell, or a Song to Sing”

Abstract

This chapter records the findings of a research project that sought to understand the nature of the work of a specialist music teacher implementing music as a therapeutic device. Its aims were to identify the teaching and learning strategies employed in a classroom in which music is utilised as a therapeutic device and the perceptions of parents, senior staff, and staff colleagues of the nature of this work. The findings of the study identified five emergent themes: those of communication, the development of social skills, music for “fun,” addressing the needs of all, and music education. Through these themes the nature and complexity of the principal participant’s work were revealed. The data were analysed and re-worked to create a literary portrayal of the teacher’s work, employing portraiture as a method of analysis. This study demonstrated that music is a powerful medium for learning in these settings and suggests that music as a form of learning in other settings may enhance a variety of social, physical, and cognitive outcomes.