The Miracle of Music Therapy is a description of Edith Hillmann Boxill’s own way towards music and music therapy, written by herself. It is her personal story showing that being a music therapist goes far beyond the treatment room; to this American music therapist it is a way of living. As a music therapist she has been working with developmentally disabled people. She has also been appointed to the music therapy training at New York University. Boxill started her professional career as a music therapist at a mature age in 1973.
.....The main aim of the book is to “spread the word” about music therapy to a diverse audience. The author wants to arise awareness of music and music therapy as a universal means of communication both on individual, collective and global basis. Through her work as a music therapist she has experienced a lot of benefits of music therapy for different people. On this background her vision is to make music therapy available to everyone.
.....The book is designed as a symphony in six movements/chapters starting with a Prelude called “My Tao as a Music Therapist”. Here Boxill invites us to join her in her “creation of my path as a music therapist”, to use her own words. Throughout the book we follow Boxill from early childhood to a mature age, both in her private and professional life. All the time focusing upon what music – and relationships established through music – have meant to her during her life. The Miracle of Music Therapy also includes a number of examples from her practical work with developmentally disabled people.
.....As Boxill says already at the start: this is not a book dealing with many theoretical explanations and technical terms. In spite of this I understand her concept of ‘A Continuum of Awareness’ as a core notion to perceive her holistic approach to music therapy – and to life. In this concept she devises three main strategies; Reflection, Identification and Our Contact Song. Boxill uses these terms in her own way and gives them her personal interpretation and meaning. In short, the author says that in the first stage the music therapist reflects/mirrors the client’s facial expression, sounds or movements by creating a “sound environment” of musical forms, such as rhythmical chants or improvised songs. The main element in the Reflection strategy is to give the client unconditional acceptance of himself, both at a personal and musical level. From this state of “being musically together” the development goes to Identification. In this phase the therapist identifies through improvised music who the client is and what the two of them/or the group are doing together. By using musical identification in this way the therapist may also function as the client’s alter ego giving meaning and focus to what is occurring. According to Boxill this musical identification often leads to Our Contact Song, i.e. the very first musical expression initiated by the client and received by the therapist. The main point here is the reciprocal contact – the two-way communication. These three strategies lay the foundation for internalized learning and intentional action, she says. In the fourth chapter Boxill gives a lot of examples from her practical work as a music therapist, elucidated through the concept of ‘A Continuum of Awareness’. The examples are lively described with a warm heart and great enthusiasm.
.....Further in the book Boxill describes the recording of the world’s first LP with developmentally disabled people. In March 1988 she became the founder and first director of Music Therapists for Peace (MTP). Boxill says about MTP: “In sum, this global vision and orientation embodies the cross-cultural role of music therapists as ‘ambassadors of peace’ though music therapy.” The pilot project Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) has also emerged from MTP. Boxill calls this project “a further expansion of A continuum of Awareness.” Another result of the MTP is a Peace School Program: Conflict Resolution and Harmonic Relationships Through the Conscious Use of Music.
.....As a whole I think Boxill has written a positive and engaging book To me The Miracle of Music Therapy is credible, through, on the one hand, the author’s small “messages” given by words of wisdom from the East and the West are not always that easy to understand in the setting. On the other hand these words of wisdom leave space for me to use my own fantasy to identify with the text. Boxill’s intention was to “spread the words” of music therapy, which is a positive initiative. In my opinion this book presents tone approach to music therapy and succeeds in that sense. The “sun-stories” from Boxill’s work with developmentally handicapped people seem trustworthy and meaningful to me, not least because I recognize similar "miracles" in my life as a music therapist, but to tell the "world" about music therapy as a world-wide profession today. I think a lot more stories are to be told. I also would have wanted Boxill to present even more of her theoretical concept of "A Continuum of Awareness" to elucidate examples from her practical work as music therapist.
.....When talking about music therapy to other people, I also would like to stress the importance of not presenting music therapy too simply, such as: music is the therapeutic medium in itself. To me this book gives nice examples of exactly the opposite. In the examples from Boxill's clinical work, I recognize what the music therapist herself means both as a personal and professional (theoretical and musical skilled) level. The therapist's cultural background, her technical and musical skills, her empathic abilities and intuition are all of importance for the therapeutic result.
.....Finally, I like the optimistic tone in the book. The music therapist as "peace ambassador" gives inspiring perspectives to the daily therapeutic working. I do also like Boxill's Extension of "A Continuum of Awareness," which I interpret as everybody having a chance to change and grow through music throughout their lives.