Ultimate Ears Presents...

MUSIC THERAPY - AN INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW BATTYE AND JOEL KAY

Every month, we feature a behind-the-scenes interview with a pioneer in the music industry. This month, instead of focusing on the music industry, I get to talk to someone who is making peoples’ lives better through music. I’ve known Andy for many years and in spite of The Cloud, Andy still takes time to actually burn CD’s for friends and he is always a source of great new music. I can’t begin to tell you how happy I was to learn that he is now sharing music with children. They are very lucky. And so are we — along with answering my questions, Andy also brought Joel Kay into the fold so we get even deeper insights into how music quite literally moves people. And with that, here we go…

Hi Andy, thank you for taking the time to talk to us today. You certainly have an interesting perspective on music. You’ve seen it from more angles than most people. Can you please tell us a bit about what you used to do and what you’re doing now?

Well after almost 30 years of touring the world with assorted artists (Metallica, Judas Priest, Simple Minds, System Of A Down & countless others), around four years ago I decided to throw in the towel on that lifestyle & try something different. After volunteering at a centre for developmentally disabled children for a few months I was offered a job there as a 1-to-1 paraprofessional (teachers aide) and decided to give it a go. I very much doubted that I would end up doing it for as long as I have, but you do get very involved with the children & despite the financial rewards being low, I do get a great deal more job satisfaction (most days) than I did towards the end of my touring years.

We certainly don’t want to infringe on anyone’s privacy, but in your experience - do you think that music has the power to heal in therapeutic situations?
How so? What have you seen?

When I first started working at New Horizon Centre there wasn’t a music program in place & I recall being quite ‘vocal’ toward the administration in terms of initiating a program, I’d seen children at some Nordoff/Robbins sessions & been very impressed with the response of some higher functioning individuals. The children here are much lower functioning & the notion that music could ‘heal’ them is quite unrealistic, however when I saw the reaction from many of the kids when Joel Kay, the qualified music therapist who started conducting both group & individual sessions, I was amazed by how many of them (esp. the ones at the severe end of the Autism spectrum) seemed to come ‘out of their shell’ & communicate on a level that I’d not seen before.

What do you think it is? What is it about music? You’ve seen crowds transfixed by it. And you’ve seen individuals moved by it? What element is it? Is music a language? Is it hardwired to produce certain movements and emotions?

My personal love of music would be almost impossible to put into words, as it’s been a constant source of inspiration & at times comfort for me, so I would imagine those type of feelings/emotions are embraced & maybe even triggered by music on a subconscious level by some of the children. It certainly stimulates brain & sometimes physical activity in some individuals & induces calm in others & that doesn’t to me seem necessarily related to the type of music that is being played. ie. mellow ambient things aren’t guaranteed to induce calm & livelier pieces aren’t always going to get them moving. It strikes me that there is no general formula that is guaranteed to work & the individuals moods & needs are the key factors - what worked yesterday will not necessarily work with them today.

I understand that you’ve been working with a Soundbeam system. How’s that work?

Soundbeam is a system that enables a users movement to trigger sounds using ‘radar-type’ technology, the beams sense movement and using an interface that is connected to a synthesizer (or any midi enabled sound source), then depending on the sensitivity settings, small or large body movement can be transposed into sound. I’ve spent time using it in more informal sessions with children whereas Joel has attended soundbeam seminars & uses it in a more structured setting. What is remarkable is that despite the level of disability encountered by the individual, this tool allows the playing field to be levelled & students with the severest disabilities can participate fully alongside others.

Is there any way that any of our readers can help get involved ?

Well New Horizon Center is a non-profit & relies heavily on private donations & fundraisers, so anyone interested helping on any level could contact the school using the website or contact me at andybattye@me.com and I could point you in the right direction.

Joel Kay who is a qualified music therapist who works at the New Horizon Center a couple of days a week. Here are his thoughts on the questions that Andy answered above.

Do you think that music has the power to heal in therapeutic situations?

Well, “heal” sounds very powerful and complete, and I personally don’t have evidence in my experience with psychiatric patients and students with special needs of any patients or students that have been completely “healed,” but what I DO see is that musical experiences often promote a psychological state that can promote healing.  One of the most powerful things I’ve personally seen is a psychiatric patient who was selectively mute begin to speak and answer questions after an individual music therapy session, and a nonverbal early childhood student who spontaneously begin to speak and answer questions during a session.  This same 4-year-old student with autism could also immediately find the appropriate chord progression on the Omnichord and autoharp while I sang age-appropriate songs.  I’ve seen how music can promote communication and appropriate socialization.  Musical experiences often promote a “relaxed” environment and a positive state of mind that can move individuals towards a healthier state.  I have personally never worked in a medical hospital, but have read many research studies that indicate that patients who participate in music therapy statistically heal at a faster rate than those who don’t.  In fact, music therapy first gained recognition as a valid intervention in America when it was seen that World War II veterans who participated in hospital bands and choruses appeared to heal faster and be discharged sooner than those who did not participate in the musical activities.


What do you think it is? What is it about music?  What element is it?

I believe that music forms a powerful connection between people; it’s a shared experience with built-in emotional qualities.  Plus, you have the unifying element of the rhythm, the vibraacoustic effect of the instruments, the emotion in the melody and lyrics…….I could go on and on.  I love to see the almost instant boost in self-esteem you can see when music therapy participants successfully play a musical instrument.  There’s nothing like being actively involved in music-making to bring about a change in affect.

Is music a language? Is it hardwired to produce certain movements and emotions?

Yes, music is often called “the universal language,” and I go along with that.  Even if you don’t speak the language that the lyrics are set in, the melody, rhythm, harmonies, instrumentation all elicit certain emotions, which can be different for each individual based on their life experiences.  I’m also fascinated to read the studies with Alzheimer’s patients, who seem to lose their “music memory” last.  Anecdote after anecdote speak of patients who cannot tell you their name, they do not recognize their closet family members, but they can sing every word of a favorite hymn or song or hum complete melodies of songs from their past.


I understand that you’ve been working with a Soundbeam system. How’s that work? 

Well, the Soundbeam was originally developed in the UK for dancers — it produces music through a synthesizer as the sensors pick up movement.  It soon caught on in special education, as even the most profoundly impaired could independently make music through even a slight physical movement.  The system can be adjusted for range (meaning how far away from subject to activate the music), the way it is triggered, pitch, and it has an infinite number of musical sounds and sound effects to choose from when programming it.  What I love to see is when an individual who functions at a lower cognitive level “gets” the cause-and-effect, and realizes that they are creating the sound.  I also work with the physical therapists so that I can address their goals with the Soundbeam system and encourage certain movements and gestures through the placement of the beam.  I definitely have found that each individual is motivated by different sounds — one student only likes disturbing, discordant sounds, especially enjoying a “Haunted House” preset.  When I play what I consider to be “pleasant” sounds with harp and strings, she doesn’t move at all!

Thank you - what an honor!

To learn more about Soundbeam and to watch it in practice, visit their main website.