Resistance defined: fighting, opposition
- Synonyms: battle, blocking, check, combat, contention, counteraction, cover, defiance, detention, fight, friction, halting, hindrance, holding, impedance, impeding, intransigence, obstruction, parrying, protecting, protection, rebuff, refusal, retardation, safeguard, screen, shield, stand, striking back, struggle, support, warding off, watch, withstanding
Resistance is a common occurrence in music therapy sessions. What happens, and how do music therapists deal with it? For one example, resistance may be seen and heard while playing musical instruments. As I observed one therapist last week, the trumpet was used in a few sessions for children with autism. The trumpet is used to increase oral motor function, and pushing through the resistance to make a sound is very fulfilling for each client. In other cases, resistance is seen in clients when transitioning between sitting in the waiting room and starting a music therapy session. The change in environment may be tough for some, and others may be resisting therapeutic work. Many times therapists will need to regulate a client’s body first before diving into more demanding work. Bilateral drumming while moving around the room with paddle drums has been proven effective for breaking down clients’ resistance levels.
As summer in San Diego reaches a peak in July and August, the song “Summertime” is used in many different facilities for a wide range of clients. “Summertime” is an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. In 1960, Ella Fitzgerald went on tour in Europe, and soulfully delivered the tune. Ella Fitzgerald performing “Summertime” in Berlin, Germany
