Music & Sound Healing~
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Origins & Evolution~
An "instrument" is vessel; a tool. When held in the hands of skilled player, it becomes a conduit for information and energy to travel through. The first instruments appeared on the planet 67,000 years ago, and for centuries music has been used to facilitate healing, in many cultures and traditions across the globe.
In addition to my work in the healing arts, i am also a percussionist.
As a child i became fascinated with rhythm, and beginning at an early age i embarked on an intensive study and inquiry of syncopation and polyrhythm. Dedicating almost twenty years to perfecting my technique and literacy within the musical traditions of African, Afro-Cuban and Flamenco music, I toured throughout the United States as well as internationally, teaching music in schools and privately, recording several albums, and co-founded and managed a successful band.
Music is so much a part of what i do, and how i have been shaped, that I feel it's important to reference the powerful connections between music and healing work- as they resonate within me, and move through my heart and hands.
In addition to my work in the healing arts, i am also a percussionist.
As a child i became fascinated with rhythm, and beginning at an early age i embarked on an intensive study and inquiry of syncopation and polyrhythm. Dedicating almost twenty years to perfecting my technique and literacy within the musical traditions of African, Afro-Cuban and Flamenco music, I toured throughout the United States as well as internationally, teaching music in schools and privately, recording several albums, and co-founded and managed a successful band.
Music is so much a part of what i do, and how i have been shaped, that I feel it's important to reference the powerful connections between music and healing work- as they resonate within me, and move through my heart and hands.
Working with special needs children~
For the past ten years i have been working with children with developmental and physical challenges, using music as a resource- a means of communication and self-expression. Through my work in the classroom i have developed and refined my approach to working with these children, and am merging this awareness with my work in the clinic. I am doing bodywork and healing arts with children and adults with special needs, offering private one-on-one sessions that utilize gentle, hands-on healing techniques including osteopathic manipulation, craniosacral therapy, acupressure, energy medicine and sound healing. Although i'm not actively working in the classroom, the time spent with these children has helped me define an entire way of being with people, and for this i am eternally grateful.
I have completed an article about the work that i do with these children. (See below, or Click here to read the article)
I have completed an article about the work that i do with these children. (See below, or Click here to read the article)
Slide show photos by Anita Dimondstein
What the parents and teachers say...
“Rachael has a gift… she is able to reach everyone at whatever level they are at. The richness of this experience goes beyond the 1 hour of class. It warms my heart, |
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"Healing is natural and flows from your spirit. I thank you for all the wonderful moments that you provided for Melissa [my daughter]. You were there when she was in incredibly fragile condition... and helped to gently nurture her back to health and love." |
"Music class with Rachael has been Melissa's landing base back to life. Melissa [my daughter] is 16 years old and has Rett Syndrome. She is non-verbal, and was ill in the hospital for most of last year. It is amazing what Rachael and her musical activities have inspired Melissa to do. When Melissa goes to class it is like a light bulb has been turned on in her body; she shakes her feet, giggles, smiles, and looks around at the other girls- she is able to communicate with her body and share joy with others. She especially loves the drumming, and participates robustly. This music class is the highlight of Melissa's week, and it is the only social activity that she has. Of course in this equation is Rachael- the exceptionally talented, loving, and creative teacher. She has such a deep understanding of music and natural sounds. The class is a miracle, and I love it as much as Melissa. I love it because Melissa opens up so much, because she is with other kids her own age, because the guidance is so in-tune with the needs of the participants, and because it somehow heals me inside as well. Thank you so much."
~Lilly P. (Melissa's mom)
Article on using music with children with disabilities.
Link to the article, with pictures! http://youthinarts.org/blog/music-movement-for-incredible-kids
"Over the past several years, I have had the pleasure of working with an incredible group of children- each with a unique gift, and also a unique challenge in life. They each have some form of “disability” (or as i prefer to call it ‘super-power’). Some of the children are in wheelchairs, and many of them wear braces around their torsos, necks, arms, legs or feet. Others can walk and move around independently, but have difficulty with cognitive comprehension. The verbal skills in the classroom are limited, and those who speak do so with great effort and concentration, with access to limited vocabulary. That being said, this group of children have demonstrated tremendous courage, insight, respect, grace, compassion, trust and patience over the time I have known them. They have done magnificent work! In their willingness to go beyond what’s comfortable, they have expanded their boundaries and broadened their comfort zones, and re-defined what’s possible for them in this world.
"What” you might ask, “can a group of children who have difficulty moving and speaking possibly gain from a music/movement class?” The answer is simple: Everything. My time with these children is about freedom of expression, trusting their own process of learning, and expanding their horizons.
Society defines these children by their limitations- by what they can’t do: the tests they can’t take, the material they can’t absorb, and the things they will never accomplish. Adults commonly speak about the children as if they don’t understand them. The children are defining their own visions for their lives, and no one knows what these children are capable of, except for them- and this is theirs to discover throughout their life’s journey.
What if we were to define these children for their potential, instead of by their deficiencies? What if we were to begin to relate to them as if they understood exactly what we are saying? These are the questions i have begun to ask, and i allow the students to show me the answers over time.
The children have helped me to develop and refine my approach over the years.
Here are the basic guidelines we work with:
-I approach the children with respect and curiosity.
-I see them for the wholeness of their being, and for the possibilities that live within them- instead of for their limitations.
-I suspend all judgement or ideas about what a child can or can’t do, and allow them to re-define that for themselves… in each moment.
-I meet them where they are, invite them into my space, and allow for them to invite me into theirs.
-I earn their trust, by allowing the children to make their own choices.
-I offer them the chance to respond, by asking, then waiting.
-I will ask 100 different ways- by testing their boundaries (within a container of respect), they are challenged to try new things.
-I don’t force a child to do anything, nor do i “help” them by moving their arms/legs for them (this prevents them from making their own choices, and robs them of the opportunity to try and succeed!).
I am available to receive the response, in the way they can deliver it.
I am ultimately more interested in the child’s authentic response, in whatever form it comes- even if it’s different from the one I may be expecting. I practice deep listening and careful observation, noticing all the tiny changes and subtle responses in the children. For these children, body language is crucial, and they use it as a primary way communicate. The breath, eyes, and facial expressions all offer clues into the experience, comfort and engagement of a child. (Sometimes, the eyes are the only way a child has to communicate with us- noticing EVERYTHING becomes very important).
I strive to create a sanctuary with my presence. By witnessing them with my whole being, and coming from a place of love and kindness, I create a safe and tender place for them to exist with me...
What I have witnessed are “miracles” during almost every class- students doing things for the first time, and finding new possibilities with movement and speech. I have seen parents and teachers moved to tears by what they see. We play, sing, dance, drum, laugh, breathe and cry together, and we all remember something essential about being human.
The work is subtle, but the responses and shifts that occur when we approach the children in this way are deep and profound. I feel deeply honored to have the opportunity to work with these children in this way. I have tremendous gratitude for the children, for being willing to step outside of their comfort zones. To them I say “Thank you for trusting me, for inspiring me, and for teaching me about love and life”.
~Rachael Bouch-D.
Link to the article, with pictures! http://youthinarts.org/blog/music-movement-for-incredible-kids
"Over the past several years, I have had the pleasure of working with an incredible group of children- each with a unique gift, and also a unique challenge in life. They each have some form of “disability” (or as i prefer to call it ‘super-power’). Some of the children are in wheelchairs, and many of them wear braces around their torsos, necks, arms, legs or feet. Others can walk and move around independently, but have difficulty with cognitive comprehension. The verbal skills in the classroom are limited, and those who speak do so with great effort and concentration, with access to limited vocabulary. That being said, this group of children have demonstrated tremendous courage, insight, respect, grace, compassion, trust and patience over the time I have known them. They have done magnificent work! In their willingness to go beyond what’s comfortable, they have expanded their boundaries and broadened their comfort zones, and re-defined what’s possible for them in this world.
"What” you might ask, “can a group of children who have difficulty moving and speaking possibly gain from a music/movement class?” The answer is simple: Everything. My time with these children is about freedom of expression, trusting their own process of learning, and expanding their horizons.
Society defines these children by their limitations- by what they can’t do: the tests they can’t take, the material they can’t absorb, and the things they will never accomplish. Adults commonly speak about the children as if they don’t understand them. The children are defining their own visions for their lives, and no one knows what these children are capable of, except for them- and this is theirs to discover throughout their life’s journey.
What if we were to define these children for their potential, instead of by their deficiencies? What if we were to begin to relate to them as if they understood exactly what we are saying? These are the questions i have begun to ask, and i allow the students to show me the answers over time.
The children have helped me to develop and refine my approach over the years.
Here are the basic guidelines we work with:
-I approach the children with respect and curiosity.
-I see them for the wholeness of their being, and for the possibilities that live within them- instead of for their limitations.
-I suspend all judgement or ideas about what a child can or can’t do, and allow them to re-define that for themselves… in each moment.
-I meet them where they are, invite them into my space, and allow for them to invite me into theirs.
-I earn their trust, by allowing the children to make their own choices.
-I offer them the chance to respond, by asking, then waiting.
-I will ask 100 different ways- by testing their boundaries (within a container of respect), they are challenged to try new things.
-I don’t force a child to do anything, nor do i “help” them by moving their arms/legs for them (this prevents them from making their own choices, and robs them of the opportunity to try and succeed!).
I am available to receive the response, in the way they can deliver it.
I am ultimately more interested in the child’s authentic response, in whatever form it comes- even if it’s different from the one I may be expecting. I practice deep listening and careful observation, noticing all the tiny changes and subtle responses in the children. For these children, body language is crucial, and they use it as a primary way communicate. The breath, eyes, and facial expressions all offer clues into the experience, comfort and engagement of a child. (Sometimes, the eyes are the only way a child has to communicate with us- noticing EVERYTHING becomes very important).
I strive to create a sanctuary with my presence. By witnessing them with my whole being, and coming from a place of love and kindness, I create a safe and tender place for them to exist with me...
What I have witnessed are “miracles” during almost every class- students doing things for the first time, and finding new possibilities with movement and speech. I have seen parents and teachers moved to tears by what they see. We play, sing, dance, drum, laugh, breathe and cry together, and we all remember something essential about being human.
The work is subtle, but the responses and shifts that occur when we approach the children in this way are deep and profound. I feel deeply honored to have the opportunity to work with these children in this way. I have tremendous gratitude for the children, for being willing to step outside of their comfort zones. To them I say “Thank you for trusting me, for inspiring me, and for teaching me about love and life”.
~Rachael Bouch-D.