arts+medicine:music_therapy arts+medicine:music_therapy Ebony & ivory, perfect harmony A Darwin choir born from a music therapy program unites black and white, health worker and patient – gloriously Tina Broad When music therapist and educator “Pat’s brief was for me to provide Anja Tait first touched down in the Top an opportunity for people to express End just over a decade ago, she received their stories in sound, movement and some earthy advice which set the tone voice. She wanted both staff and clients for her new life in the tropics. Advice to be able to experience some relief that struck a chord then and resounds from the kind of personal distress even now. which often impacts upon family and This was 1994 but Anja remembers it community relationships. like yesterday. Her reception committee “Pat’s observation was that Indigenous of one that day was Renate Marek, the families rarely seek emotional support colleague who had lured her north. “She The Saltwater Singers (Anja Tait is third from the right) from professionals and she thought that met me at the airport, handed over the expressive arts therapies such as music keys to her Toyota Hi-Ace and said: ‘I’m off to the Kimberley. might be an effective conduit for a community of people for Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. Just be yourself. People will see whom arts is life. Pat surmised that if people had a positive expestraight through anything else. They’ll let you know soon rience, then they would be more inclined to seek out or recomenough if you’ve made a mistake. And don’t forget, people vote mend that family members accept professional support.” with their feet. If you still have someone with you at the end of For the next two years, Anja worked part-time with the DDHS your session, then you’re doing okay’.” Social and Emotional Wellbeing Centre to provide music therapy Anja started the ignition, turned out of the carpark and to urban Aborigines. Music therapy was offered on an individual towards whatever fate awaited her. and group basis as a creative alternative to mainstream coun“I drove down the red dusty track, past the sign that said seling approaches. ‘Adelaide 3000km south’, to a residential care centre to work with One of Anja’s group music therapy programs spawned a group of older Indigenous men with dementia. Together we Saltwater Singers, a community singing group initiated and played and sang, laughed and reminisced our way through a controlled by Aborigines which welcomed participation from repertoire of country and western songs and many of the people of any colour – the only prerequisite was a willingness favourite hymns that had sustained these men back in harsh days to sing. Most of them were members of Darwin’s Indigenous as young children in the mission.” community working as health professionals, managers, policy Fast-forward to 2000 and Anja is flight-hopping in light planes officers and educators. The group met on a weekly basis and, with throughout the Northern Territory, dropping in on urban, rural Anja’s guidance, was introduced to voice care, vocal technique, and remote school communities, traveling with little more than music reading, unison and part singing, songwriting, ensemble a can-do attitude. She works with families, schools, visiting health skills, rehearsal and performance strategies. She describes it as “an professionals and community members. Her goal, she says, is explicit music therapy process, using community participation as “to enable participation in music experiences that help people a strategy for addressing the identified physical and emotional optimise learning, health and wellbeing”. needs of employees in a highly stressful workplace”. In September that year Anja received a call from Pat Anderson, In the audience at an early Saltwater Singers performance was then head of Danila Dilba Health Service (DDHS), inviting her to DDHS medical officer Dr Jessie Johnston. work with staff and clients at this busy Darwin medical centre. “It was entrancing,” Jessie remembers. “I had known that Anja Today Anderson is the executive officer of the Aboriginal Medical was providing music therapy within the service and that many Services Alliance NT and chairs the board of management for the staff members had joined the singing group for their own Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health, a consortium recreation, but I was unprepared for how moved I was at that of universities and research centres whose charter is to address the performance. I was so taken with how Anja had managed to lead chronic health problems of Australia’s Aborigines. this bunch of people, many of whom had little or no musical 44 Singing together every week was a beautiful way to wind down and relax together. It allowed us all to connect with each other … as friends and colleagues experience, and teach them to play and sing and follow her so precisely. She had picked a simple but really effective repertoire. There were people from the wider community, some clinic patients and many of our staff – some white fellas but mainly our Indigenous colleagues. It was wonderful. I knew the group was looking for more members. ” Saltwater Singers had themselves a new member. “How could they hold me back?” laughs Jessie. “I’ve always loved singing, I’m learning the cello. I guess I was reticent because I was already so very busy. But the thing I appreciated most over the life of the project was the chance to do something with the staff where I wasn’t ‘Jessie the Doctor’. “Working in a professional, medical role you can seem rather closed off and anxious. It was so enjoyable for me that people could see me in a totally different way. I think that was really valuable. “There were about 15 of us. Singing together every week was a beautiful way to wind down and relax together. It allowed us all to connect with each other, away from the stresses and pressures of always thinking about the patients first – and gave us something for ourselves, as friends and colleagues.” The crowning achievement was Saltwater Singers’ invitation to the Bendigo Gospel Music Festival, where they presented their The Saltwater Singers in concert own songs and joined 500 choristers from throughout Australia for a large-scale performance under the direction of acapella guru Tony Backhouse. Anja says the trip to regional Victoria left a lasting impression on all of them. Local elder and lay preacher, Ralph Day, agrees that the experience had a profound effect on participants. “Because we fit into the [Top End] culture so easily, [in Victoria] we were sensitive to the fact that eyes were on us because we’re Aboriginal. For us to come away and for the people in the south to see us representing an Aboriginal people was an inspiration. So many times you see the negative side of Aboriginal people but this brought out a positive and something that was going to be a help to our people.” ■ Music. Play for Life is the Music Council of Australia’s national campaign to encourage more Australians to make music. In each issue, arts + medicine profiles a music therapy case study which demonstrates the link between music and wellbeing. Further reading www.musicplayforlife.org and www.austmta.org.au BOOMALLI Urban Aboriginal Artist Co-operative est. 1987 55 – 59 Flood Street LEICHHARDT (opp. Leichhardt Marketplace) Hours: 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Friday or by appointment Phone: 02 95602541 Email: [email protected] Jeffrey Samuels (Boomalli Chairperson) Dancin’ up rain