Storycomposing: An Interactive and Creative Way to Express One’s Own Musical Inventions
Hanna Hakomäki · 2009
Storycomposing is a new model of musical way of interaction. It provides an opportunity to express feelings and experiences that have significance for individuals. No musical talent or prior studies of music are needed. Storycomposing is suitable for people of all ages from 3 upwards and also for people with learning disabilities and special needs. What distinguishes Storycomposing from other music improvisation/music therapy models is the manner in which notation can be used to fix the improvised musical creations of pupils/clients so that the material can be revisited and performed to selected groups of people. My experience as a music therapist rises from my training as a piano teacher and from my work with people with developmental disabilities. The idea of Storycomposing rose up while I was working with children under school age in a Finnish day nursery. After that I have developed Storycomposing through practical work with different kinds of groups: small children, piano pupils, pupils with special needs, children and adults with learning disabilities and in music therapy with children and adolescents and their families. I introduce Storycomposing as a new music therapy model and its practice in my masters thesis which was completed at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland 2005. The latest storycomposers come from the field of wellbeing at work and from a group of elderly people suffering from dementia. Many other professionals from the fields of child nursery, music education and music therapy have taken their training to use this method. The idea of this method connects with child centred research and has to deal with the knowledge children have constructed. Through this method children can create the culture of their own and the wisdom of children has helped to create the therapeutic method which can be used with people of all ages.