The use of the kalimba in music therapy has already proved its worth. The kalimba is a small instrument with many attributes that bring happiness and satisfaction. Its soothing tones transport us back to our youth and immerse us in perfect harmony. The kalimba in music therapy not only has a great influence on the cerebral level, but also has physical benefits.
What is music therapy?
Music therapy is a form of expressive arts therapy in which music is used to promote and maintain an individual's physical, psychological and social well-being. It encompasses a wide range of activities, including listening to music, singing and playing an instrument. Music therapy is constantly adopting new music, techniques and instruments to offer therapeutic options to a growing variety of specific populations.
Who is music therapy for?
Music therapy can help a wide range of people with diverse characteristics. These include children, adolescents, adults and the elderly suffering from emotional disorders, developmental and learning disabilities, Alzheimer's disease and other age-related conditions, substance abuse problems, brain injuries, physical disabilities and acute and chronic pain, including pregnant women.
Using kalimba in music therapy
While sedation and medication can be used to reduce hypertension, music therapy practices offer a more natural and holistic option.
The kalimba and sansula have recently been used in music therapy interventions such as active music creation, relaxation exercises and individual or group musical performances. The kalimba is used by music therapists to improve communication, strengthen group cohesion, stimulate creativity through spontaneous musical creation and express oneself in new ways.
The music therapy kalimba and sansula have demonstrated excellent results in group and individual sessions with people suffering from traumatic brain injury. Although brain injuries affect all degrees of functioning, these instruments are suitable for all levels of ability and are simple to play while strengthening gross and fine motor skills.
Psychologists emphasize the importance of bilateral development, or the development of both sides of the brain, in children's cerebral development. Our right brain governs our left side and is responsible for our intuition, originality, ingenuity and lateral thinking. We're forced to use our right brain because we have to compose tunes on the kalimba with both hands. There aren't many hobbies that allow us to do this in our modern lives.
How is the kalimba used in music therapy?
Kalimba relaxation
Patients in a group play the kalimba in sequence to build chord progressions. Patients line up to play with the therapist, who specifies the chord changes. Guitar, piano and other instruments provide pleasant accompaniment.
The soothing sound of the kalimba contributes to relaxation. The kalimba is placed on each part of the body mentioned by the therapist for progressive muscle relaxation, so that the client concentrates on the area to be relaxed. It is advisable to use a music therapy kalimba on a plate in this case, as the vibrations will travel more freely through the body.
Another way to relax is vibro-tactile massage, which can be performed (with the patient's consent) by placing the kalimba on the client's back and playing gently as the vibrations massage the spine and surrounding muscles. The kalimba in music therapy is simple to use and enables relaxation exercises to be performed without interfering with acoustic quality.
Expressing yourself with the Kalimba
The kalimba in music therapy can be played with a variety of instruments in private sessions. In the absence of words, music is used to describe thoughts and feelings. The therapeutic technique of "kalimba conversation" promotes the attainment of objectives in stages: while one person plays, another listens, then the participants move on to the non-verbal sequence of the music.
In "Kalimba Mirroring", one person plays a brief melodic phrase, and the other responds by imitating the phrase; the players then swap leads.