Helen Bonny’s Guided Imagery and Music and different aspects of listening to music in preschool and early childhood
Helen Bonny’s Guided Imagery and Music and different aspects of listening to music in preschool and early childhood

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present the receptive music therapy method developed by Helen Bonny. The method described is based on the awareness and analysis of the music listening experience. In its training, methodological elements are the most important, such as symbolic processing techniques of musical experience, includ¬ing guidance instructions, which are mainly derived from the therapist’s own experi¬ential experience. The main points of her (Helen Bonny) theoretical background are Maslow’s theory of needs and Rogers’ non-directive attitude. In terms of the relation¬ship between pedagogy and therapy, the therapist, as well as the pre-school teacher and the teacher, also takes care to create a relaxed atmosphere for the recipient during the listening process, to make him or her aware of the musical experience and to express it non-verbally or symbolically (e.g. through drawing, movement, dramati¬cally). The difference lies in the purpose of the processing. Therapy focuses on the resolution of personality conflicts, whereas pedagogy focuses on the development of musical skills and the shaping of taste while listening to music. Both therapists and educators need to be trained in the characteristics of musical experience and musical style, but with different methodologies. What they have in common are the steps of relaxation, experiential mobilization, and becoming a conscious music listener.

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