1. How did you become an art therapist? What made you decide to take this course?
Music has always been part of my life. I started playing the piano quite young and there are several musicians in my family. Music allows me to express myself, to connect with myself and also to create strong bonds with other musicians. It soothes, nourishes and heals.
I’ve always been very interested in how the human psyche works. I trained as an HES specialist educator, which led me to work with children and teenagers in need for 7 years in institutions, while pursuing music as a personal resource. But there was something missing. When I heard that there was a course that combined music and therapy, it seemed like the obvious thing to do.
2. What do you enjoy most about your job?
Contact with children. Childhood is a magical time when everything seems possible and creativity is at its peak. Children enter music with disconcerting ease. They have resources and resilience that we no longer have as adults. The further I go, the more I realise that there’s still a world to discover about the benefits of music at every level. I love to learn, and that makes this job exciting.
3. How long have you been active in the Foundation’s projects?
It’s just over 3 years since I started the music therapy project at the Hôpital Cantonal de Fribourg, in the paediatrics and neonatology departments.
4. How would you describe your work?
It’s very varied, rewarding and also requires a great deal of flexibility. The hospital is a world in constant motion. Patients don’t stay long, teams change, and you have to find your place as a music therapist in a world that isn’t always ready to welcome you. Every day is new, there’s no routine, I often don’t know who I’m going to see or what I’m going to experience. I’ve found that the fewer expectations I have, the more the world of possibilities opens up. Patients feel free to go where they need to go, and I’m there to accompany them on this journey, a presence that’s both reassuring and non-invasive. It’s a balancing act that requires a great deal of introspection, humility and questioning.
5. Which artist would you like to dine with and why?
That’s hard to answer, because I admire and listen to a lot of different artists! I really like the lyrics of Florent Pagny, Zaz and Daniel Balavoine, who really move me. I also love classical music, with a preference for piano and cello. And rock bands : Aerosmith, Queen, Gun’s N’Roses,… Music therapy allows me to discover new artists every day, thanks to the sound world of each patient. It’s really exciting!
6. What did you want to be when you were little?
When I was little, I wanted to be a schoolteacher
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