Music Therapy Helps Adults with Vision Loss

Faith Reitman knew from a young age that she wanted to help people with disabilities. That drive coupled with a lifelong love of all things music ("I'm one of those people who sing in the shower," she says) prompted Faith to attend Western Illinois University's Music Therapy program. Specializing in patients with Alzheimer's and those with visual impairment, she now considers Music Therapy her calling.

Faith was diagnosed with the degenerative eye disease Glaucoma in 2002. The disease left her completely blind, but renewed in her a special and personal commitment to helping others with vision loss. Explains Faith, "I know first-hand what my students are going through, and being blind changes your perspective on a lot of things. By discussing their feelings with the help of songs and instruments, I can help my students find a sense of self and experience personal growth."

According to Faith, her most rewarding experience has been working with the residents of Friedman Place, a non-profit community for adults with vision loss in Chicago. Once a week, her Friedman Place students gather to sing songs, share stories, and learn ways to cope with both the physical and emotional challenges associated with blindness.

Not every group member finds it easy to express themselves through words. Therefore, Faith often relies on musical instruments to facilitate self-expression. Recently, a student with Asperger's syndrome joined the Friedman group. "At first," says Faith, "he just came and listened to the other students, and kept a serious demeanor the entire time. Eventually, I persuaded him to accompany the group on drums, and he took to it right away. The next time we met, he seemed more relaxed, and shared with the group the frustrations he had been feeling. Now he smiles the entire time, and will even crack a joke or two. I suppose it goes to show how therapeutic an experience like music therapy can be for some people."

Faith also recalls the time an unusually shy resident brought a poem to the group. "She had composed a poem about losing her sight and moving to Friedman Place, and wanted to set it to music." The group thought it was a wonderful idea, and other residents accompanied her on the piano and guitar. Before long, they had an original song. "It was really a leap of faith for her to open herself up like that," says Faith, "and setting her emotions to music helped her work through some blindness issues she was dealing with."

Each Friedman Place session begins with a song. According to Faith, "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" is a group favorite. Songs that relate to seasons, growth and independence are also popular, and ones that help residents focus on visual images have proven particularly beneficial. Faith says, "Some of my students have been blind their entire lives, and they're able to live vicariously through music. They reminisce about shared experiences, and support one another. Blind or not, it's wonderful to make friends who understand what you're going through."

A General Practitioner in Music Therapy and a member of the American Music Therapy Association, Faith Reitman has been Board Certified since 1992. She resides in Chicago, and can be reached at:

This article was submitted by Noelle Mack Fisher, Development Associate at Friedman Place, Chicago, IL. A non-profit Supportive Living Community for adults with vision loss, Friedman Place emphasizes a rehabilitation model based on resident self-determination, independence, and interaction within the community. For more information, visit www.friedmanplace.org, or call 773.989.9800.