Overview

Author Jo Salas, a music therapist and cofounder of Playback Theatre, created a drama and music program at a residential treatment center in upstate New York for children 5 to 13 years old who had been diagnosed as severely emotionally disturbed. Do My Story, Sing My Song tells the stories of the children she worked with, many of whom were the survivors of extreme neglect and violence. Despite their traumas and their resulting depression, volatility, and even psychosis, the children at St. Mary's were full of creativity. They longed to express themselves, to play, to love, and, remarkably, to contribute to the wellbeing of their peers. In one-on-one music therapy sessions, group singing, Playback Theatre performances with staff members enacting children's stories, and therapy groups where the children acted stories for each other, the author encountered the resilience and artistry of these young people. Although reflecting on the background and theory of creative arts therapies, Do My Story, Sing My Song More is in the realm of narrative rather than formal case studies, offering stories where children's voices are clearly and unforgettably heard. Jo Salas, MA, holds a master's degree in music therapy from New York University. She is the cofounder of Playback Theatre, an original form of interactive story-based theatre now practiced in 65 countries. Her book Improvising Real Life: Personal Story in Playback Theatre is now in nine translations. Her TEDx talk Everyone Has a Story is available online.

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The children whom Jo Salas writes about were all, in one form or another, profoundly disturbed. And yet she managed to contact them with a model composed of music, art, storytelling, role playing and various forms of drama. With delicate insight, deep tenderness and above all, with creativity, she deals with the magic, too often buried and untouched, that is to be found in children. --Zerka Moreno, psychodramatist and co-author (with J.L. Moreno) of Who Shall Survive? (Vol. 2.) and co-author of Psychodrama, Surplus Reality and the Art of Healing I was deeply moved by this natural, human and heart-touching book. The style is so unassuming and clear. How well the author serves these embattled children! --Dr Clive Robbins, Director of the Nordoff Robbins Center, New York University, co-founder of the Nordoff Robbins Clinics, London and New York, and co-author of Creative Music Therapy. A fine accomplishment with an inspiring, yet usually overlooked, subject. Jo Salas has written a powerful testament to the raw power of artistic experience and the redemptive power of creative expression. She has the poet's eye for telling detail, the playwright's ear for the surprising (and hilarious) rich dialog, and the writer's gift for capturing troubled children in elegant, beautiful portraits. --Eric Booth, Founder of Juilliard's Art and Education Program, consultant to The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center Institute, and Tanglewood, and author of The Everyday Work of Art.

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