Making a Difference: Hochstein's Music Therapy and Expressive Arts Program

It always gives me great pleasure to tell people how they have made a difference in my life.  However today, I would like to talk about Hochstein's Music Therapy Department and Expressive Arts Program and how they have made a huge difference in Sam's life.

Sam's Therapists, Joe and Sarah.

Sam’s early years were filled with chaos as sights, sounds, touches and smells bombarded Sam’s body.  He dealt with his confusion by running, hitting and screaming.  I was often his safe spot while being used as a venting vehicle so Sam could communicate his needs in inappropriate ways.  I was told that he would most likely live out of the home in a residential setting.  I had many interventions during that time and I believe that the people that sent me to Hochstein were the wonderful people of the Crisis Intervention Program at Strong Hospital.

Sam started attending Music Therapy at Hochstein when he was around five years old.  I can still hear his cries as we drove the half hour to his lesson.  I would carry him into the school where he would work with his first therapist, Wade Richards.  Wade would have Sam play on the drums until he felt like he was able to cope.  It was here that I learned about “Sensory Needs” and Sam’s need for deep muscle movement to regulate his emotions.  It was also Wade that helped me fight for a sensory diet in Sam’s school.

After time, Sam made huge improvements where he was better able to cope.  Wade Richards was the Chair of the Music Therapy Department and he took the tough cases.  It was Wade that transferred Sam to Joe Kostecki.  I will never forget the day when I first shook hands with Joe to introduce myself and Sam.

This is Joe and Sam.

I would talk to Joe about how I discovered Temple Grandin and her work.  It was Ms. Grandin’s words that educated me about what Autism was.  Her Mantra is to find the talent and the mentors for our loved ones with Autism.  As I read her many insightful books I was reminded of Sam’s fascination with cameras.  I had a plan to buy Sam a camera and take him on nature walks to take pictures.  I would share with Joe how I would  load the photos onto facebook, have people comment and have Sam read the comments to improve his reading,  I asked Joe to teach Sam how to hold the camera.  It was to both of us a great surprise when Sam started taking wonderful photos.

This was Sam's first picture.

Once I saw Sam’s photos I knew that I needed someone to work with him.   I walked the pavement to find and Expressive Arts Program for Sam.  I was told that Sam had to be 21 to qualify and I refused to wait that long.  Joe Kostecki asked the newly hired Chair, Maria Battista-Hancock, if Sam could be part of the Expressive Arts Program at Hochstein.  Maria said yes.

Maria and Sam playing the Didgeridoo.

Sam works every Monday with Joe Kostecki and they work on regulating his sensory system, developing cognitive skills such as attention and executive functions and using music to improve communication skills.  Joe and Sam often work with his photos and produce music on how Sam perceives how the photos would sound.  I love this because individuals with Autism have a difficult time thinking abstractly and Sam is taking a concrete picture and abstaractly thinks about his perception of the photos. 

Sam now works with Sarah Russell with his photography.  I am amazed on Sarah’s ability to transform from a Music Therapist to an Expressive Arts Therapist.  Sam is the first kid to be part of an Expressive Arts Program at Hochstein and Sarah and Sam have grown together and have made some amazing pieces of photography. 

This is one of their most famous pieces.  It is titled, "Many Green Leaves".

Sam works with Sarah every Tuesday in the high tech computer lab putting his photos in slide shows with “Garage Band” music that Sam composed playing in the background.  Sam works on editing skills in Google Picasa where he learns about such terms as compositions and saturation.  I am able to look at pictures that Sam and Sarah have taken together of the performance hall and feel giddy as Sam excitedly shows me pictures that they took of each other dancing across the shiny wood floor that is the performance stage.  Sarah tells me that Sam now mostly works by himself as he tells Sarah, "I got it".  Sam's independence makes me happy.

This is the picture that Sam took of Sarah.

When Sam first started working at Hochstein I had a fascination with the performance hall.  I though that the performance hall was strictly off limits.  I would sneak in and stand there and wonder what it was like when the hall was a church that housed the Underground Railroad.  I can only imagine what it was like during the memorial services of Frederick Douglas and Susan B. Anthony.  I look at the only 2 standing original set of pews and wonder who sat there. 

The school itself was named after David Hochstein.  David was a violin prodigy and was born to Russian immigrants in Rochester.  He was a composer and played in prestigious places including Carnegie Hall.  David decided to join the army and was killed only 30 days before the Armistice was signed to end the war.  David has been said to be "one of the finest violinists America has every produced".  David was greatly missed and in 1920 it was his patrons and friends who established the David Hochstein Memorial Music School.

Rochester is super rich with wonderful stories formed in history.  Hochstein is one of its most famous of places.  I feel privileged as I sit watching all the different artists walking past me and wonder if they are going to be the future’s superstars.  I chuckle as Sam walks into Hochstein standing out with his camera and tripod which is his instrument that makes beautiful music for our eyes. Everybody at Hochstein has their unique story to tell.  I am happy that I got to tell ours.

Twice a week we walk into these doors.

Different views of the stained glass windows.

Some different views of the stage.

Curves and lines at Hochstein

The piano

Last but not least, the pictures that Sam edited with Sarah.

I salute the staff of Hochstein for teaching Sam that he is a vital part of Society.  I have reached my goal of teaching Sam that he is important.

This is Sam's first self portrait that he took of himself with Sarah in one of Hochstein's dance studios.

*As of today, Sam is reading at a second grade level.  I call this progress.  It is only going to get better.

*You can find Sam's photos on his facebook page Snapshots by Sam Maloney.

*The background of this blog was a picture that Sam took while looking for Salmon.