In Tune With the Psyche

The harp plays a key role in the music therapy practiced by Scottish musician William Jackson, but probably not in the way you might presume.

Jackson’s therapy doesn’t necessarily reflect the gentle, rippling sounds you’ll hear from the likes of Paraguayan harpist Carlos Murillas or his mentor, Alfredo Rolando Ortiz. For Jackson, it’s all about communication and building trust between therapist and client. Sometimes the treatment is rough around the edges.

“People often think of the harp as a soothing instrument, but that’s not really what my approach is about,” said Jackson, who will play tonight at Shade Tree Stringed Instruments in Laguna Niguel.

“I work with a lot of kids suffering from mental illness . . . who have learning disabilities or language and speech impairments . . . who are autistic or suffer from neurological conditions,” he said in a recent interview after a tour stop in Santa Barbara. “They generally lack motivation or self-esteem. What I’m trying to do is not relax them, but to affect behavior in positive ways.

“When you put an instrument in their hands--and let them dabble and improvise as a means of communication--they start to feel like they can create something unique and worthwhile. It’s generally a slow process that involves a lot of encouragement and patience. But it can be so rewarding.”

Bumps in the road are to be expected, however.

“The sessions can be upsetting,” said Jackson, 42. “In addition to the harp, I use a variety of instruments [hand-held percussion, marimba, guitar, and piano] which can lead to a loud, aggressive, unsettling experience. But that’s OK. Sometimes that’s the best way to communicate what’s inside of you . . . to get it out.”

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Jackson received a diploma in Music Therapy from the London Guildhall School of Music in 1993. His training there echoed the principles of the nearby Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre, which advances the teachings of concert pianist Paul Nordoff and special educator Clive Robbins.

(Since Nordoff’s death in 1977, Robbins and his wife, Carol, have continued the founders’ efforts to enhance modes of self-expression through music, in spite of an individual’s physical and/or mental impairment.)

Jackson, who lives just north of the Scottish seaside town of Dundee, spends about six months each year working with children--from infants to teens--at mental hospitals and hospices mainly in the United States. About the demanding nature of his work, he offered: “The therapy sessions are sometimes draining, but they’re extremely worthwhile. You can’t imagine how it feels to open a window to a better world for these kids.”

Besides his musical therapy work, Jackson writes, records and tours. He began his career playing in the Scottish folk group Ossian, which he co-founded in 1976. He departed after nearly 14 years to pursue a solo career. He has released five albums, including several collaborations with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

His latest release, 1996’s “Inchcolm” (Linn Records), features vocalist Mae McKenna and Jackson on the gut-strung clarsach, Irish flute, tin whistle, piano, laud and bodhran.

The music and lyrics are steeped in the cultural traditions of his homeland, with elegiac songs ranging from a 13th century chant (“Salve Splendor”) to a 19th century Gaelic prayer (“The Pure Land”) to a spiritually tinged ode to the patron saint of emigrants (“Columcille.”)

“There’s really nothing fancy or jazzy about my music,” he said. “It’s quite reflective and focuses on the history and geography of Scotland and Ireland. So much of this music is connected to ancient battles, the beauty of the land and the islands, and the willful spirit of its people.”

“The harp goes back further than the bagpipes. It was played for kings as inspiration before soldiers went off to do battle. It was seen as a bridge between heaven and Earth . . . the harp has always had this mystical quality about it.”

Jackson vividly recalls the time he fell in love with the instrument. He was 19, living in London and playing bass in a folk-rock band called Contraband. “I remember walking downtown and I saw this absolutely regal-looking harp that was on display in the window of this little instrument shop. I was just mesmerized by the beauty of it.

“Then when I heard [the Chieftains’] Derek Bell play on the radio . . . oh, those sweet tones. I was hooked, all right.

“It was funny because back then, the guys in my band thought I was crazy playing this ‘unmanly’ instrument. But I paid them no mind because I knew I was onto something.”

* William Jackson, hammered-dulcimer player Patti Amelotte and Irish whistler Frank Simpson perform tonight at Shade Tree Stringed Instruments, 28062 Forbes Road, Laguna Niguel. 7:30 (sold out) and 9:30. $15. (949) 364-5270.