Music therapist on shortlist for a Grammy

GILLIAN KLAWANSKY

Before moving to the United States at the age of 14, Samson grew up in Johannesburg in the 1980s and early 90s. “My childhood had an impact on my career in ways that I never would have imagined,” he says. “One of the things I struggled with as a kid was being overweight and socially awkward. Even though it wasn’t the most comfortable thing at the time, it really taught me the anatomy of self-esteem. When I work with children today, I understand when they come in with issues of empowerment, self-esteem, and worthiness – those sorts of inner struggles many kids face. My experience gave me the insight I needed to help kids later on.”

While there were challenges, Samson is grateful for the grounding he received at King David Sandton. Always musical, Samson was given a chance to develop his talents from the beginning of his primary school career at King David. “There were some really special teachers, especially Efrat Wagner. She spotted me when I was in Grade 1, got me into the choir, and we worked together for a long time, even travelling to the Hallelujah! Music Festival in Israel in the early 90s.” Samson also credits private piano teacher Janet Reeder Bottomley with facilitating his early musical development.

While studying for his undergraduate degree in music composition from SUNY Purchase College in New York, Samson was inspired by the story of one of his professors, Grammy-award-winning composer and conductor Joel Thome, who largely used the healing power of music to regain full mobility after a debilitating stroke.

“I was put on a healing path early, and everything became oriented around the interplay between healing, psychology, and using music,” he says. And so, after graduating from SUNY Purchase, he studied music therapy at New York University.

Now a renowned music therapist in private practice in Brooklyn, Samson has extensive experience in working with special-needs kids, including those on the autism spectrum.

“While I use music to address therapeutic goals and objectives, I also work with quirky middle schoolers and high schoolers,” he says. “They don’t necessarily have a diagnosis, but they just aren’t quite fitting in and are looking for an alternative approach to exploring music. I offer a hybrid between music therapy, music education, and audio recording. A lot of it has to do with improvisation. Kids just need to be in a safe space where authority doesn’t get in the way so that they can feel emotionally free and uninhibited to express themselves authentically.”

Samson decided to make his first kids’ album in 2008. What began as a fun side project soon became much more than that. “Once I got into production, I realised the fullness of my artistry was coming through the songs and recordings. It opened Pandora’s box, and led me down this rabbit hole of creativity, simultaneously expressing what I was learning from the children. I didn’t realise that children’s music was going to become my main source of artistic expression, personally and as a vehicle for teaching beyond the scope of my practice.”

A skilled producer, singer, and musician, Samson also writes music and lyrics, and plays multiple instruments including piano, guitar, and ukulele. Asked if he’s ever been tempted to pursue a career as a “regular musician”, Samson says his journey has been more about healing and personal growth.

“I realised I was going to be more fulfilled facilitating the creative expression of others. There’s one song on my current album which is largely a post-production of a live improvisation done by a child named Claire Linares. I wrote a chorus for her song, and I’m really excited that the finished product, Video Game, is on my album.”

Samson is working on post-producing the music of the kids he teaches, and many often sing on his tracks, with a group even directing the music video for his song, Focus on ADD. He also uses session musicians on some tracks, and is proud that fellow South African Wouter Kellerman – a Grammy Award winner himself – played the flute on his album’s opening song, Predicament.

Samson said he cried when he heard of his Grammy nomination. “There’s really only one word to describe it and that’s honoured,” he says. “Growing up, there was more than one kid who said to me, ‘You’re going to win a Grammy one day.’ I don’t know about winning, but just being nominated is more than sufficient. There’s a small percentage of human beings that get that honour, and coming from South Africa it puts me in an even smaller pool, which is magical.”

Samson says the nominated album is a subtle reflection on the human condition. “I’m tackling some sensitive issues in a way that’s primarily artistic and exploratory, as opposed to preachy. On top of being a music therapist and teacher, I consider myself an artist. My standards of artistry are quite high, and because of that, it takes me years to write a song.”

None of the songs on the album are supposed to solve the problems they tackle, which include anxiety, ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), and seeing beyond your own perspective, he says. Rather, they offer validation for those who face such issues. “They serve as a companion and a mirror as opposed to saying, ‘We’re going to fix everything.’

“The crux of the album’s message is polarity, which is why I have penguins and polar bears as the main characters. They’re indigenous to the opposite poles of planet earth, and I’m exploring the contrast between our perspective and the importance of finding the middle path.”

For Samson, it all comes down to expressing oneself. “Everyone has their own unique configuration of creativity, of how they think and feel, and how they express that. Based on my 15 years of experience of working in mental health, I can say that when people aren’t actively expressing themselves, either through art or communication, they become depressed. You need to really take charge of your individual expression and authenticity, while making room for others to do the same.”