Agustín Sánchez Iglesias

A long and tough stage of work began — with very difficult moments and others where I was able to see small glimmers of hope. Consistency, discipline, and belief in the therapy were my greatest allies, but above all, it was the trust in the professionals who helped me.

I started my musical career at the age of 12 playing the bagpipes, and later on I began learning another instrument, the hurdy-gurdy. Traditional Galician music has always been with me at all times, not just in my personal life but also professionally.

Everything was going normally until, at the end of 2016, things started to fall apart. It came slowly and silently, without me having the slightest idea of what was happening to me. I began feeling strange sensations — I noticed I couldn’t play fluently and I felt more and more tension and stiffness in my left hand. But I kept going as if nothing was wrong, making things worse by sticking to the same practice method that had worked for me for so many years as a student. One day, everything reached a breaking point and I realised I had a serious problem: my ring finger would bend downward involuntarily, as if something was weighing it down. It got to a point where the situation was completely out of my control and ended in frustration and despair. Fear came when I realised I couldn’t even play the melodies I had learned at the very beginning. I stopped playing!

After several failed attempts, I decided I had to consult a doctor. I spoke with different specialists, but none of them could explain what was happening. One of them even tried to make me feel ashamed for complaining about my problem. Later I understood why — they weren’t musicians and had no idea what it means for a musician not to be able to play. I thought about giving up music altogether, and I even considered selling my instruments and forgetting about playing forever.

One day, talking with a friend — also a musician — he strongly recommended a clinic called “Institut de l’Art” in Terrassa. I didn’t hesitate. I saw a big opportunity, I had nothing to lose, and decided to contact Jaume Rosset by email. On May 30th, 2018, I travelled to Terrassa — just me and my hurdy-gurdy. The doctor examined me and finally diagnosed me with focal dystonia. He was very clear and concise with me, explaining very well what the disorder was, how it could be treated, and the possibilities of recovery.

At the clinic I met Sílvia Fàbregas, with whom I learned to understand and work with SMR (Sensory Motor Retuning) therapy. From that moment on, a long and tough stage of work began — with very difficult moments and others where I was able to see small glimmers of hope. Consistency, discipline, and belief in the therapy were my greatest allies, but above all, it was the trust in the professionals who helped me, and who in the end made these nearly four long years worthwhile. They were very hard and exhausting years — countless hours spent on therapy and far too many moments of frustration. But it was all worth it!

"Without a doubt, this was an experience that deeply marked me, not only because it affected my greatest passion — music — but also because I was lucky enough to meet two incredible professionals who were always there in the most critical moments, not just from a medical perspective but also an emotional one.
Thank you, Sílvia and Jaume, for your honesty, your understanding, your problem-solving ability, for making me rethink the traditional study method, and for the outstanding care you gave me. I will be forever grateful to you."