THE COLLECTIVE ALBUM INFO ON THE CHARITY

MUSIC AS THERAPY

Music as Therapy is a small charity steered by the belief that music therapy can play a vital part in addressing the needs of children and adults who remain at risk within Romania’s care system. Each year we run introductory music therapy training programmes for local staff working with children and adults with special needs all around Romania. We take our six-week training projects to day centres, hospitals or institutions and pass on to Romanian staff the musical instruments, skills, experience and confidence that they need to develop a therapeutic music programme for those in their care. Having delivered this initial training we then offer long-term support to help our Romanian partners make the most of this input into the future.

Why does Romania still need help?
In Romania there is still a vast population of children who have been in institutions or orphanages since birth. This experience compounds any existing disabilities, adding severe emotional and psychological problems, aggressive and autistic-like behaviours to the challenges they face. Such severe neglect has also recently been proven to actually cause developmental delays and learning disabilities.

"The children, they rock, they sway, they stare blankly into space, they are disturbingly quiet, antisocial and exhibit behaviour resembling autism. Long before children suffer a physical death, there is a ‘spiritual’ death that occurs when they are not loved, nourished, cherished or cared for."
(Music as Therapy Project 2001: Negru Voda)

Although the Romanian authorities are making progress in improving their care system, it is a huge system to overhaul, with hundreds of thousands of children to re-house and care for.

How can music help severely damaged children?
Consistent Music as Therapy sessions offer children access to the important process of play and, in doing so, the sessions can:

· Encourage non-verbal self-expression
· Promote the development of social skills (For example, listening, turn-taking, eye contact)
· Develop self-awareness and interaction with peers
· Help to establish relationships and provide a sense of belonging
· Develop the child's potential for creative and spontaneous play


"Through music a child can become free of pressures. He can overcome his limits and he can open himself more to the world outside. The music is not just art or therapy, but it is a form of communication for the soul. Music Therapy gives the children the feeling that they are free to do what they want. We, all of us, need this freedom." (Music as Therapy Project 2002: Oradea)






Music as Therapy has grown enormously since 1995: we have given 800 children and adults in Romania the opportunity to receive music therapy; 200 local staff members have taken part in our six-week training programmes; nearly 2,500 damaged children could now be benefiting from Music as Therapy in Romania-run music programmes. However, there is still a long way to go. Due to the success of the projects we now have 32 institutions on our waiting list. Our current resources mean that we are only able to deliver 2 projects a year. We desperately need to secure funding if to address this demand. Please help us to help those in Romania who so desperately rely on our support. Thank you.