Published on: 15/11/19
Today sees the launch of The Children’s Trust’s (TCT) Magical Music Appeal. This takes place on European Music Therapy Day for which this year’s theme is ‘Beat the drum!’
The Children’s Trust is helping to spread the message that music has the power to inspire and motivate children to walk, talk and smile again after a life-changing accident or illness, playing an important part in rehabilitation.
For children with a brain injury, music therapy can help express emotion and can reconnect them with the world around them.
To show the value of music therapy the charity has shared the stories of Nieve, Haydn, Jasmine and Ryley.
Dad, Rob, whose daughter Nieve sustained a brain injury when she was knocked down by a car in July 2018, aged 13, said: “Music helped Nieve focus on what she could do, rather than what she couldn’t. It was a fantastic motivator for her.”
Talking about the benefits of music therapy for children with brain injury Dr Jonathan Pool, a music therapist at TCT, said: “The brain is always searching for patterns, and those in music can help to create new pathways and connections in the brain for movement and communication, to get around those that have been lost.”
Music therapy builds new pathways in the brain through actions such as:
- making repeated sounds
- tapping out rhythms, and
- humming and singing lyrics.
Most of all it’s a fun activity accessible to everyone!
See how you can get involved in European Music Therapy Day 2019 and read more about The Children’s Trust’s Magical Music Appeal.
