Our Work For Children
Find out how music therapy is explored by children, how it works in schools and the impact it has.
Music Therapy for Children
Children make sense of their world through play. In music therapy, the child can ‘play’ with sound, using this powerful means of expressive communication to explore their feelings and ideas in a creative way. This can be particularly relevant for children, as they often struggle to understand their feelings well enough to put them into words, or they may simply be too young to do so.
The focus is on creating music in a live and spontaneous way, using whatever musical skills your child already has. The therapist is trained to pick up on the child’s responses and reflect these musically, also sometimes using words, helping to validate the child’s thoughts and feelings. Our aim in school is that the skills the children develop in music therapy sessions will help them to express themselves more confidently in other settings.
Music therapists are recognised Allied Health Professionals and are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council. Sessions are led by therapists for Key Changes Music Therapy, a registered charity that provides music therapy services in the South East of England for children and adults.
How can music therapy benefit a child?
Music Therapy can help a child develop their abilities in the following ways:
- Expressive communication skills
- Social skills
- Improving confidence and self-esteem
- Understanding our own and others’ feelings
- Imagination and creativityForming and maintaining friendships
What happens in a session?
Before sessions begin the therapist will chat with staff and agree aims and objectives which best take into account the child’s needs. She / he will also meet for an informal chat and to observe your child the week before therapy begins.
With aims and objectives in mind, the sessions are then structured to include a variety of activities, which give the child the opportunity to explore playing in different contexts and with different instruments.
Some examples of activities are:
· Playing 1:1 with the therapist
· Drumming circle activities as a group
· Playing duets with another child
· Song-writing
· Free improvisation – making up music altogether without using a particular structure.
These activities can help children to grow in their ability to listen and respond to others and express their own thoughts and feelings in return.
The work is continually reviewed and discussed with a supervisor. As part of the overall evaluation teachers, children and parents are asked for feedback towards the end of the sessions.