Conservatory of Music (CoM) UPH, concentrating on Music Therapy to be exact, in collaboration with the Music Therapy Association of Indonesia (ITMI) held Music Therapy Day 2015 on September 26, 2015
Conservatory of Music (CoM) UPH, concentrating on Music Therapy to be exact, in collaboration with the Music Therapy Association of Indonesia (ITMI) held Music Therapy Day 2015 on September 26, 2015, at @america Pacific Place, Jakarta. This event is a celebration as well as an invitation to learn more about the practice of music therapy in the world. Although the practice of music therapy in developed countries like UK, USA, and Australia is far more developed, the profession is still relatively new in Indonesia. The use of music as a non-verbal medium to achieve specific therapeutic goals still needs to be introduced to the public so that there are more and more groups who can experience the benefits of music therapy.
The theme of this year?s Music Therapy Day is ‘Music Speaks the Unspoken’. Many people, especially with special needs, have difficulty in expressing themselves. Often we forget that besides the verbal language that we use every day, there are other means of communication such as gestures and sign language. Music, something which is very close to life and human physiological systems, can also serve as a means of expression and communication.
Music Therapy Student of UPH performed the song “I Believe I Can Fly” (R. Kelly), along with featuring sign language. Then the show was opened by Dr. Petra Kern, a former president of The World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT), who gave a speech via video recording. To give an idea to the public about the practice of music therapy, the event showed some footage of various cases and different age groups. Screening is followed by inviting the audience to ask questions and discuss the video clip or other matters relating to music therapy. The discussion was facilitated by lecturers of UPH Music Therapy, Monica Subiantoro, MA Music Therapy and Saphira Hertha, S.Sn.
At the same time, there are also workshops in the classroom, including music activities with children, adolescents, and adults. Organizers hope the event will provide an opportunity for visitors to experience themselves the techniques used in music therapy sessions. The workshop was led by alumni of UPH Conservatory of Music, Music Therapy department, that is now actively working as a music therapist.
The spirit was very well seen from the number of visitors (outside the relevant age group) who also want to observe and learn something from the workshops that were held.
In addition to workshops and performances, some booths were also provided for visitors to ask questions about how they can access music therapy, music therapy training at UPH, and also games to introduce about disabilities that still raises a variety of stigma in the community. The performer from the outside also participated in this event.
There is also a mini-concert session as a place for children with special needs to show their ability to sing and play music. It was an amazing experience to witness the spirit of children and adolescents gave their best performance. In closing, the pre-event concert from ?Konser Mengejar Mimpi 2? is shown in the form of video footage and live music which describes the condition of persons with disabilities and how we should view and interact with them. See you in the Music Therapy Day 2016! (By Monica Subiantoro/MF).
UPH Media Relations |
