Primary/teens
Raukatauri brings music to more & more Kiwis By Jen Glover, Clinical & Centre Director, Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre
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While music therapy may not be widely known in Aotearoa, it has been my experience that as soon as New Zealanders see videos or photos of our work as music therapists, they immediately ‘get it’. These photos of Aiden with his music therapist, Alex, make it clear that music therapy is about playing instruments and singing songs, but if you look a little closer you will see much more: a supportive relationship, shared attention, sustained engagement, motor skill development, collaboration, connection, excitement, confidence, joy, pride, humour... the list goes on and on! At the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust, we work with clients with Down syndrome, as well as other developmental disabilities, from when they are very young through their adult years. As Dr. Lauren Porter from the Champion Centre explained so well in the summer edition of Chat 21, simple musical interactions between
carers and babies can be particularly helpful for very young children with Down syndrome in terms of attention, emotional regulation, and laying a foundation for developmental learning. As our clients with Down syndrome become a bit older, often our goals for them shift to a focus on expressive language and cognitive growth, before adapting again over time to an emphasis on the development of self-esteem and relationship skills. This journey is shown beautifully through this short video segment from TV3’s The Project which tells George’s music therapy story: https://fb.watch/9CoQ8K4fJR/. One of the most exciting developments for us in the past year has been the introduction of the ‘Rylan’s Music Mates’ scholarship fund for children and adults with Down syndrome living in Northland. In 2020, Ahipara resident Zarn Reichardt set off on a 39km run and raised a
