Raukatauri brings music to more & more Kiwis

Primary/teens Raukatauri brings music to more & more Kiwis

By Jen Glover, Clinical & Centre Director, Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre

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

whopping $16,442 from his community in the process. Zarn is the father of Rylan, a young boy with Down syndrome, and was determined that his efforts would help to bring music therapy services to Rylan and others with Down syndrome in Northland, with a particular focus on the under-served Far North where his family lives. Zarn’s efforts have funded the scholarship programme, which provides six months of music therapy at a cost of only $10 per week to the whānau, and have also made it possible for Raukatauri to run group programmes in collaboration with the Northland Down Syndrome Association. If your whānau or someone you know in Northland could benefit from this scholarship programme, please be in touch as we still have spaces remaining for 2022. Raukatauri’s other big story for 2022, is that we will be open in the Bay of Plenty from June thanks to a generous grant from the Ministry of Culture and Heritage! With one Registered Music Therapist based in Tauranga and another in Whakatāne, we are hopeful that BOP whānau will find it easy to connect with us, especially since the Ministry funding is highly subsidising our fees in the area. The Bay of Plenty joins our centres in Northland, Auckland, and Hawke’s Bay, so please be in touch with us if you live in one of those regions and want to learn more about growth and development through music therapy. Ngā mihi nui Jen Glover, Clinical and Centre Director Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre