Occasionally we raise awareness of a particular need. In 2017 we invited the audience to contribute towards a piano for Beaminster School and together raised £3000. Currently Mountjoy School has need for extra funding to provide more Music Therapy and generous audience donations were matched from the Festival funds to provide this therapy, so vital and so beneficial to their pupils. We will continue to raise funds until we reach the target.
More information about the value of Music Therapy
Children are referred for a variety of reasons including difficulties with communication, anxiety, emotional expression, emotional regulation, relationship skills and challenging behaviour. Music therapy offers children time to develop a secure and trusting relationship with me in a non-judgmental space where they are under no pressure to perform or behave in any way. They have time and space to express themselves authentically and to explore different ways of interacting and relating through musical play. The beauty of communicating musically is that it can be completely non-verbal and meaning that it is not always necessary to use words, particularly when verbal communication is a challenge for whatever reason.