Rationale

Music as Therapy has been working  in Romania since 1995, taking short introductory training projects to institutions, hospitals, schools and Day Centres all around Romania.  In the past 14 years, a number of international music therapists have worked with the charity to enable just under 3000 abandoned and multiply-disabled children and adults to experience the benefits of interactive music-making.

Music as Therapy doesn’t try to transform non-musicians into music therapists, but to share the essence of our work. Our Romanian colleagues then use their experience of working with us to develop a programme of interactive music-making, through which they can get to know their clients on a different level.  

"Through music a child can become free of pressures. He can overcome his limits and he can open himself more to the world outside. The music is not just art or therapy, but it is a form of communication for the soul. Music Therapy gives the children the feeling that they are free to do what they want. We, all of us, need this freedom." (Music as Therapy Project 2002: Oradea)

Over the past two years, Music as Therapy has been approached with increasing frequency to share resources and consult on a number of overseas music therapy initiatives.  Typically these initiatives are being undertaken by individual therapists who are leading projects using music therapy in places where music therapy is not widely available (e.g. developing and transitional countries).  They know the need for music therapy is there and often have varying levels of support from small charities with wider aims, church groups, schools, rotary clubs etc. People have usually got in touch with us because despite this support, they feel they’d like more focused help to plan how to implement an effective music therapy project.  It has been really rewarding for us to hear that these people have felt there to be a real benefit to their project once Music as Therapy has become part of their support network. In response to this growing demand, Music as Therapy has been offering an ad hoc consultancy service: offering advice and resources to other music therapists in exchange for discretionary donations to projects in Romania.  Alongside this emerging area of work, Music as Therapy has reconsidered its involvement in Romania.  The country continues to move slowly through stages of transition, but the grassroots approach which launched our involvement is becoming less appropriate.  A need for multiple and locally-led initiatives is clearly emerging and the fragmentation is sometimes beyond our resources. Similarly as a small charity, it is difficult to justify greater investment at the intangible, strategic level (lobbying national authorities, developing local training strategies etc).  We retain a strong commitment to our work in Romania, but feel we are able to scale back our activities there, whilst keeping an active presence, and take on new work.