The audience was able to observe music therapists working with patients through video feeds that were set up at the venue. The Unica School for Autism performed two pieces, one of which they composed themselves.
Sherri Symons, a music therapist who works at Unica, says, “Music therapy has given the children a newfound confidence. Many of the children now have something of their own to show their parents – something that they can perform and be creative in. This in turn gives them a sense of self-worth and pride.”
Of the importance of such an event, she says, “Music therapy is a relatively new profession in South Africa and even this showcase has grown in scale from what it was five years go, but the more there are such showcases, the more aware people are of this field of therapy.”
The showcase featured informative speeches from music therapy professionals about the different disciplines of music therapy and the research done on this type of therapy, both locally and internationally.
Music therapist Karen de Kock interacted with the audience by making the attendees use their voices to make music.
UP is the only university in Africa that offers music therapy at postgraduate level.
