This week our students unveiled a powerful climate change musical at ROC. The performance is the culmination of months of collaboration with Nordoff and Robbins Music Therapy and shows how music can inspire meaningful change.
Music therapy at ROC is grounded in the belief that music itself can be deeply healing and empowering. As Chloe our music therapist explains “Music therapy uses the unique qualities of music to provide an active music making experience and therapeutic relationship between the therapist and person(s).” Through improvisation composition and listening exercises our students find fresh ways to express ideas emotions and concerns about our changing planet.
Music therapy sessions at ROC are led by the young people themselves with an emphasis on active musical participation throughout. Improvised music enables each student to present themselves in a way that feels comfortable and authentic. From these musical conversations a profile is developed that focuses on individual strengths capabilities and potential.
Music therapy builds on a diverse range of skills including communication, cognitive sensorimotor, social and emotional expression. The final performance brought these skills into focus as our students composed songs about the effects of global warming and shared their messages with peers and staff through lyrics and melody. The result was an uplifting show that combined artistry with meaningful advocacy.
It is time to make a change, and these young performers have shown us how music therapy can strengthen communication foster connection and empower every voice. We look forward to more creative projects as we continue to explore the role of music in learning wellbeing and social impact.
Follow this link to see a video of the performance on our Facebook page: Climate Change Musical