The power of music to be a pathway to communication is something that never ceases to amaze me. I remember watching the video of Henry who when he first had his earphones being able to communicate in ways that without his music he can’t. The way in which Forget Me Notes started was because of someone who was non-verbal being able to sing songs. Well, it happened again this week. I was involved in a session at a new care home which we had never been to before where a resident who was non-verbal attended. While we were singing the man was able to mouth the words clearly and sing with us, what was so good is that he was smiling and interacting throughout the whole session. It was so clear just how positive this experience was to him. We can talk about things being beautiful and this was one of those moments.
On Friday we were back at the Festival Theatre. We hadn’t been there since early in December, so it really was good to be back. We took the theme of Valentines or perhaps it would be more accurate to say it was about reflecting on those we love. It was a great afternoon with as many as sixty people. I love the opportunity of engaging with the people who being able to help people feel that they are a part of something.
We are looking to place a note of interest for the Community Mental Health and Welfare fund. It’s not the biggest grant that we have applied for, but it is an important one. Our volunteer project was born from realising that some people due to their changing health condition were not able to attend face to face Forget Me Notes events. Establishing the volunteer project has proved to be an excellent move and one that has shown just how Forget Me Notes can respond quickly to the needs around us. We will place a note of interest to establish a project that will move us nearer to a music therapy model. This will involve a small group and give us the opportunity to employ a music therapist who will work individually to enhance people’s communication opportunities. Establishing vision and bringing those visions to a practical delivery of a service needs to be thought through. This is another dream that we hope to make a reality.
Thanks for all your support. and have a good week.