The Music in Care teaching method developed in Friesland is expanding to Europe. The module will be applied to secondary schools in Lithuania and Iceland over the next three years. Ultimately, this should lead to more music in care in both countries; in institutions and small-scale (informal) care.
The module was developed by Embrace Netherlands and ROC Friese Poort. Learning Hub Friesland helps round out European collaboration with music therapists and education. Music in Care has long been part of the curriculum in the Care and Welfare courses at ROC Friese Poort, Drachten branch.
Applying music in daily care improves the quality of life for patients, clients and also care staff. Music moves and stirs. It gets people out of isolation and it connects people. It also enhances the job satisfaction of healthcare professionals and family caregivers.
Familiar melody
The mbo students learn how music helps them connect with their patients even more. It does not matter if the students have a musical background. In many cases, the often small musical exercises lead to big results. What does music do to the brain? What emotions does it evoke? The mbo students are given an assignment, devise a plan of action where the activities match the demand for care. The theoretical knowledge is immediately applied in practice. The exercises first take place in your own familiar circle. With grandparents or with parents. The internship is then in a healthcare facility. There, the plan is rolled out with other classmates.
“There has been a lot of work done on this theme worldwide, but all from a university setting or a conservatoire training professional musicians,” said Philip Curtis, artistic director of Embrace Netherlands. ”That work is incredibly important, but the vast majority of people in healthcare come from secondary school and not from music training. In mbo, you can really make a difference.”
The project in Lithuania and Iceland was funded by an Erasmus+ contribution from the European Union. Embrace, ROC Friese Poort and Learning Hub Friesland are the cooperation partners.
