Music as Therapy

Project Beit Sahour - Final Week of our Follow-up Visit

We’re back safely, have unpacked, and are very happy to give you our final update on Project Beit Sahour’s follow-up visit. We have been so delighted by the progress and commitment shown by our local partners, and have been so encouraged by the sessions we observed.

We spent the last two days of our follow-up visit in Ramallah, where we visited Hope school and met with the social worker to learn about their ongoing dedication to the programme. We were so pleased to see that despite a hectic work schedule, she’d been running a consistent group every fortnight since our last visit. It was great to see the instruments that we bought being put to good use, and witness the fantastic relationship that had formed between her and the children within the group. They knew the musical games well and clearly felt comfortable and enjoyed the group. She commented on how the music had helped some children to gain confidence, and encouraged others to share and focus.

Our final evening in Palestine was spent wandering the streets of Ramallah in several layers of clothing, before settling for a bite to eat at a local café and sampling their delicious chocolate cake.

Overall we couldn’t have wished for better commitment or enthusiasm from our trainees who had not only fully utilised all the skills shared during out initial visit, but also adapted and introduced their own activities, showing a real understanding of the value of using music therapeutically in their work.

Thank you again for all your support

Hazel and Teleri

Project Beit Sahour Follow-up underway!

We arrived back in Palestine on a warm and windy evening in April, looking forward to seeing all the people we met last Autumn.  Having quickly settled into to our lodging and met up with Music Therapist, Liz Coombes (Project Leader), we eagerly went to our first school on Monday morning, ELS Beit Sahour. And what a delight! The five people we worked with during the 6 week project, the social worker, three teachers and a learning support assistant, have all taken the ideas to heart and practiced them faithfully.

All the trainees report good effects among the students who participate regularly.  Children who fought in class, no longer fight, but drum together as partners. Children who paid no attention are more able to focus.  Children who misbehaved are more able to empathise with the teacher and co operate. Most importantly, all the children love their music sessions and can't wait to play!

Some trainees have developed the ideas they were taught and have created their own music games to reflect their goals for the students.  There is a dedicated space to play music in, and a locked cupboard to safely store the instruments we bought with money so kindly donated by supporters.  Some things have clearly been well used but also show signs of repair, because the instruments are very important and treated with care.

On Wednesday we travelled to ELS Dar al Kalimar, and met with the trainees there.  These people too, have used the skills they learnt to regularly play with small groups of children who have enjoyed it very much.  The social worker in particular has used the music to interact with children who have special difficulties and develop warm and therapeutic relationships.  

We have another day there before going on to Ramallah, to see how the staff and students at Hope school have fared.  We are very excited, and happy that everything has progressed so well.

It is with thanks to all of you who donate to make these trips possible, and to everyone who has a vision of music touching people and communities across the world.  We are all participating in a great adventure!

Hazel and Teleri, Project Beit Sahour.

 

Proejct Beit Sahour: Follow Up Visit

Music Therapists Hazel Child and Teleri Dyer are currently in Beit Sahour offering support to our Local Partners in a short Follow-Up Visit.  If they have time, stamina and internet access, they will post news of their trip here!

Week 6 - First Phase of Project Over.

We have now arrived home safely and are slowly adapting to being back on British soil.  That last week went by so quickly!  Monday to Thursday induced an array of emotions as we conducted the last sessions in Beit Sahour and Dar al Kalima schools; the children said goodbye to us and each other, as those groups can’t continue in exactly the same way.  We had seen approx. 130 children every week, but there just isn’t enough time in the day for staff to continue at that level, so only the children in most need of extra music time will carry on.

Our first group at Beit Sahour were very aware of the ending, and played a sensitive, almost continuous reflective improvisation for 30 minutes.  Other, younger children appeared less aware but their behaviour told us they knew something was up.  The Kindergarten session was wonderful, with nearly 30 children joining it at one point, along with 3 or 4 adults.

Dar al Kalima was humming as always; we said goodbye to six groups of children, and even had time for an impromptu musical improvisation with a student who asked to sit with us as she waited to be collected early by her mother as she felt poorly. All our trainees ran a final session, and year 6 sang Ki-lay-lay as they left the room and walked up the stairs, as is their custom.  The last falafel sandwich was eaten, the last feedback given, and the last 'Bye Bye'  was sung.  On Thursday afternoon we were invited to share the staff outing to the local YMCA for swimming, zumba, sauna and steam, which was a lovely way to finish.  We ate apples and drank lemon and mint ice crush which was amazingly delicious!

Friday was a day off, so we went to Bethlehem for final bits of shopping and to pay for the ocean drum that was to be delivered.  We also bought Dar al Kalima a xylophone so it could stay in the office of the social worker, along with other instruments especially for therapy.

On Friday evening at 6pm we were collected from our little white house by Beit Sahour’s deputy head, and taken to a beautiful restaurant for a farewell dinner, the filling in of questionnaires and awarding of certificates.  To our delight, the entertainment for the evening was a Dabkah dance group, recent graduates from Beit Sahour school, who provided wonderful dancing and music and made us want to be part of the culture.  Later, during a break in the meal, our trainees started a spontaneous singing of Ki-lay-lay around the table, to include management staff who’ve never been to a music session at all!  It was a good evening, with everyone having an opportunity to speak about their feelings on the project, receiving certificates and cards we had made each person (with their own photo on the front, playing instruments in music sessions) and a message of thanks for their hard work and commitment inside.  We in turn were given presents from all three schools and the church – olive wood nativity scenes, an embroidered bag each, painted mugs and candles to name a few!

Saturday was spent organising and packing, with a lovely lunch at a friend’s house to make the day more cheerful. In the evening we had plans to go out, but a heavy cold knocked Hazel out of the running, so Teleri flew solo and enjoyed one final evening of dancing and Arabic music. On Sunday morning we re-packed (bags too heavy!) and said final, rather emotional goodbyes before being picked up by our airport taxi. Having recovered a mislaid passport, and experiencing a rather thorough security check, we finally departed Palestine at half seven on Sunday evening.

We were sad to leave but hope to be back for the next phase of the project in the Spring..... Inshallah!

Team Beit Sahour