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SWSW Brings International Speakers To Parkhouse Centre Bude.

With a recent £10,000 grant from The Duchy Health Charity for Music Therapy provision and an anonymous donation of £489 for the purchase of musical instruments, the Trustees of Sound Waves South West Music & Music Therapy Trust were in buoyant mood at the commencement of their fourth Annual Music Therapy Conference.

Mr David Whalley, Leader of the Cornwall County Council, opened the Conference expressing his pleasure in attending such a prestigious event in Bude.

The Programme commenced with a presentation by Exeter’s Senior Art Therapist Malcolm Learmonth. The other key speakers erethe internationally renowned Music Therapist and writer Mercedes Pavlicevic, Ann Daymond MBE, Chairman of the Towersey Foundation, (providing Music Therapy to Hospices). An added international flavour was given by Eszter Forgacs a Music Therapist working in Budapest, Hungary.

A new and exciting element was added to this year’s programme by the energetic and engaging presence of South African born Risenga Makondo, Music Therapist and musician who has appeared on BBC Radio 3’s programme ‘The World On Your Street’. Beating out rhythms with his bare feet energising all the conference delegates to join in with the very physical and vocal sounds he created. Everyone particularly enjoyed the experience of playing a variety of large and small African drums.

During lunch the delegates were entertained by the cool Jazz group ‘So What?’ led by Music Therapist Henry Dunn.

Over 50 Delegates and Speakers had travelled from as far afield as London, Wales and Hampshire to attend the Conference, and the presence of four Music Therapists from newly formed Cornwall Music Therapy Trust was much appreciated. ìI have been told that those who attended felt the ìmixî of talks, drumming and the Towersey Question and Answer session a nice change of pace as well as being most interesting.î said Judyth Gwynne, Chairman of Sound Waves South West.

The day’s presentations concluded with a professionally delivered résumé by each of the SWSW team of four State Registered Music Therapists describing their work in the Special Schools and Units in both Devon and Cornwall.

A final session with Risenga ended a most successful, informative and ultimately enjoyable day. The success of this Conference will undoubtedly raise the profile of SWSW not only locally within their area of operation in North Cornwall and North Devon but nationally too.