Walsh’s lecture on working with children that are neuroatypical was inspiring to me as it made me realize how lucky I am to be studying my passion: music. Many musicians take their ability to perform music for granted; they see the art as a part of their routine, rather than a privilege that many do not have access to. As Walsh highlighted, many students that are neuroatypical do not expose themselves to music-making because they feel too incompetent to participate. This is also the case because music educators are not meeting their special needs. To me, this dilemma is disheartening as music creation builds one’s confidence and interpersonal skills. This type of development is especially crucial for neuroatypical children; as they already feel disadvantaged, they require experiences like these to instil confidence within them. I love how Walsh allows these individuals to flourish personally through her choir that features musicians that are neuroatypical.
There is one moment in Walsh’s presentation that I would like to highlight: her anecdote about the parents of these children being thrilled to dress them for their first concert. This was incredibly moving to me because it demonstrated one key concept: these projects do not only impact the children that participate in them, but they also aid parents in raising their children more effectively. To elaborate, the choir rehearsals and concerts are a positive memory for these children — a memory of personal success. The next time one of these individuals that are neuroatypical feel discouraged, parents can remind them of their success in the choir to motivate them. They could say something along the lines of: “remember when you got dressed up and performed in that choir? You were so confident and did such a great job.” Therefore, this project does not only instil confidence within these children, but the ensemble gives their parents strategies to encourage them in the future as well.
References
Walsh, K (2020). Working with music and neuroatypical students [PowerPoint slides].