From Our WFMT Patron Member Fadja Bastaman Walagri Radio, Indonesia

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="yes" overflow="visible"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="no" center_content="no" min_height="none"][caption id="attachment_4885" align="aligncenter" width="395"]

Dr. Sumathy Sundar
Regional Liaison for South East Asia
Contact: southeastasia@wfmt.info[/caption]

Report

Music Therapy Seminar

Effect of Music Therapy in Improving Quality of Life

organized by

Walagri Radio, 93.3 FM

Bandung, Indonesia

August 7, 2010

BackgroundThe music therapy seminar was held in Bandung as a part of Walagri Radio 5th anniversary program. Walagri Radio was founded on August 17th 2005 - which coincided with 60th Indonesian Independence Day - by the “Association of Saint Borromeus" to support its vision and mission to provide good health services for everyone without discrimination. The aim is to inform the public about health issues in a comprehensive way and at the same time providing family education and entertainment. Currently Walagri Radio is the only radio in Bandung that specialized in health topic, in which 60% of the broadcast time is used for health information and the remaining 40% for education and entertainment. Its programs are a blend of holistic health on one hand with information, education and entertainment on the other hand. The goal of its overall program is to promote a healthy living, which includes physical, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual well being.

Walagri Radio also pioneered the music therapy program with by Dr. Miriam Maengkom as its host. Music therapy is something that has not widely known or widely used in supporting the healing process in Indonesia yet. Walagri Radio probably is the only radio station that has this program whose purpose is to promote music therapy. In other countries, the use of music to help the healing process has developed significantly. It is used in aiding the process of surgery in the operating room, in the treatment room, and to assist healing process in children with disabilities such as autism, Alzheimer, stroke and other disorders. Walagri Radio is confident that one day music therapy will be used more to help the healing process and for other purposes to improve the quality of life.

Therefore, in the future music therapy can be used more widely, especially in hospitals, in schools and in other places in Indonesia. Walagri Radio is also a Patron member of World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT) as the only member from Indonesia, and the only radio station in the member list of WFMT.

In addition to programs organized by the creativity of its own crew, Walagri Radio is also working with Deutsche Welle Radio (DW Radio), the German International Radio. As partners of DW Radio, Walagri Radio is permitted to relay Indonesian Program from DW Radio DW.

About the Development of Music TherapyMusic therapy and its benefits has not yet widely spread in Indonesia.

Books on music therapy are also still quite difficult to obtain. So far there are only two music therapists, trained in music therapy in other countries and now living in Indonesia. The University of Pelita Harapan in Jakarta offers music therapy courses, but because it is new, there are no graduates yet. However, in 2011 we are expecting some graduates from this college. Likewise, not many institutes apply music therapy. So fare, only one hospital is taking advantage of this intervnetion.

Seminar Objectives

In general, the purpose of this seminar was to increase recognition of music therapy through radio media and educational institutions. The specific purpose of this seminar was:

1. •to encourage health institutions (hospitals, health clinics and others) to take advantage of music therapy as a method to help the healing process.
2. •to generate interest in the community, especially among the younger generation to consider music therapy as a profession.
3. •to provide inspiration to the community, especially higher education institutes to develop music therapy as one of the majors that can be chosen by students.
4. •to provide inspiration to institutions, organizations, companies and schools to use music therapy in creating an atmosphere that can support productivity.
5. •to encourage research institutions to conduct studies on how music therapy can benefit health and well-being.
6. •to introduce the World Federation of Music Therapy as a forum for music therapy and as an organization that assists the development of music therapy worldwide.

Target Audience

This seminar was attended by many levels of society including

1. •Professionals who are involved in health activities
2. •Professionals who are involved in educational activities
3. •Students, and the
4. •General public

Expectations Our hope was that this seminar will give maximum benefits for the community as well as to generate interest of the general public in music therapy, encourage young people to consider music therapy as a career path, give inspiration to higher education institutions to open a music therapy program so that music therapy in Indonesia can grow rapidly.As for music therapist professionals, this seminar was also meant to encourage to establish the Association of Indonesian Music Therapy Practitioners, which subsequently can became a member of the World Federation of Music Therapy.

Speakers

1. •Experts and practitioners of music therapy (Ms. Amalia Delfina, MA-MT from University of Pelita Harapan, Jakarta, graduated from University of Heidelberg, Germany; and Ms Paula Chandra, MMT, MT-BC of Glenn Eagle Hospital, Jakarta, graduated from Florida State University, USA)
2. •Education Specialist (Ms. Rita Milyartini from University of Education of Indonesia)

Topics Presented

1. •Role of Music for Difable Persons by Rita Milyartini
2. •Fulfillment of Psychosocial and Emotional Needs Through Music Therapy, by Amelia Delfina MA-MT
3. •Application of Music Therapy in Health Care, by Paula Chandra, MMT, MT-BC

SupportThe seminar was also supported by WFMT. Dr. Petra Kern, WFMT President and Dr. Sumathy Sundar, WFMT Regional Liaison for Southeast Asia gave virtual keynote speeches.

Bringing Music Therapy to Indonesia-3

Listen to WFMT President

Dr. Petra Kern’s message.

Outcomes150 participants from various backgrounds (educators, psychologists, physicians, music teachers, physiotherapists, musicians, singers, students, and the general public) attended the seminar. Sessions were interspersed with classical music performances by Bumi Siliwangi Orchestra and Fun-tastic String Ensemble, which created a relaxing atmosphere of the seminar. In general, the seminar went well and the attendees were satisfied. The enthusiasm of participants to ask questions, which unfortunately could not be all accommodated, shows that they want to know more about music therapy.Conclusions

The efforts to promote music therapy among the general public should be continued with the involvement of experts, either through seminars or other activities. The support from WFMT is also very important in the development of music therapy in Indonesia. Hopefully, Walagri Radio efforts to promote music therapy, including the seminar that was held last August 7th, no matter how small, can be a milestone in the development of music therapy in Indonesia.Bandung, August 17, 2010

[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]