The "Music morning beats" event for the International Volunteer Day

On December 5, the team of the community education and volunteering sector, together with the student council of the First Medical Faculty of the Student Government of KhNMU, visited the Kharkiv City Children’s Clinical Hospital No. 16 in honor of the organization of the “Music morning beats” event, which was held on the occasion of the International Volunteer Day.

The world-famous composer and neuromusicologist Nigel Osborne was invited to this event. He is the author of the method of music therapy for children who survived the military conflict. The purpose of the event is to use musical art as psychological therapy.

Professor Nigel Osborne pioneered methods of using music and art to support children who have been traumatized by war. This method was developed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–1995), and was later widely implemented in the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Middle East, East Africa, Southeast Asia, and India. For his methodology, Nigel was awarded the Freedom Prize of the Peace Institute in Sarajevo, in particular for his work with Bosnian children during the siege of the city.

Together with the children at the event, a number of compositions were created, symbolizing the indomitability of the children who survived hard times during the full-scale invasion. An example of one of the songs was a song called “Mriya” – an analogy to a Ukrainian plane. The children independently sang the melody, and the artist created a new song from the provided sound suggestions.

Also, at the event, all those present could familiarize themselves with the main symbol of Hibuki therapy – a toy that has the property of helping a child to get out of a state of psychological depression with the help of its correct use. Hibuki (hug dog) is a soft toy from Israel that helps our children survive traumatic events thanks to the hugs it simulates thanks to its special manufacture.

Volunteers of the KhNMU agreed with the administration and psychologists of the Kharkiv City Children’s Clinical Hospital No. 16 regarding weekly visits to children and holding activities related to hibuki therapy and other holidays.