Music therapy students lead students from Trousdale School in a music lesson in the Fine Arts Center band room. Photo by Angela Foster.
Rhythmic sounds of drums, maracas, shakers, tambourines and jingle bells rang out in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Fine Arts Center on Friday, March 8.
As part of an activity exchange with UTC music therapy students, the instrumentalists came to campus from Trousdale School, a vocational program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
During the first activity, the music therapy students introduced the Trousdale cohort to a variety of instruments. Together, they played different patterns of beats.
They later split off into groups to participate in activities such as songwriting, music trivia and sing-alongs.
“To the naked eye, it looks like we are just having fun singing and playing instruments,” Director of Music Therapy Katherine Goforth Elverd said. “It’s the knowledge and the skills that the students and the board-certified music therapists are using that drives home the music therapy aspect.”
Not only do these activities benefit Trousdale students, Elverd said, but they also provide UTC students with experience in the field.
“This is an opportunity for students to use their acquired knowledge and skill set as future music therapists,” she said. “It’s a great way for all students across the board to gain exposure to this clinical population that we serve, learn from each other and work collaboratively to use music to help others.”
Senior music therapy major Briley Massey, who hails from Dover, Tennessee, said working with Trousdale School students helps her and her peers in their career journeys.
“We’re going to be working with a ton of different populations,” she said. “The more I see, the more I know.”
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Photo gallery by Angela Foster
Briley Massey gives instructions to Trousdale School students.
