Music brings people together ❤️

We are happy to share with you the story of the campaign “I Too Sense Music! – Music Therapy for Children with Deafblindness and Multisensory Disabilities”, carried out in partnership with 23 special schools across the country. The campaign began on December 3, on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and continued until January 2025.

Since 2019, December 3 has become an occasion to celebrate through sensory activities, and this year we have chosen to carry the tradition forward through music and vibrations. How else could we have done this better, if not with the help of musical instruments? We provided each partner school with a set of carefully selected instruments, so that children could explore sounds and vibrations, transforming music into an experience that stimulates their senses, creativity and self-confidence.

For two months, 546 students and 280 adults – teachers, parents and volunteers – joined the activities, discovering the magic of music together. They sang, played, sang carols, and experienced beautiful moments together.

The campaign is a tribute to Professor Vasile Adamescu (1944-2018), a deafblind person, a dedicated promoter of this cause and former member of the Board of Directors of the Sense International Romania. Here is what Viorel Micu, the professor’s interpreter, told us about his connection with music:

“Can music mean anything to people who are deafblind? Our instinct would be to think that it doesn’t. However, Professor Vasile Adamescu, a person with profound deafblindness, demonstrated that music can be perceived just as well based on vibrations. In music education classes, teachers showed him instruments and how they manage to make noises. He could perceive these noises through vibrations, by touching objects around him, or even the musical instrument itself.

Also, teacher Florica Sandu, the one who unmuted him and trained him, showed him dance styles, taught him to waltz, to dance tango, to dance a hora. And Vasile Adamescu, based on vibrations, managed to do this.

So, as we know, music has a strong therapeutic character on people with special needs, but also on able-bodied people. Music unites, creates new connections between people.”

On December 3, 2024, we organised the online workshop "I Too Sense Music - music therapy for children with deafblindness and sensory disabilities", in which more than 100 participants signed up. Together with Carmen-Venera Pătruțescu, psychologist, and Alex Lupo, therapist, musician, composer and performer, part of the Sense Arts and Wellbeing program, we delved into the secrets of music therapy, learning together about the beneficial effects of music. Patience, curiosity and passion for music are the main ingredients in music therapy, as Carmen and Alex told us.

One of the most valuable results of this campaign is the promise of the schools to continue the music therapy activities beyond this campaign. We can say that music knows no limits and can become an essential support in the personal and social development of children with sensory disabilities, turning every sound into a step towards a more accessible and harmonious world.

The costs related to these endowments are covered by the donations and sponsorships received by Sense International Romania from companies. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts for always being with us!