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 Sophie Perkins and Alister Campbell with their five-year-old son Archie |
Little Archie blown away by the flute!
‘He claps and laughs!’ Five-year-old with genetic condition tunes into music therapy sessions
ARCHIE’S parents have learned a lot about their son since he started music therapy sessions in Gospel Oak.
The five-year-old, whose severe genetic condition means he cannot walk, talk or swallow, has musical bones in his body. In particular, he is a big fan of the flute.
Living with progressive mitochondrial disorder – DNA damage which affects muscles – is a day-to-day struggle that leaves Archie quiet and withdrawn outside the comfort of his home.
But for half-an-hour each week spent with trained music therapists in the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy centre in Lissenden Gardens, Archie is transformed.
“Archie likes it when the therapist sings and plays all the instruments – but he likes the flute the best,” says his mother Sophie Perkins. “He gets so animated. He kicks his legs and claps his hands and jumps up and down. Sometimes he bursts out laughing. He really makes a connection with it.”
The half-hour sessions are organised by teachers at the Richard Cloudesley School in Islington. They take eight children to the centre by coach each week. Archie has music therapy with a friend who suffers from cerebral palsy.
Sophie, who lives in Barnsbury, said: “The friend of his, well, he opened up like a flower – his whole body language changed. I used to be a cynic, I used to think I know Archie likes music and it’s easy to put a CD on. But to hear someone who is that talented play – that’s what makes the difference.
“The therapist lets him touch the guitar strings – he likes the vibrations.
“I think he likes the flute because it is shiny. It is a beautiful sound as well – it’s a pure sound I suppose.
“I think there is something about being in a room with no distractions and your own personal performance – and of that quality. It is quite unique to experience that. I think it is quite a profound experience for him.”
The therapeutic qualities of music have been recognised for thousands of years, but modern music therapy only began to emerge in the second half of the 20th century.
Nordoff-Robbins, established in 1976 with headquarters in Gospel Oak, was founded on the principles of the pioneering music therapy work of American pianist and composer Paul Nordoff and British educationist Clive Robbins. Believing music to be an intrinsic part of all of us – that pulse and rhythm are found in our heartbeat, our breathing and our movement – they nurtured a pioneering improvisation treatment that helps children and adults live more creatively and resourcefully in the face of illness, disability or traumatic experiences.
Sophie adds: “When you have a child with a progressive disorder like Archie, it’s more about holding your own than looking for improvements.
“I am told he is more assertive at school and more animated, and that’s a good thing.
“I often thought of him as a little hard-hearted, but then I saw him so excited by the music – it really touched me.”
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