Music therapy students host Camp Rocky Creek
- Thursday, April 4, 2019 1:58 PM
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Music
By Charlie Smith, EditorColumbian-ProgressAdults with intellectual disabilities interacted with music therapy students from William Carey University March 30 in Columbia as part of a day-long retreat.
Camp Rocky Creek, held at Pine Belt Graphics on Broad Street, uses live music to help people improve motor skills, movement and expressing emotions.
Participants rotated among four music therapy sessions led by students that included activities like beating rhythms on drums, making guitars, guessing songs based on the tune and a blues workshop.
Jim Pierce, associate professor of music therapy, said it’s not entertainment or education but rather helps reach individual therapy goals based on evidence-based research. They use live music, not recorded, and it’s typically a guitar but varies based on client preferences.
Peyton Davis, assistant professor, said music therapy addresses all aspects of the person and helps them feel connected.
William Carey has one of two music therapy programs in the state and by far the longest standing, dating back more than 45 years and making up a third of the university's music department. Pierce described it as a “ridiculously hard” curriculum that includes music and psychology.
The camp has been an annual event for 29 years – and Columbia has hosted it since 2012.
“The facility is great, the town is great and it’s a central location for people from other counties to come to,” Pierce said.
The Columbian-Progress serves Marion County with two weekly editions, which publish on Thursday and Saturday.