MSU students have grown accustomed to campus celebrations, and on April 20 they’ll have another chance to show their support.
“Celebrate Abilities,” a recital for the clients of the MSU Music Therapy Clinic, showcases the talents of people with disabilities.
Cindy Edgerton, a music therapist at MSU, said she thought of the recital’s title during a drive home from work.
“I was thinking of all the different abilities I had witnessed throughout the day, in all the people I came into contact with,” she said. “They’re seen as being disabled all the time, and I wanted to show their abilities and all the wonderful and excellent achievements they had made.”
Edgerton said the recital will showcase 20 acts, with performers as young as 3 years old.
“It’s going to be a very informal presentation of fun,” she said. “You’ll see a lot of tears in the audience.”
Edgerton said the recital, now in its third year, started because of one of the clinic’s clients, Randall Carrier.
Carrier was a band instructor in Watervliet, Mich., for nearly 20 years before suffering a cerebral hemorrhage in 1996. He has been in music therapy since 1998.
Through therapy, Carrier was able to regain some of his teaching skills, helping other students learn the French horn and the trumpet.
Edgerton said when Carrier began to work with others, everyone wanted to highlight the clients’ efforts and needed an area to perform - a recital.
Carrier, who will perform at this year’s recital as part of a brass quintet, said he’s thankful for everything he has been able to accomplish through music therapy.
“It’s gotten me back into playing instruments all the time,” he said. “I’ve been given the opportunity to perform again.”
Music therapy senior Laura Avers said the recital is not the typical performance.
“You’re not going to hear perfection,” she said. “But what you are going to see are all the abilities a person has.
“It will be a performance by people who are doing the best they can and making their own music.”
Avers, who has assisted and led music therapy sessions since 1998, said music therapy is not just about putting on music and relaxing.
“It can be a sedative or a stimulant,” she said. “It can bring up memories - help someone to reminisce.”
Avers said people need to challenge themselves to see past a disability and look at what the person can do, instead of what they can’t.
“We’re using music as the tool to tap into those abilities and allowing them to express themselves through music,” she said.
Minako Hata, a student music therapist for the past three years, has seen the size and excitement of the recital grow each year.
“We’re trying to have this year’s recital live up to its maximum potential,” the music therapy senior said. “We’re creating music and having people share in that exciting moment together.”
“Celebrate Abilities” hits the stage at 4 p.m. April 20 in the Music Building Auditorium. The recital is free and open to the public.
