On Thursday, 16 October, Mrs. Bc. Jana Štěpánková, Dis. in cooperation with the Association of Czech Students of Pharmacy organised a workshop on music therapy at the Hradec Králové University Hospital. As students, we had the opportunity to learn how such therapy works and to try it out for ourselves.

After a short introduction, a performance, we were able to experience how emotions can be expressed through music and connect with each other. We ended up forming small improvised musical groups where we all tuned in to the same note. The program continued with a demonstration of the power of the vibrations of the Tibetan bowl and tongue drum, as we played these two unusual musical instruments for each other while they lay on our backs. The last technique we tried was guided imagery. Here we took a walk around the island (which symbolized our soul) to its center. There is nothing to add to this as the experience of this technique is completely individual and everyone felt the journey in their own way. All I can say is that it was an extraordinary experience.

In the end I will just add that the workshop was not only informative but very enjoyable. We had the opportunity to let go of all our worries for a while and just relax, tune into the power of music, play together. Even though I'm a completely musically deaf person, I hope to do it again next year.

Karel Vraj

All photos.