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Nordoff Robbin’s Christmas Appeal: #MusicisMedicine
Nordoff Robbins is the UK’s leading music therapy charity, and our chosen corporate charity here at Ticketmaster. Music therapy is a specialist use of music to help people in many different ways – for some it has physical benefits, for others emotional or social ones and helps many to communicate where they have struggled to do so previously. The results of music therapy can have a profound impact on individuals and their families plus all those around them.
To bring their work to life and to launch their Christmas Appeal for 2013, Nordoff Robbins has today released a short animated film about the power of music therapy, featuring superstar ambassador Emeli Sandé.
The film, which is set to Emeli Sandé’s track Mountains, tells the story of Ed Buckley. In January 2012 at just 20 years old, Ed, who was studying to be a pilot at Leeds University, was hit by a speeding taxi. His parents were told to expect the worst but, against all odds, Ed survived.
After his accident, Ed spent three months in hospital in Leeds and was then transferred to the Regional Rehabilitation Unit at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, one of the country’s leading specialist rehabilitation units. He was in a coma for six months.
When he awoke he was unable to speak, walk or carry out even the most basic tasks and the brain damage he suffered left him with profound memory loss. During his time at Northwick Park Hospital, Ed underwent an intensive programme of rehabilitation which included working with Nordoff Robbins music therapist, Jessica Atkinson, as well as a team of nurses, doctors and other therapists. Music therapy is a part of the team that helped Ed recover his speech, memory and even helped him learn to walk again.
“Despite being wheelchair-bound and in a fog which meant at times I struggled to remember even daily tasks, when I sat at a piano, I could remember chords I knew how to play before the accident. I could be pushed up to the piano and I would bang out ‘Let It Be’ by The Beatles. I remembered the chords for that, but I had no other memory,” Ed says. “On leaving the hospital, I presented them with a plaque which said ‘Arrived unconscious. Walked out singing’. For me, music really was my medicine”.
Emeli Sandé commented, “Ed’s story is an incredible example of how powerful music is. For the people Nordoff Robbins work with every day, music is their medicine. I’m proud to support this project and I hope my involvement will help raise awareness of music therapy. Please take a moment to watch the film and then give as generously as you can. Every penny will really make a difference to Nordoff Robbins.”
For more information, and to donate, please visit Nordoff Robbins.
