VISTA Starts Music Therapy Program
by Alejandra O'Connor
 |
|
Radford University student Victoria Ho works with
several
students in Roanoke
|
Music Therapy is the use of music to reach non-musical goals
such as promoting self and cultural expression, increasing social awareness,
decreasing anxiety, promoting positive peer interactions and enhancing
relationship-building skills. Practitioners must meet a minimum clinical hour
requirement and pass a board certification exam. The Music Therapy program in
Roanoke is part of Ho’s clinical practice at Radford University. Ho is
supervised by her professor James Borling; a Music Therapy professional for
over 30 years. Borling has seen music bridge cultural differences and
encourages participants to use music to tell stories. “Vicky has a really
unique perspective. She has been able to practice the skills that she learned
in the classroom. Her desire to help people has been her driving force in this
program and you can really see that in her work”.
Ho is the child of a Vietnamese family who first came to the
United States as refugees. “I chose to work with refugee children because of my
family background. I saw the hardship my parents had to go through in order to
become acclimated to US culture. I know that kids in these types of families
sometimes hear terrible stories of what life was like back home and it takes a
toll on their emotional well-being. Music can provide a way for those emotions
to get out so the child can heal. I also like that I can combine my initial
career goal of practicing psychiatry with my love of music”. The participants
are primarily from Iraq and South Sudan. Ho successfully uses music to bridge
age, gender and cultural boundaries of participants. As they learn from each
other, their fear of the unknown becomes significantly less prominent in their
lives.
Music Therapy provides a safe place for children to learn
how to play an instrument while confronting conscious or unconscious issues
resulting from forced deportation. It also provides a unique way for children
to integrate into their new homes and become successful students and citizens
of the United States.
The partnership between Radford University and VT Engage:
The Community Learning Collaborative is managed by AmeriCorps VISTA member
Alejandra O’Connor.
For Alejandra, home is where the heart is. The daughter of a Marine, she lived many different places growing up, but for high school and college her family settled in North Carolina and she still calls the state her home. She did her undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and in 2011 earned a Global Master of Arts in International Relations from Webster University.An interest in humanitarian issues, a strong background in service, and a drive to impact communities made VISTA service a perfect next step for Alejandra. She relocated to Blacksburg, VA to be one of two NC Campus Compact VISTAs at Virginia Tech. Initially Alejandra thought the relocation might leave her on her own a lot, but she's found a friend in fellow NC Campus Compact VISTA Wyatt Taylor and met some great people on and off campus who have made her
When she's not at work Alejandra is an avid reader and likes to exercise. She's recently picked up boxing thanks to an on-campus club. She also volunteers with her sorority, Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority Inc., supervising recruitment for several undergraduate and graduate chapters. After her year of VISTA service Alejandra plans to join the Peace Corps.
