Music Therapy - One of the Newest Professions in Latvia
Introduction
Music therapy and the arts therapies are very recent professional developments in Latvia. This article takes a look at how these therapies have evolved and are still evolving in a post-soviet country.
Background
Historically Latvia’s ancestral origin has existed since the third millennium B.C. Through the centuries it underwent many occupations, the last of which was Soviet occupation in 1940. In 1988 the Latvian Popular Front emerged in opposition to the ruling establishment, and after elections full independence was declared in 1991. Latvia is now a member of the United Nations, NATO and the European Union.
During the Soviet occupation people with disabilities and with mental health problems were not to be seen in society. They were either institutionalised or looked after within families. Changes in attitude have been slow in coming but are emerging. Music and the arts have, however, held a cultural and educational prominence throughout the 20th century. Since independence in 1991 it is noticeable how popular the study of psychology has become, especially for females. It is mainly through this field that music therapy and the other creative therapies have evolved.
Description of Education and Training Programmes
Music therapy in Latvia has taken two distinct directions.
In 1998, Mirdza Paipere organized the first music therapy courses with the University Academy in Liepaja with sponsorship assistance from Germany. These first part-time courses were led by Dr. Reiner Hauss from University of Witten-Herdecke, Germany, in clinical applications of music therapy for children and young people. Guest lecturers from other countries, including Tony Wigram from Denmark followed. A clinic for children with disabilities was established in Liepaja as part of the music therapy
course.
Photo 1 and 2: Young clients in action at the Children’s Clinic for Music Therapy, Liepaja, Latvia.
Professional accreditation to music therapy was finally realized at the Academy in 2006, and qualified music therapists work in a number of country areas and cities within integrated pre-school facilities and integrated primary schools. (Photo 3 show a workshop and seminar in process at the Academy in Liepaja, led by Nils Ile )
Photo 3: Percussion workshop for music therapy students facilitated by Nils Ile, Liepaja.
In 2003, a full time Master’s degree course in Arts Therapies was offered at Rigas Stradina University under the wing of the Faculty of Medicine, and facilitated by Kristine Martinsone. The course includes visual arts, music and dance therapy with a strong medical emphasis and psychotherapeutic, and psychodynamic methodologies underpin the course. Professional accreditation for this Master’s course was officially recognized in 2008. Web links and contacts for the University programmes and the professional associations for music and art therapy are included at the end of the article.
Photo 4: Mask work from an art therapy session in Latvia.
Conferences
International arts therapies conferences have been held in Latvia annually since 2003, and European facilitators from England, Scotland, Poland, Russia, France, Germany as well as Canada and Australia offer regular seminars and workshops in Latvia. Since 2006 an Art Therapy Centre is operative in Riga for private and group therapy practice. The Centre also offers supervision seminars, professional development courses with guest lecturers, and acts as an information centre for creative arts therapies in Latvia.
Photo 5: Ingrida Indane (Riga Stradina University) giving Art Therapy workshops at the 2007 Art Therapies Conference in Latvia.
Description of Music Therapy Practice
"Saule" is a day centre for people aged between 18 to 35 years with intellectual disabilities in Pardaugava, Riga. Some are able to come independently, others are brought privately to the centre each day. The director Irina Rulle has been very active to promote better services and understanding for these people and initially received Danish sponsorship to set up the centre. In Denmark they have a daily TV channel operated entirely by people with disabilities and the Danish channel supported a similar pilot program at Saule which included creating the music for the program. There is a high functioning colour music orchestra led by a music teacher, who is currently a master’s student of music therapy. The orchestra performs and travels regularly, and visiting music groups from Estonia, Lithuania and other eastern European countries come to perform in public in Latvia with Saule’s orchestra.
Regular staff includes a psychologist, physiotherapist, social worker, special teachers, art and craft teachers, kitchen staff, a mini bus driver. Excursions and community involvement are both encouraged, and fine craft works such as weaving, bag-making, jewellery and cards are sold in local market stalls. Vineta Lagzdina spends 3 months annually at Saule, mostly with a smaller group (up to 8 young people) of less able members to work specifically as a music therapist and attend to individual problems such as improving fine motor coordination, raising confidence levels and encouraging better social integration. (Photos 8,9 and 10 show Vineta Lagzdina working with young people and some art work from the music therapy group at Saule.)
Photo 6 & 7: Dance and Art from Saule’s music therapy group, Riga.
Photo 8: Vineta Lagzdina with one music therapy group at a performance at NGO centre Saule in Riga, for people with physical and intellectual disabilities.
Turaides Primary School is an integrated primary school set in a forest in beautiful countryside about 80 kilometres from Riga. The inclusion of children with special needs at the school was a decision taken by the head of school in 2006. A certified music therapy graduate of Liepajas University for children with special needs is a recent addition to the school, and children come there from a range of country areas. The music therapy methods used by the music therapist are based on Nordoff and Robbins improvisation and percussion methods.
Jelgavas Pre-school "Rotala" is for children from two to seven years of age. There are almost 200 students attending "Rotala", with 18 children having special needs that include autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, down syndrome and less specific intellectual and physical disabilities. A special integrated program has been set up at the school with psychologists, physiotherapists, Montesorri teachers, logotherapists and a graduate music therapist from Liepajas University. Both Latvian and Russian are spoken at the school and a swimming program at the school is part of the special needs program.
Photo 9: Rotala – pre-school music therapy session.
Conclusion
Music therapists in Latvia are highly motivated and dedicated but face difficulties of professional recognition within the school system, and funding difficulties within hospital, rehabilitation, psychiatric hospitals and day centres. Arts therapies are a new phenomenon and medical and education professionals are poorly paid across the board, often working in two or three related jobs to manage daily life. Music therapy supervision and clinical practice is currently provided sessionally by contract therapists from other European countries and in the English language. Professional development is similarly provided. In a country where Latvian is the national language and Russian is the second language, it is essential to have more bi-lingual and tri-lingual qualified supervisors and specialists. Despite set backs the triumphs are exciting and progressive with specific research projects in music, art, dance and drama therapy currently in progress.
Contacts and Web links referred to in the article
- Latvia’s Music Therapy Association
- Latvia’s Art Therapy Association
- University Academy, Liepaja, Latvia
- Riga Stradina University, Riga, Latvia
How to cite this page
Lagzdina, Vineta (2009). Music Therapy - One of the Newest Professions in Latvia. Voices Resources. Retrieved January 10, 2015, from http://testvoices.uib.no/community/?q=country/monthlatvia_january2009
