Hungarian Aphasia Choir Coping Online During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors

  • Zsófia Fekete Brain Injury Department of the National Institute of Medical Rehabilitation, Hungary; Hungarian Music Therapy Association; Hungarian Aphasia Association
  • Fanni Eckhardt, MS Stroke Rehabilitation Department of the National Institute of Medical Rehabilitation, Hungary; Hungarian Music Therapy Association; Hungarian Aphasia Association

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v22i1.3337

Keywords:

aphasia choir, community music therapy, singing, online, pandemic

Abstract

Aphasia choirs have been gaining more and more attention for the last decade. The operation of these are based on two pillars: the therapeutic effect of singing with aphasia and decreasing the social isolation of clients with a verbal language disorder. The aim of this article is to draw attention to the international community of these choirs, with special focus on the Hungarian Aphasia Choir, and show their challenges resulting from the restrictions imposed by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The Hungarian Aphasia Choir has had their therapeutic rehearsals online for seven months. The participants’ experiences and their coping methods regarding online and offline choir sessions were examined by an online survey of five questions completed by thirteen choir members living with aphasia as well as some of their caregivers. The responses clearly show the choir members’ general desire to carry on offline rehearsals, while the results also demonstrate that online rehearsals are effective in decreasing social isolation.

Author Biographies

Zsófia Fekete, Brain Injury Department of the National Institute of Medical Rehabilitation, Hungary; Hungarian Music Therapy Association; Hungarian Aphasia Association

Zsófia Fekete is a registered music therapist and a member of the Hungarian Music Therapy Association. Zsófia has been working as a music therapist at the National Medical Center of Rehabilitation (Hungary) since 1998. She received her PhD degree at the University of Pécs, Hungary in 2021. She mainly works with patients suffering from serious brain injury, coma and aphasia. She is the co-founder of the Vocal Ensemble 'Hangadó' along with Fanni Eckhardt; where people struggling with severe aphasia can experience the benefits of community singing therapy. She is also the founder of the vocal ensemble 'Staccato' (1996), where she tries to adopt inclusivity, helping people to join the choir after acute rehabilitation. Zsófia has helped and given inspiration to numerous students taking part in Hungarian music therapy trainings. She regularly holds lectures on music therapy in the neurorehabilitation at Rehabilitation Medicine Trainings for graduate doctors.  

Fanni Eckhardt, MS, Stroke Rehabilitation Department of the National Institute of Medical Rehabilitation, Hungary; Hungarian Music Therapy Association; Hungarian Aphasia Association

Fanni Eckhardt is a current Master of Music Therapy student at ArtEZ University, The Netherlands. Her master research topic is self-concept improvement for people with aphasia through therapeutic songwriting or other music therapy interventions. She has been working in aphasia rehabilitation since 2014 as a music teacher and as a music therapy trainee at the National Institute of Medical Rehabilitation (Hungary) and at the Hungarian Aphasia Association. She is a board member of the Association Internationale Aphasie (AIA), and the co-leader of the first Hungarian Aphasia Choir (Hangadó Énekegyüttes), founded in 2016 by Zsófia Fekete. She holds a bachelor and a master’s degree in music education from the Franz Liszt Academy of Music (Hungary) and is an online communication advocate for people with aphasia.

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Published

2022-03-01

How to Cite

Fekete, Z., & Eckhardt, F. (2022). Hungarian Aphasia Choir Coping Online During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v22i1.3337

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 1 (2022)

Section

Essays

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Copyright (c) 2022 Zsófia Fekete, Fanni Eckhardt, MS

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