Since 2022, I have been involved in the “Bridges” project in Heidelberg, Germany. The goal of “Bridges” is to engage and empower children, teenagers, and young adults aged 5 to 28 with refugee backgrounds through music-related activities.
The project consists of a diverse team of professionals, including music educators, music therapists, and experienced musicians who are culturally sensitive and knowledgeable about trauma. Some notable team members include Jutta Glaser, Cordula Reiner-Wormit, Samuel Gracida, Sergio Rojas, Zelia Fonseca, Elisa Herbig, Noemi Herberger, Oliver Kuka, and Diane J. Pitzer.
According to the UNHCR’s “Global Trends” report (UNHCR, 2022), by the end of 2020, there were approximately 108.4 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Germany alone hosted 2.1 million refugees. For the many refugee children who have now settled in Germany, community music initiatives could help support their holistic development at both ecological and individual levels.
Bridges
The Bridges project in Heidelberg, Germany supports refugee children and teenagers through open music sessions, singing, classes, and band workshops. The project operates in three areas of Heidelberg where refugees can reside for an extended period.
I have been part of this project since 2019. Initially, I volunteered as an observer. However, my role has changed significantly over the past year. I now spend several hours each week interacting with the children. Throughout this time, I have witnessed a significant growth in my relationship with the students, and I am thrilled to see their continued enthusiasm for learning and commitment to music.
As a music teacher, I have witnessed how children who initially did not want to learn have become talented instrumentalists who want to learn multiple instruments. I have also taught children who, at a very young age, have learned songs in a short amount of time. And I have children who repeatedly tell me that they will never stop learning music and that they want to learn not just one instrument, but several.
Challenges
Of course, the work is not without challenges. There are children who started to learn and then decided they no longer wanted to, for various reasons, and showed some distance towards us as a group, only to slowly reconnect with music again.
We have also faced frequent class cancellations, communication difficulties, and schedules that are not always met. Sometimes, the energy of the children, with everyone wanting attention at the same time, becomes too intense, among other things.
What has become evident in this work is that music can open many doors to building community and resilience. In our case, we have focused on children and young adults, but this does not mean that adults cannot benefit from similar programs.
Through my involvement with Bridges, I have gained extensive knowledge about global projects and literature related to the use of music by music therapists and other professionals to enhance the well-being of refugees. As a result, I am currently serving as a co-editor for a forthcoming book on a closely related subject.
The theories of Dr. Kenneth Dinsburg on childhood and resilience have also been very important to me. He identifies seven thematic areas that promote resilience: competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping and control.
What’s Next?
I believe that this work has a significant impact on the lives of the children we are involved with, and I sincerely hope to continue working with them. As is often the case, funding has become a major obstacle that we must overcome. Since expanding the project last year relied on a large grant that has already expired, we are now searching for resources to continue this work until the end of the year.
I would like to invite you to join the Bridges Team on a concert that is happening on February 3rd at Karlstorbahnhof!
Regardless of how it continues, I believe that this project has been enriching for all those involved. I sincerely hope that it will continue in some way, and I look forward to sharing in my next blog article how everything unfolds.
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Storsve, V., Westbye, I. A., & Ruud, E. (2010). Hope and recognition: A music project among youth in a Palestinian refugee camp. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 10(1). doi: 10.15845/voices.v10i1.158.
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