WOOSTER – The Village Network’s tiny recording studio is an oasis of creativity.
Residents of the Akron Road facility will have access to five different guitars, laptops, microphones, headphones and an electric drum set to create music in a form of therapy. .
The Village Network is a non-profit behavioral health organization that works with children and families through community-based residential treatment programs. According to its website, it serves thousands of young people at 21 of his locations in Ohio and West Virginia and more than 90 of her schools.
“With music, kids can bring things out in ways that don’t always happen in therapy,” she said.
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To advance both the musical arts and the power of music therapy, the Wayne County Community Youth Foundation provided The Village Network with a $1,000 grant in 2020 to purchase state-of-the-art music equipment for its studio.
The network thanked the foundation for its support with a tour of the studio Thursday morning. In attendance was Executive Director Melanie Garcia, who listened to music created by residents of the treatment facility.
“The music recording studio has become a safe haven for creativity for many of the young people here, and I am eternally grateful to have been given that opportunity for them,” said Coffinberger. Told.
How Music Therapy Helps
Coffinberger says discussion-based therapy is generally useful, but there are also experiences, stories, or feelings that young people find difficult to describe. That’s where his art comes into play.
For some people, music can open their minds in ways that traditional therapy cannot.
“[They]can also confide in me about what they’ve been through so they can treat it therapeutically,” she said.
Research shows that music therapy reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, improves memory, manages pain and helps individuals cope, according to a post on the Cleveland Clinic website.
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It is often used by men and women in military service, veterans, people with autism or Alzheimer’s disease, people in correctional facilities, and people with a history of trauma or crisis.
The kids have created countless hours of musical content since the studio was founded in 2019. Most of them are completely original as a team or as individuals.
“Sometimes we have kids partner up where one writes the lyrics, the other sings and the other makes the beat,” she said.
For one music therapy participant who dreams of making it in the music industry, the studio challenges his creative side. It’s a place where you can relax, have fun and express yourself.
“Some of my friends like it because it helps me calm down,” said a participant.
Creation of music space
The idea for a recording studio dates back to 2018, when Coffinbarger first joined The Village Network.
The studio was then used as a music therapy storage space.
The following year, the network began working with the Wayne County Community Youth Foundation for a $1,000 grant to update and modernize the burgeoning space.
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Coffinberger said some art programs, such as the Drama Club, have yet to return to their pre-pandemic days, but studios are gaining popularity.
“We get a lot of requests to use the space,” she said.
The studio is open to all Village Network residents, including those with no musical experience.
Coffinberger wants the music room to be a safe space to have fun, learn and express, and she believes that goal has been achieved.
When the resident finishes the treatment program, Coffinbarger gives the resident a hard copy of the music.
“For many people, having a physical copy of their music gives them a sense of ownership because it’s their music,” she said.
mental health care support
For Garcia, a studio space is exactly the type of project that a nonprofit charitable youth foundation should support.
Not only does it help young people express themselves, but it also looks at mental health in a less-considered perspective.
Before leaving after finishing the tour, Garcia asked Coffinberger what it would take to make the studio the best space for its residents.
That list includes non-electric drum sets and various soundproofing elements for walls. These items are what Garcia hopes will help him realize his Coffinbarger.