Music serves as a universal form of expression, eliciting profound emotional responses.
BPM Rehab leverages recent advancements in technology to inspire and facilitate rehabilitation for young individuals, harnessing the transformative potential of these innovations, whilst maintaining accessibility.
A series of 1-2-1 focus group sessions were held with BPM students, to provide feedback and insight into the interventions.
Opinions represented below come from students enrolled on the courses that BPM offers; Music Production, DJing and Vocal Coaching.
Views presented demonstrate how these interventions have led to developments in individuals’ social skills, confidence, motivation and cognitive functioning.
Student 1 – AS
AS aka ‘‘the DJ Man’’ is a long-standing BPM student, engaging with the interventions as rehabilitation for Cerebral Palsy.
Since joining BPM and building on their DJing skills, AS is now working towards completing their certified exams in DJing.
AS reflected that the interventions had served them very well, with accessibility adaptations made at the beginning of their time with BPM.
They had a controller custom-made, allowing them to practice DJing in-between sessions, demonstrating the dedication of BPM to accessibility, to ensure meaningful and engaging rehabilitation.
AS reflected that they were very vocal about adaptations needed towards the controller, with BPM co-founder, Mark Blundell stating that ‘they kindly pointed out my mistakes when it wasn’t developed how they liked!’.
This co-design and modification worked to develop the tools needed for AS’s interventions until they were best fit for use, with AS now able to practice and hone their skills as ‘‘the buttons do what I need’’.
This demonstrates an example of the adaptability and advancements in specialised equipment that can be provided within electronic music rehabilitation provision, helping students to build confidence in a comfortable environment through overcoming previous boundaries and inspiring creativity.
AS has articulated a newfound appreciation for the composition of music, noting a more acute awareness of its various components.
DJing has really influenced the way they listen to music now, prompting a deeper engagement and has inspired them to take up piano lessons and music at school.
Socially it’s become a keen topic of conversation between friends and family members. Stating that ‘‘Mum finds it amazing’’ and dances to the music they create.
Although they were quick to note that they don’t take her up on her seventies song suggestions…
Friends have also expressed their interest in what they can do, conveying their surprise ‘‘What!? You’re actually good at it!?’’.
AS also appreciates their newly coined nickname ‘the DJ man’ ‘‘That’s all I get called now, DJ Man!’’.
This demonstrates the level of change that can come from picking up an electronic music based skill, such as DJing.
As well as cognitive and rehabilitative benefits, the social changes that can emerge can be transformative.
Music therapy can facilitate and encourage improvements in enhancing personal relationships and bolstering communication skills within social contexts.
Dream Performance Location:
When asked where their ideal destination would be to DJ, AS detailed that they would love to DJ club nights in Florida.
Student 2 – EB
EB has long possessed a passion for music, using it to overcome challenges regarding self-conceptualisation and cognitive functions including memory as a result of an ABI.
Their passion started with Disney, which began an interest in singing, and they enrolled in the 2019 BPM ‘Brain Bootcamp’ leading to an interest in DJing skill development as they ‘‘just fell in love with it’’.
EB initially experienced significant feelings of anxiety and shyness prior to their journey with BPM.
They expressed a deep appreciation for “Teacher-friend’’ DJ Mark One, who’s support has substantially contributed to the development of their social confidence and vocal abilities.
EB also conveyed how they believe their newly rekindled confidence has positively influenced their communication skills, thereby enhancing their social connectedness and how family are ‘‘really supportive’’ of the educational journey they are on.
One notable highlight EB has demonstrated is improvements in memory “I’ve got the memory of an elephant for characters, songs, song lyrics, whether they’re in a different language or not’’, to which they credited their recently acquired DJing skills.
EB has expressed enthusiasm to continue developing her skills noting that the tutors really help with “getting out of my comfort zone to perform more”, showing amazing progress and demonstrating how electronic music is contributing to key changes in their motivation and personal growth.
Further incredible achievements include a singing certification and having professionally recorded a song “That was good, that was great. I was so excited – I was so nervous”.
Ideal DJ destination
Germany because “you know, Bayern Munich? I’m a huge fan of them” “You know how they do DJing in the stadiums yeah that would be my dream if I could perform or do DJing there.
“Yeah, for the Lionesses or the people in the Bayern Munich, yeah, yeah, yeah, amazing, that would be so cool.”
Student 3- HM
HM exhibited an interest in DJing, as evidenced by their engagement with various genres of DJ music, particularly house music.
This exposure prompted them to consider ‘‘I think I want to do that’’.
Adaptability has been a fundamental principle in HM’s rehabilitation process.
Modifications, such as the incorporation of different colour-coded features on their DJ deck to represent different functions, have been incorporated as part of their BPM experience, and these have significantly enhanced usability and comprehension.
Regarding the effect of the interventions, HM has expressed how they believe their cognitive capacity, in terms of memory function, has improved since becoming a student at BPM.
Furthermore, they find the learning environment at BPM substantially more enjoyable than that of usual school.
However, they note that both their school staff and peers are impressed by their DJing activities.
Furthermore, HM reflected that the BPM sessions are more than the skills and the music:
HM: “Yeah, it’s like a support group. We’ve come in with issues and we’ve all given each other some sort of like support, reassurance at the same time as learning how to do something that is a skill.
“Yeah, so it’s just a really positive couple of hours a week that, you know, helps us to focus on something that’s fun and like kind of shutting out any of the negativity on the outside.”
Demonstrating their refined confidence in social environments, HM managed to go on a night out and interact with lots of people, previously an anxiety inducing task and is also really excited to be working towards making their own mix.
Ideal DJ destination:
A beach festival
Conclusion:
Through the words of its students, BPM Rehab is demonstrated as an extremely impactful intervention.
Young people enrolled are finding benefit, not just in their acquisition of new skills, but in social, cognitive and emotional aspects, as detailed above.
To get in contact with BPM please visit https://www.bpm.rehab/contact
Article Credit:
Charlotte Naylor- Research Assistant, BPM Rehab
Sarah Lake- Research Assistant, BPM Rehab
Charlotte Giblin
