The Paul Stobbs Fund keeps Friends making their music

By Erin Gross

It’s Friday morning and the doorbell at the Music Therapy Centre begins to ring. Each time, a different Wheeltrans driver is at the door, accompanied by one of the six vibrant men and women who gather every Friday morning for music therapy. These are “The Friends of Music” and their enthusiasm is boundless. They arrive smiling and immediately begin to catch up with each other on the past week’s events. Soon after that, the music making begins.

The Friends of Music have been gathering at the Music Therapy Centre for over ten years. Some even participated in music therapy as young children under the guidance of music therapy pioneer and the Centre’s founder, Fran Herman.  Currently, the group consists of three women and three men, all of whom have a variety of physical issues as a result of cerebral palsy. In music therapy, each Friend of Music has the opportunity to discover and develop his/her own unique potentials rather than being defined by disability or limitations.  Participants are encouraged to express how they feel, through music and words, and they provide unfaltering support to each other during good and bad times.  The Friends of Music love to explore musical instruments, many of which have been adapted so that they are fully accessible. They have composed original songs, made recordings, and have accumulated a repertoire of memorized songs that constantly keeps the music therapist on her toes.  When describing what this group means to them, members state that this is their “home” and their “lifeline.” “We need it and we need each other.” 

The Friends of Music would not exist without the support of the Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund in partnership with some very generous donors who have directed funds toward this group. The Paul Andrew Stobbs Fund was initiated by Paul’s mother Patricia, in loving memory of her son, who passed away in February 1999 at the age of 37. Paul was a young man with a developmental disability, who faced challenges, life, and all those he knew with an infectious enthusiasm. He demonstrated a particular sensitivity for persons with disabilities, especially in his job at the Hugh MacMillan Centre. His family and friends will always remember his laughter, his warm embrace, and his great love of music. Paul’s family felt that supporting the Friends of Music would be a perfect way in which to honour his memory.

The Friends of Music are incredibly grateful for all of the support that they receive. The opportunity to make music together and maintain close friendships is vital to their ongoing quality of life. Please contact the Music Therapy Centre if you would like to support “The Friends of Music.”