Music Therapy Department celebrates 'World Music Therapy Day'

The Silliman University (SU) Music Therapy Department under the College of Performing and Visual Arts (COPVA) joined the World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT) in celebrating World Music Therapy Day on March 1 through a virtual performance by Music Therapy students.

The performance was posted on the WFMT Facebook page, February 23, 2021, together with the performances of WFMT members in the Western Pacific Region.

Danielle Elise Zamar-Alcantara, adviser of Music Therapy students who is a board-certified music therapist, said the SU Music Therapy Department became a member of the WFMT earlier this month.

 Danielle Elise Zamar-Alcantara (second row, fourth column), adviser of Music Therapy students, performs “Leron Leron Sinta” with Music Therapy students for the World Federation of Music Therapy’s celebration of World Music Therapy Day.

Students studying Bachelor of Music major in Music Therapy in Silliman University perform “Leron Leron Sinta” with their adviser, Danielle Elise Zamar-Alcantara.
“I was contacted by the liaison officer of the (WFMT) Western Pacific Region if we were interested to join in for Music Therapy Day. We were supposed to pick a song that was famous in our country and decide if we wanted to make our lyrics depict hope in these trying times. We chose ‘Leron Leron Sinta’ and made our own lyrics to it (in) Bisaya and Tagalog. We were also asked to include Filipino instruments so we picked bandurria and guitar,” said Alcantara.

Last July 2020, Alcantara presented her research paper during the 16th World Congress of Music Therapy of the WFMT.

“(The conference) was supposed to be in South Africa but because of the pandemic, they decided to do an online conference instead,” Alcantara said.

According to its official website, the WFMT is an international nonprofit organization that “brings together music therapy associations and individuals interested in developing and promoting music therapy globally through the exchange of information, collaboration among professionals, and actions.”

SU started offering the Bachelor of Music major in Music Therapy in 2018. SU is the first university outside Manila and the second university in the country that offers music therapy as a course.

(Photos from the World Federation of Music Therapy Facebook page)