I offered a special music therapy class for families with special needs children. Three Czech mothers brought their severely impaired sons each day. None spoke English. One of the piano assistants, who is very interested in music therapy, assisted me during these sessions.

In addition, I offered a second class, music experiences for young children, to the local townspeople. Mothers, fathers and grandmothers came with children ages two to ten.

Sister Helps Make Music in Czech Republic

August 15, 2002. Lowell, MI

Sister Mary Margaret Delaski, FSE, shares her experience this summer in the Czech Republic:

This was my fourth year at the Czech International Music Camp for Youth, held in Horni Jeleni, Czech Republic at Camp Radost, which translated means Camp "Joy". The camp now has two sessions each summer and I participated in the first session, July 19-28, 2002. My responsibility again was to direct the Piano Department. I had four Czech assistants, one of which was my student two years ago. The emphasis this year was ensemble, this in addition to piano ensemble experiences (duets, trios, quartets) we included other ensemble classes. The piano students formed a Tone Chime Choir and an Angklung Orchestra. The latter is an Indonesian instrument made of bamboo. I arranged several classical pieces of music for this group, such as the William Tell Overture by Rossini, Finlandia by Sibelius, The Merry Farmer by Schumann and two native Indonesian songs. These student ensembles performed many times during the camp session for the other 110 campers and many townspeople who came for evening concerts. Piano students were encouraged to play their solo literature, but the emphasis was on ensemble, working together.

The piano department uses the local elementary school, thus we walk a mile from the camp to town twice a day. We walk through the woods, the fields and the local town as you can see in the pictures. People in town have become accustomed to seeing this troupe of children and adults walk by.