Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre turns 10

March 18, 2014

RMTC turns 10

Today marks the 10th birthday of the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre (RMTC), a charitable trust that provides music therapy to children and young people with special needs.

Like a typical 10-year-old RMTC is celebrating with a party that will be held at Galatos at 7.30 tonight (18 March). Tickets are $25 at the door and it will feature performances by Maisey Rika, Tama Waipara, Julia Deans, Ria Hall, Annie Crummer, Seth Haapu and Don McGlashan.

The charity receives no government funding and yet has grown in the past 10 years with the support of the community and some of New Zealand’s most talented people including Hayley Westenra, Boh Runga, Anika Moa and Dame Rosie Horton.

In 2004 RMTC consisted of a single therapist. It now has 8 music therapists on staff who provide more than 4,000 music therapy sessions a year.

The centre’s founder Hinewehi Mohi says the charity continues to grow.

“Looking back over the past 10 years it’s incredible to think of all we have achieved. We now provide music therapy services to more than 200 people every month and the number keeps growing.”

RMTC has developed a strong outreach programme where therapists travel across Auckland to provide services to people who find it difficult or are unable to travel to the centre in Grey Lynn.

During the past three years RMTC has also started working with adults with special needs including cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, dementia and brain injuries.

Hinewehi says that it is important that RMTC keeps developing new ways to help those in need.

“We started the charity to help children but soon realised that adults can also benefit from our services. As the only music therapy centre in New Zealand we think it’s vital to help as many people as possible.”

About the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre
Music therapy assists and supports the growth and development of children and young adults with special needs. It provides a vehicle for communication, participation and interaction and reduces their sense of isolation within their immediate and wider communities.

The Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre bases their practice on the internationally-acclaimed Nordoff-Robbins approach emphasising improvisation and other creative techniques. Located in the inner Auckland suburb of Grey Lynn, the centre is the brainchild of a dedicated group of local music industry people, including Hinewehi Mohi and Boh Runga. The centre receives no statutory funding and needs to raise $750,000 this year to keep the Centre running and continue to provide music therapy to over 200 people every month. For more information on the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre go to www.rmtc.org.nz

ENDS

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