Japan's First Lady chimes in at Nordoff-Robbins

Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy had a memorable visit in late September from Mrs. Miyuki Hatoyama, First Lady of Japan. She is an admirer of music and an advocate for music therapy.

In addition to touring the center, Mrs. Hatoyama, who has a performing background, joined in on a therapy session with a pre-adolescent boy. It was led by a Japanese graduate student, Mikako Hirota, who is training at the Center. She and the client sang a Japanese folk song called Sakura, and she assisted in the creation of a new song.

Most agreed, Mrs. Hatoyama was eager to hear from the boy about the impact of music therapy on his life. He movingly revealed how the therapy has helped improve his self-esteem and allowed him to grow as a person and a musician. For the graduate student Ms. Hirota meeting the First Lady of Japan was a dream come true. She hopes to open a music therapy center in her home town of Hokkaido, Japan.

She was given a tour by Barbara Hesser, associate professor and director of the graduate music therapy program; Dr. Clive Robbins, founding director of the Center; Kaoru Robbins, senior music therapist; and Dr. Alan Turry, managing director.

Over the years, the Center's faculty and staff have traveled nationally and internationally to lecture, give seminars and run workshops about the unique Nordoff-Robbins approach to music therapy, which has become familiar and known throughout the world.

The Center has a strong connection to Japan stretching back to the 1980s. Ms. Hesser visited frequently then, and in the 1990s staff members made annual visits to the country. Ms. Robbins, who is Japanese, returns to Japan often, and along with Dr. Turry and Dr. Robbins has presented in the country many times.