On July 13, the first Ukrainian relaxation session Renaissance took place at the Lviv National Philharmonic, which combined electronic ambient motifs and live classical instruments.
The eponymous piece, which lasts about 30 minutes, is conventionally divided into two parts. In the first, the melody is more energetic, sometimes mixed, chaotic, reminiscent of everyday life. Then it slows down, harmonizes and gives deep peace and inner balance. The ambient part was written by Oleksandr Sky and Volodymyr Nedogoda, the parts for classical instruments were written by the famous Scottish composer and music therapist Nigel Osborne.
An important part of the event was the participation of Oleksandr Ivanko , a veteran of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, one of the very first visitors to Victory Beats therapeutic sessions at the Superhumans rehabilitation center, who thanks to them not only found psychological support after being injured, but also discovered music in a new way. Today, Oleksandr plays bass, studies and teaches others at our Enter DJ recreational DJ courses, and performs concerts. And recently he began to realize his long-standing dream - he is studying music writing and playing MIDI controllers. It was on them - obtained thanks to the support of Victory Beats project supporters - that he built his performance at the Philharmonic, changing the sound of the main melody, adding or combining various patterns and settings. The event was attended by both patients from various rehabilitation centers and ordinary music lovers.
“This is an incredible experience of playing on stage. A different atmosphere, different tasks. I hope the tasks have been completed and we have achieved our goals. We continue to work…”, — Oleksandr Ivanko
Thanks to the event partners, the Art Therapy Force organization, the introductory part and reflection after the session were conducted by music therapist Marina Sljot. Her simple and at the same time profound speech helped the listeners to tune in and carefully exit the state of heightened perception after the session, to understand their feelings and thoughts better.
One could describe for a long time the positive impressions of both the audience and the musicians of the Philharmonic, who enthusiastically joined the process from the first rehearsal, but instead of a thousand words, we will only add a picture that one of the visitors drew immediately after the event. “When I listened to the music, I imagined that we were all lying on such a big blue mat, and sleeping,” she says. And the value and motivating power of such feedback is very difficult to overestimate.
This event was the first in a joint project between the Philharmonic and the Victory Beats charity project, which will last throughout the next season and will include a variety of music therapy activities.
“We are very happy that the ambitious idea – to involve a symphony orchestra, classical musical instruments in the direction of rehabilitation, restoration, first of all, of our military, veterans, civilians who suffered as a result of the Russian aggressor – has become a reality.
We have great hopes that, thanks to the new direction of trauma-sensitive art programs that started yesterday, finding inner strength, psychological recovery, and creating a new therapeutic experience through music will be much easier and more effective.
It is motivating that the first event received great interest and had its positive response from the listeners who attended. Therefore, starting from the new season, we will do everything possible to ensure that such events in one format or another are on a permanent basis, and our cooperation is even more productive.”, — orchestra director Mykhailo Sosnovsky.
