Dijon: These musicians offer a "musical bubble" at the children's hospital

For two years, musicians from the Beaune Conservatory have been performing at the Dijon University Hospital, in the pediatric medical-surgical unit (UMCP4) which treats minors for emergencies as well as hospitalizations of varying lengths, and also, since this year, in the adolescent medical unit (UMA) which treats patients aged 12 to 18 who are facing behavioral problems (they put themselves in danger).

Once a month, Carole Kurzmann and Laurent Belime, health managers from the two units concerned, welcome Magali Carrière, accompanied by two or three other musicians from the Beaune Conservatory for a musical exchange with the children, lasting one to two hours.

Magali Carrière, a violin teacher, is also a music therapist , which allows her to coordinate the project. "I act as a link between music and patients." At her suggestion, different instrumentalists can participate, which is why "we can have piano, harp, flute, or, as today, clarinet with Hélène Leriche, saxophone or even an introduction to MAO (computer-assisted music) with Gaétan Clerget."

MAO, which combines computers with musical creation, is offered to UMA teenagers who are hospitalized for a longer period, "it gives them a little moment of escape," emphasizes Laurent Belime.

The musicians have selected a repertoire before the session, but also leave room for improvisation "to be attentive" and thus offer the child the freedom to join them "to participate in this sound bubble, which I also like to call a musical bubble", so that the young patient "gets out of his context", insists Magali Carrière.

They start playing in the corridor, some children and young people approach, smiling, they almost seem to forget where they are and why. Then, a musical interaction is offered to the teenagers, then, the musicians will wander with a trolley filled with all kinds of instruments, percussions, kazoos , Tibetan bowls, and will stop in several rooms to play and especially share instruments so that the young patients can try music.

"We've already run two school years, and we hope to run a third." Carole Kurzmann and the other stakeholders would like to see this continue, but the project will no longer receive funding for next year, so the future of the music workshop is in jeopardy.