Thursday, April 25, 2013 1:35pm ET by  
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Labrinth sits in on Nordoff Robbins music therapy session: 'The music helped the kids to connect'

'Earthquake' hitmaker Labrinth recently stopped by a Nordoff Robbins music therapy class to see first hand the impact that the sessions have on young children.

He spent time with a few pupils, named Alex, Imen and Adelaide, who suffer from severe learning difficulties such as autism and watched how the music helped create a connection between them. Speaking about the enlightening experience, Labrinth said:

“If we had been just talking I would've found it a lot harder to get involved, whereas this was using something I know – music – that is very familiar to me. That's why I was so keen to get involved. When we were all playing instrument, I thought 'I've never met these kids, yet I feel at ease' and that's because I know music, and they know music and we were communicating.”

Referring to the way that music helps to build bonds, he explained that it's amazing to see how it allowed the children to express themselves in a creative yet familiar way: "It's music providing familiarity and comfort and giving them confidence. When I think back, to me, music was the thing that let me express myself when I couldn't find the words."

"I could just play a piano or guitar and I'd feel comfortable. It's not quite the same, but I spend a lot of time in the studio on my own, not communicating with words, but then I come out of there and it's my music that does the talking. Music is my way of communicating. And I saw that with these children, they were able to get something across to the teachers and to me without speaking."

Labrinth, who will receive the Innovation Award at this year's O2 Silver Clef Awards on June 28, added: "This session has shown me that music should be an expression, a way of communicating to other people and getting the purest message across that you can. I feel very inspired after this.”


 

 

 

Watch Labrinth perform 'Beneath Your Beautiful' live at the Royal Albert Hall here: