(WCCO) MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Minnesota is fine-tuning a rehabilitation program for children.
Teenagers have reported a considerable increase in despair and anxiety over the previous two years, according to a federal research.Lily Erlandson's songs are a reflection of her heartfelt sentiments. Because it's been a trying two years for the Blake School junior.
"I guess being secluded has been difficult," she said.
Anxiety and depression have been diagnosed in her. As a result, Erlandson employs her voice to silence the voices in her thoughts.
"It feels like a portion of my brain is constantly talking at me, telling me I'm not good enough or that you can't accomplish this or that," Erlandson explained.
She's one of the numerous kids seeking mental health therapy at Masonic Childrens Hospital's full day treatment unit.
"So we've seen demand just completely increase," said Kendri Ebert, a music therapist.
"I suppose the most important thing is certainly music." "It's a place where I can always go if I need to express myself or unwind," Erlandson explained. "I enjoy learning different instruments and experimenting, and I believe it is something that can benefit a lot of other students here in the program, as well as people all around the world."
The trouble is that the instruments in the day center aren't exactly perfectly tuned – they're around 40 years old.
"At the hospital, we have a beautiful old music therapy program. "Along with it, there are ancient instruments," Ebert explained. "There were spill stains on the drums." The drum heads were bursting at the seams."It's a concerning issue that has piqued the interest of a local man who has received national prominence for his 15 years in the NHL.
"It's incredibly essential for these kids to have a creative outlet to express themselves, whatever road they're on, going through challenging times," retired NHL player Paul Martin said.
His personal outlet was sports. Now he devotes his energy to Shine a Light, a non-profit he founded to help children with mental health issues.
Erlandson and her classmates received a $5,000 donation from his team for new instruments."Hopefully, it helps kids go through both good and bad times, and they learn a little bit about themselves and what's going on inside of them," Martin said.
They appear to be experiencing it based on appearances — and sounds.
"We are grateful for this equipment upgrade," Ebert stated, "since it was absolutely important to present our patients with the greatest quality music possible."
Music, after all, is medicine in this town.More about Paul Martin's Shine a Light Foundation and Masonic Hospital's youth counseling programs can be found on our website.
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