Every Thursday morning, our Hawke's Bay Regional Centre is full of the sounds of cymbals, drums, guitars and laughter, all created by Josie, Rāmari, and their Raukatauri Music Therapist. 8-year old Josie was born with Rett Syndrome, a condition which affects her speech, body movement and co-ordination, and 9-year old Rāmari was born with Cerebral Palsy. Both girls had been attending individual music therapy sessions until 2021, when they began their paired music therapy session together. Since then, their friendship has blossomed, supported by music therapy, to make a magical connection with one another.

Josie and Rāmari use a range of instruments, facilitated by their music therapist, to support social communication, physical movement, and creative expression. Rāmari loves to play the chimes, and Josie loves the ocean drum. From their very first session together, the two girls had an immediate connection, looking across at one another, smiling, laughing, and most recently, they've been choosing songs together using a visual aid.