Hans Thomann Foundation’s donation makes musical participation possible

In the Magnus workshops for people with disabilities at Regens Wagner foundation’s facility in Holzhausen, employment for our clients is accompanied by various offerings. The programme offers an especially broad variety and includes musical activities in addition to housekeeping, crafts and exercise. In the last two years, these accompanying measures had to be severely limited due to the pandemic. Out of consideration for vulnerable groups of people and to break chains of infection, we had to suspend some services. We are therefore all the more pleased that we have been able to resume some activities in the meantime. In order to continue to be able to deal responsibly with the current Covid situation, the offerings will take place with fewer participants and separately in each of the four branches.

At the Buchloe branch, we organise a weekly disco by and for people with disabilities as part of the accompanying measures. We also offer an activity called APP Music. For this purpose, the participants use their smartphones or tablets to play musical improvisations together. All this is supervised by a certified vocational educator and musician. Modern technologies facilitate making music together when working with people with disabilities. In our understanding, digital media are an instrument of participation. With intuitive music apps, many musical and artistic projects can be implemented that would have been unthinkable in the past. Today, we are able to produce contemporary, experimental and electronic music with the help of assistive technologies. Key competencies such as concentration, reaction and interaction, all senses and social interaction are promoted.

Some impressions:

  • Manuel, participant: “With the music apps you can express yourself; while playing I can express feelings that I otherwise can’t get rid of.”
  • Birgit, participant: “Because it is sometimes noisy at work. Then I can recover from work in the music activities. At home, I also relax by listening to music.”
  • Benni, participant: “I enjoy playing music. It puts me in a good mood.”
  • DJ MC Wonka: “I think it’s good that we got the equipment from the Hans Thomann Foundation, and that we can do the disco ourselves. The box sounds great. I say thank you!”
  • DJ Jörg: “That the cooperation with Wonka works well in the disco. In the meantime, I can almost set it up myself. The mixing desk works great!”

Thanks to the Hans Thomann Foundation’s donation, we can look forward to a mobile system, disco lights and mixing consoles. A big thank you to the Hans Thomann Foundation for this great support!

Author:
Simonetti, Thomas
07 Dec 2022