University of Alabama music therapists head to Russia - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Several years ago, Russian musicians visited the University of Alabama's Rise Program at the Stallings Center at the University of Alabama. This week, program members will travel to Russia. They'll show educators there how music therapy helps children who have difficulty learning.

Music therapy is an essential tool at the Rise Program. Dawn Sandell has been a music instructor there for seven years.

"The kids don't necessarily know they're working because they're having fun. In the fun they're having and music they're making, they are working on a lot of skills," she said.

Sandell believes it improves kids' social and speech skills among others. She's one of a dozen from here who'll travel to St. Petersburg, Russia to develop music therapy programs at a center for disabled children.

"You've got to change attitudes. We're not about changing children. We're talking about changing attitudes of people and expectations," said Martha Cook, longtime director of Rise.

She tells FOX6 News that a family once brought an adopted child to the Rise Program for help. Cook says the child seemed nearly autistic from the lack of interaction he had with others.

"We saw exactly what happened to children who grow up in cribs that are never nurtured and are pretty much caged. So we said anything we can do to change that, we will do," Cook said.

That change starts Friday as Cook, Sandell and others board a plane for a nearly week long trip to Russia to share their work with music therapy with others.  

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