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After working as a music therapist for almost 50 years, Dr Clive Robbins is still surprised and inspired by the children he treats.
In Auckland as a special guest for Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre's gala fundraiser on Thursday night, the co-founder of the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy approach believes our "inborn sensitivity" to music is the reason why it can reach disabled children when words have failed.
It begins when a baby is in the womb, he said.
"We don't know what our mother is saying but we learn the intonations of her voice, the rhythms in which she speaks," the 80-year-old said.
"In a handicapped child - the children that come [to the Raukatauri centre], many have language disabilities - some have no language - but they can become active in music to varying degrees."
While he acknowledges some behaviorists were critical of his humanistic approach, the techniques found favour around the globe.
New Zealand's only Nordoff-Robbins facility, the Raukatauri centre, was founded by singer-songwriter Hinewehi Mohi three years ago.
She was inspired after taking her daughter Hineraukatauri, who has cerebral palsy, to a centre in London.
While the Newton centre sees almost 70 children a week in addition to an outreach programme, it aims to expand with funds raised through this week's auction of items - including a guitar signed by members of post-punk rock group The Cure.
Dr Robbins' own links to New Zealand go back to 1974, when he first toured to speak about his improvisation method.
It was here too that he was diagnosed with the hearing condition tinnitus, an "occupational hazard" of working in the field.
"Too many children had breakthroughs on the cymbals ... and they were having a terrific time and I didn't want to stop them," he said.
But the severe to moderate hearing loss, for which Dr Robbins wears hearing aids, was a small price to pay.
"I wouldn't change a thing."
