Music can be a motivating and fun way to teach children who have special learning needs.  A child who is interested and attentive when learning a new skill is much more likely to retain the information over time. In this way, music sparks children’s interest in learning, and creates an optimal environment for long-term skill retention. It engages them, improves their mood and helps them focus. Music therapy makes learning enjoyable and offers a remarkable variety of benefits to children with developmental disabilities and other special needs. According to research,   children in early education programs who participate in music therapy group activities greatly improve their ability to pay attention and stay on task.  For children and adolescents with cerebral palsy, playing music may be an effective way to stimulate speech development and communication skills, express emotions, develop a sense of rhythm and provide opportunity for physical, cognitive and motor development whilst creating a meaningful environment for socialization and leisure pursuits.

It is unquestionable that through the medium of music many essential and enabling life skills can be learned. The benefits that playing and learning music can have on a child's growth and development are immeasurable for children who have difficulties in hearing, seeing, moving, thinking or responding; each can experience the music in their own unique way. The music is not the goal of music therapy. Cognitive stimulation, self-expression, self-awareness, improvement of gross and fine motor skills, aid in academic achievement, improvement in social interaction skills and communication are some of the goals that music therapy can focus on and the music itself is simply a tool to achieve these goals.

Truly, music therapy is one of the most effective and helpful ways to teach special needs children. One of its best, most appealing qualities is that it's fun. Like all of us, children are drawn to music. The WindReach Music Appreciation programme is tailored specifically to the requirements of children with special needs and participants are afforded a unique educational, social and artistic experience.

The programme is run by an instructor from the School of Performing Arts and approximately fifty special needs children from the community and the public school system participate in the music programme on a weekly basis.