Creating Art, Music & Connection in Recreation Therapy

 West Park is not only a place where patients get their lives back, but the home of some talented musicians! Two West Park patients, Nic Leocadio and Carlos Rodriguez, have been writing, composing, and recording their own music, with help from West Park recreation therapy assistant Erin Delaney and music therapist Mia Clow.

Nic, a patient of 16 years at West Park, began working with Mia a few years ago, and has written six full songs. His songs are all upbeat and happy, and feature vocals by Mia. He showcases his original music on his own YouTube channel!

Carlos uses music to express the deep passion and admiration he has for his family and his favourite sports teams. One of his most recent songs, Tio, was written about the love he has for his nephew and the challenge of not being able to meet him for many months because of the pandemic.

“Having music therapy is really helpful,” Leocadio says. “A lot of people can get down on themselves – being an artist helps with that.” Carlos says that “writing music helps keep my brain going. It’s challenging, but in a good way.”

While Nic and Carlos have been discovering the joys of expressing oneself through song, many other patients have become talented artists. Art has long been used in recreation therapy, but more patients became interested in art during the pandemic, where they could work safely in a one-on-one session with a member of the recreation therapy team.

So many patients took up brushes that the rec therapy team decided to put on an art show.

Held in the West Park lobby, the patient-artists displayed their work at individual booths, showcasing their talents and their own unique styles and talking with attendees about their art. Patient-artist Marc Barclay said the event was important because it “lets people know that, despite your limitations, you can still make great things.”

Recreation Therapy in the new West Park

Patients and staff are looking forward to the much-larger Recreation Therapy space in the new hospital. In this new space, patients will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful leisure through holistic recreation therapy programs such as arts and crafts, music, sensory stimulation, horticulture and gaming, among others. The space will include a large, multi-purpose activity room as well as a teaching kitchen, and will give patients and staff access and views to the Recreation Therapy Gardens.

Recreation Therapy will also facilitate a variety of centre-wide programs and special events where patients and their loved one can gather together to enjoy concerts, theatre, movies and educational lectures. As Complex Continuing Care patient Rachael Armstrong says: “Joining in the activities was something that was worth getting involved in because it gives you that sense of community at the Centre.”