The workshop grew out of an educational initiative: Following an educational conference on the topic of “inclusion,” the WMK and the Young Aphasia Network launched this special project. The goal was to use music to open up new avenues of expression and communication for people with speech and physical disabilities. 

The workshop was led by percussion and drum teacher Malte Schmidt (WMK), who gently introduced the participants to the world of rhythms. He was supported by speech-language pathologist and network mentor Beate Gollan, who guided the workshop from a therapeutic perspective. 

At the beginning, the participants were introduced to the West African djembe drum as well as the so-called “circle principle”: making music together in a circle, with a focus on rhythm, attention, and interaction. As the day progressed, the musical spectrum was expanded. In addition to drumming, voice, body percussion, and other sound possibilities were also utilized. This gave rise to a lively, collaborative musical process that extended far beyond linguistic boundaries. 

The positive feedback from the participants impressively demonstrated how music can build bridges and open up new avenues of communication. Both the WMK and the Netzwerk Junge Aphasie drew a thoroughly positive conclusion and can well imagine continuing this format. 

The workshop was funded by the Wiesbaden Cultural Office and AOK – Die Gesundheitskasse in Hessen, allowing participants to attend free of charge. 

Further information is available on the website of the Aphasie Landesverband Hessen: www.hessenaphasie.de/selbsthilfe/netzwerk-junge-aphasie-2026/ (opens in a new tab)