The RPO Resound Program

The Orchestra launched RPO Resound in 1993 to deliver bespoke, pioneering education, community and talent development projects to a wide range of participant groups, with a special focus on underserved audiences.

The overarching objective of the program is to leave a lasting legacy by harnessing the transformative power of music to improve participants’ aspirations, abilities, and life chances.

The Resound team travels extensively nationally and internationally to bring meaningful musical experiences to participants in a wide range of settings, from hospital wards to aquaria, prisons to primary schools, and community settings such as our specialist stroke rehabilitation program in Hull. 

Find out more about RPO Resound here.

One special program is STROKESTRA®

This innovative program, begun by the RPO in the UK in 2014, helps stroke patients rehabilitate through the making of music. The program harnesses the power of group creative music-making with professional musicians and therapists to drive patient-led recovery.

Based on intensive research and development, professional musicians and stroke therapists collaborate to devise appropriate musical techniques to help patients with physical rehabilitation, social integration, and to gain a renewed sense of self. The program supports patients and their families to work towards rehabilitation holistically by meeting goals set by patients and therapists.

During 16 days of intensive work over 5 months, patients play instruments, listen to music, create music alongside professionals, and conduct musicians.

Therapists and staff conduct rigorous evaluations to assess patient’s social, physical, cognitive, communicative, and psychological changes. The results are impressive:

• 71% of patients achieved physical improvements, including improved walking, standing, upper arm strength and increased stamina.
• 56.3% of patients achieved at least a 10 point improvement on the Stroke Impact hand use section.
• 86% of patients felt the sessions relieved disability symptoms, citing improved sleeping, reduced anxiety, fewer dizzy spells, and reduced epilepsy symptoms.
• 91% of patients reported social benefits, including improved relationships and communication skills.
• 86% of patients reported emotional benefits, including increases in confidence, morale and a renewed sense of self.
• 100% of carers repeated improvements in well-being and improved relationships with their relatives.

The RPO envisions collaborating with American partners to share program techniques and results and to identify the best practices to improve outcomes for patients; positive impact on those caring for stroke patients; and to provide meaningful community work for musicians as they spread the healing joy of music.