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‘Do, Re, Mental Health’ – Harmonising Well-being with Music

10 September 2020 | Story Barend Nagel | Photo Barend Nagel

There is a notable quote by one of the most prolific and influential composers ever, that says:

“The music is not in the notes,

but in the silence in between.”

- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart’s proclamation is relevant, now more than ever. In many cases, we may not realise that those who are more silent than others are most likely faced with adversity in terms of their mental health.

To counteract this silence, UFS Clinical Psychologist, Angela Vorster from the School of Clinical Medicine, devised the UFS Medical Students ‘Unplugged’ initiative as part of a larger campaign. Vorster says the campaign creates an opportunity to encourage students to reconnect with their soulful side.

“Each year we choose a mental-health issue and focus our theme on raising awareness – e.g. suicide awareness.” This year’s theme is ‘In my blood’ depression and anxiety awareness. Sadly, the 2020 ‘Unplugged’ event had to be cancelled due to the unfortunate (and mentally taxing) circumstances we are currently facing around the globe. Nonetheless, Vorster’s evident compassion and benevolence towards individuals’ mental health did not allow the pandemic to discourage her from finding innovative ways of keeping harmony.

“Once we all returned to a 'new normal', I invited our students to submit recordings of their music. This then became a channel of its own on YouTube – and we could not be prouder of our musically talented students.” According to Vorster, research and literature have established that music has a significant impact on relieving emotional distress and improving our moods. “It became evident during therapy sessions how important music is in helping our students express their emotions, relax, and also engage their creativity,” says Vorster.

With Mental Health Month inching it’s way closer, and World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September, we should all embrace the ‘magic’ of music and the positive effects it has on our psychological and mental well-being. So, turn up the volume and defeat the silence in your life with your favourite music. Play an instrument, turn up the volume on your iPod, sing in the shower, or watch the UFS Students ‘Unplugged’ videos on YouTube; allow music to heal your ‘silences in between’.

News Archive

Prof. Iain Benson delivers inaugural lecture in UFS's Faculty of Law

2010-10-27

Prof. Shaun de Freitas (left) of the Faculty of Law at the UFS and Prof. Iain Benson.

Prof. Iain T. Benson delivered his inaugural address as Professor Extraordinary in the Department of Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law in the Faculty of Law at University of the Free State (UFS) faculty last week.

Originally hailing from Canada and currently residing with his family in France, Prof. Benson is an academic with a wealth of experience and expertise in the field of law, especially with regard to the right of conscience and religion. His achievements number many, including being a Senior Associate Counsel at one of Canada’s leading law firms, Miller Thompson LLP; and serving on the Founding Board of the Global Centre for Pluralism.

Apart from his work on leading cases in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Prof. Benson also has strong ties with the law in South Africa. He is part of the Continuity Committee that is responsible for the major undertaking of drawing up the South African Charter of Religious Rights and Freedoms in cooperation with all the major religions in South Africa which, when completed, will be the first use of Section 234 of the South African Constitution.

The title of the inaugural lecture was Living together with Disagreements and the Limits of the Law, which tackled various conscientious and topical issues regarding the complex relationships between the law and religions. Starting off the lecture, Prof. Benson recalled that living together with disagreement is a necessary achievement in free and democratic societies and that differences of belief and opinion should not be resolved by force acceptance of a “one-size fits all” model. Mentioning religion and same-sex marriages, Prof. Benson held these up as issues which reasonable people may disagree on and should hence be respected by the public sphere that is girded round by the law.

Quoting Sophocles’ Antigone, Prof. Benson noted that tensions between the so-called divine and imminent or state laws as in a non-theocratic state have always been with us. He stressed the importance of a wide respect by the law for civic associations in addition to but particularly in relation to religion which guides citizens views about wrong and right beyond matters that are regulated by law.

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