The years 1977 through 1988 honed Celeste S. Sanchez in her Music prowess and growing local recognition in the field of music therapy. She adapted a center based and mobile approach in the delivery of its direct education, training and rehabilitation services, for she believed that physical distance should not be detriment to learning music. She brought music wherever she went and she taught it to whoever wanted to learn it.
Armed with the vision “to enable persons with developmental disabilities overcome their traumas and become creative, productive, self-reliant whole persons and a mission of providing special education, training, livelihood assistance, rehabilitation and development to persons with developmental disabilities, through music and arts therapy, including the physical, psychosocial, intellectual and spiritual well-being of the beneficiaries”, the Divine Mercy Mobile Center of Music and Arts Therapy for Special Children, Adults and seniors has provided numerous services.
Realizing the power of music in improving their situation, seeing their confidence surface, the joy and enthusiasm during sessions and a positive outlook in life, it is the organization's aim to educate, rehabilitate and develop persons with special needs and give them venue for self-expression through Music Therapy and Arts therapy. Thus, the organization has put up recitals to hone their hidden talents since 1995. These recitals entitled "A Recital by the Enabled" have always been able to showcase their talents and the therapeutic value of Music Therapy.
Still even inspite of growing local recognition. Celeste did not consider herself yet a music therapist. For to her, a music therapist must be able to communicate to the person with developmental disabilities using music as the medium to consciously or unconsciously open up pent emotions and feelings and should be proficient in non-verbal and symbolic communication with these persons who feel safe to express their emotions.
It was when her work was recognized on various conferences abroad that Celeste was acclaimed as a music therapist. Notable were the Share Music 1996 for the Artists and Disabled of London held at Crabhill House, Redhill, Surrey on July 20-27, 1996 and at the Calvert Trust Centre, Keswick, Cumbria, UK on July 27 to August 3, 1996; Share music 1997 in Wales at the Stockpole Center, Pembroke, Dyfed, United Kingdom on August 9-16, 1997; the International Conference on Music Therapy as a Resource Speaker to represent the Philippines in Tokyo, Japan on February 7-11, 1997. They were so impressed with her unique humanistic and innovative approach with persons with disabilities and so the Philippines was enlisted in the map of Music Therapy countries with a qualified Music Therapist; and in the United States, she met one of the pioneers of Music Therapy. Clive Robbins, in July 1998.
Celeste S. Sanchez has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from St. Scholastica’s College, where she majored in piano and voice. She took further studies in piano and choral conducting and choral arrangement at St. Scholastica’s College and the University of the Philippines.
Mrs. Sanchez says she owes everything to the Divine Mercy. She believes that her fervent prayers are continually answered and that her mission is not even half over. She says she gets her strength, determination and patience from praying and from prayers.
