The Souls and Shadows Foundation is a charitable trust set up in March 2007 in memory of Caspar Barlow-Olsen who died in December 2006 from an inoperable brain tumour aged just 33 . When he died Caspar left a widow of 32 and a baby daughter of 15 months but during his illness he had had music therapy at Sir Michael Sobell House Hospice, Oxford and during these sessions he recorded a CD of his songs as a legacy to his family. Caspar benefited tremendously from his music therapy and it was his wish that the Souls and Shadows Foundation be set up to promote and provide music therapy to other terminally patients with particular emphasis on composition and song writing to help relieve their pain and suffering. His hope was that they could benefit in the way that he did. Although this obviously applies to terminally ill patients and their families before bereavement where appropriate music therapy is also available to surviving family and friends after bereavement.
To date we have supported eleven hospices, nine with the provision of recording equipment or software for use in music therapy sessions and another two with £3500 combined to fund music therapy for their patients.
In addition, when suitable candidates present themselves the foundation provides bursaries to students/music therapists for education and training in the use of song writing as music therapy. So far we have provided over £1500 in fees for song writing courses.
Our focus is primarily in the United Kingdom and Denmark. Later this year we are funding a song writing course for Danish music therapists.