The children at Seanye Multicolored Art Studio all live with developmental disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. Normally, they are encouraged to express their feelings through painting. This time, they are experiencing something new.

Wu Yulin is a music therapist. "The relationship between the therapist and the child is at the core of music therapy," she says. After graduation, she founded the Yueling Music Therapy Service Center in southwest China's Chengdu City with two friends. "Our goal today is to establish that relationship with these children."

So on a cloudy weekend afternoon, she sat down with ten children from Seanye. "Hello, I'm Wu Yulin. I like swimming. Who are you?" She sang out her greetings while strumming a guitar. Immediately, some of the children responded. "Hello, I'm Xiong Anrui," sings one, aided by Wu, his blurred speech didn't dampen his enthusiasm.

"When speech fails, let the music do the talking," Wu says. She believes in the power of music. "I clearly remember a client of mine, an autistic boy. The world was like a one-way street to him. There was no opposite direction. One time, we did a New Year's session and we sang about our wishes for the new year. The boy was extremely nervous and kept rocking back and forth. We kept encouraging him. Then, all of a sudden, he said, 'Colored pencils! I want colored pencils.' I was so touched. He had never said anything about what he wanted. Right then and there, through music, he could express himself."

Wu not only counsels children with disabilities. Her team also visits community centers to encourage young kids to open up through music. "Nobody hates music," she says. "That's why it works. That's why we use it to discuss difficult issues with children, such as sex, public security, and even death." After having touched thousands of lives, Wu Yulin says she's the lucky one.

"People think we are helping others. I think it's quite the contrary," she says. "Often, I think these people have helped me grow – from being a teenage intern to becoming a better and more independent person. They are the ones helping me and inspiring me to realize the joy of our existence… the joy of life."