Bev Foster, Executive Director Room 217 Foundation
Would you buy tickets to a Justin Bieber or U2 concert? Why? Why not?
Would you listen to Lawrence Welk or the Andrews’ Sisters? How about
country bluegrass or hip-hop? We all enjoy certain kinds of music and
may have very particular playlists. For a number of reasons, we tend to
have musical preferences.
Research: The Therapeutic Effects of Singing in Neurological Disorders
Catherine Y. Wan, Theodor Rüber, Anja Hohmann and Gottfried Schlaug
Music making (playing an instrument or singing) is a multimodal
activity that involves the integration of auditory and sensorimotor
processes. The ability to sing in humans is evident from infancy, and
does not depend on formal vocal training but can be enhanced by
training. This paper reviews recent evidence on the therapeutic effects
of singing, and how it can potentially ameliorate some of the speech
deficits associated with conditions such as stuttering, Parkinson’s
disease, acquired brain lesions and autism.
Ode to Cally: Losing My Feline Companion
Joanne Ingrassia
Music has been a constant companion in my life. It has underscored
joyful times and sorrow, celebrations and goodbyes. As a classically
trained pianist and songwriter with an appreciation for many genres of
music, it has been part of the daily landscape of my home. But music has
never meant as much as during the recent passing of my beloved
20-year-old cat, Cally.
The Role of Culture in Palliative Music Therapy Practice
By Aaron Lightstone
When we provide palliative care music therapy, or any kind of care for
that matter (palliative or not, musical or not) we as caregivers do our
utmost to engage directly with the individual person we are caring for.
We do our utmost to see that person and interact with each individual
as a whole person. On one level this means getting past a person’s
cultural background and seeing them as the idiosyncratic, quirky,
individual person that he or she is...
Book Review: Tune In
by Jennifer Buchanan
Reviewed by Kayley Patterson
Look at life as something to be enjoyed, and never be afraid to find the music that can help you express that. This is the theme of Jennifer Buchanan’s book Tune In published
by Hugo House and available at amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. Her
vision is simple: to encourage people to take full advantage of what
music has to offer.
Unprecedented: time to respond to the changes in the way we are dying
Katherine Murray, BN, MA, CHPCN
Never before in recorded human history have people died as they are
dying and will die in the coming century. We face an increase in the
number of people requiring care and a decrease in the number of people
that will be available to provide care. We also face a change in how
people are dying.
Rooms Around the World
This issue:
SENIOR STAR – Chartwell Seniors’ Music Contest
Annette Wertman – piano, music therapy and yoga
Music Note
I Will Always Love You from Forever Love
Music Note tells the story behind the songs of Room 217.
