My Music Therapy Mentor – Fran Herman, MTA

For over 50 years, Fran Herman has used her special talents as a music therapist, advocate, artist and leader to change the lives of many people. From early on Fran has worked tirelessly to promote music therapy, making it available to everyone regardless of age, ability or affluence.

I can’t think of anyone more suited to highlight in this issue “Music Speaks -  Music for Aging Well” then my Music Therapy Mentor, Fran Herman.

I have had the privilege of getting to know Fran over many years We have discussed music therapy at her dining room table, while sitting quietly on her back porch overlooking her flower gardens, at conferences and my favourite place the “Burger Shack” at the corner of her street.

Fran Herman has become more like family to me than colleagues however that should not distract from the fact that Fran single handedly continues to keep me focused on what is most important in this work – the people I am honoured to work with, and the relationships I have developed.   I am a better music therapist, speaker and business owner in large part to her influence.

In 2009, I interviewed Fran for an article in Voices – an online magazine for music therapists.  I have reprinted it below for your enjoyment.

Fran has served as president of the Ontario and Canadian Music Therapy Associations and has worked with severely affected children, both emotionally and physically, for over 42 years in children’s rehabilitation hospitals. She is internationally known for her work with children who have muscular dystrophy, non speaking children seriously involved with cerebral palsy and others who have severe disabling conditions.

Fran is well known for her innovative clinical style and her books and films are used as teaching tools worldwide. For many years she has given workshops and lectures on the use of music for those with special needs. Fran stated early on in her career that, “music is a tremendously powerful tool that we can use for change. The effect music can have on those who are in need of its spirit and magic can be staggering.”

For the past decade Fran’s focus has been the Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund (CMTTF), a charity that has raised over 4 million dollars to support music therapy projects across Canada from coast to coast.

It is a pleasure to present the interview that I had with Fran Herman this past November.

JB: Fran, let’s start at the beginning of your career. How did it all happen?

FH: In 1955, I was approached by a doctor whose son had muscular dystrophy. He was the Vice President of the Canadian Muscular Dystrophy Association. Having heard of my work with special needs children, he implored, ”Please try and work with these children. They are not accepted at school, nor does anyone feel able to program for them. The prevailing attitude is that, because they have a progressive condition which is fatal at an early age, there is no point in trying to educate them, most of them sit and look at the four walls every day.”

I was incensed by this impoverished attitude, even more so after having visited and worked with a group of these youngsters in a chronic care institution. As I rose to leave, they requested me to return.

Once at home, an incubation period began. What could children with multiple handicaps do that would create a feeling of success and self-esteem? Shortly after that day, I was hired to work with all 42 children at that facility and had the possibility of helping then find answers to that question. A program involving music, art, poetry, writing, drama and wheelchair dancing took place year round over a period of 8 years. This is where the Wheelchair Players evolved.

JB: Fran, tell me a little more about the Wheelchair Players.

FH: The Wheelchair Players (1956-1964) was the first group music therapy project in Canada. Designed as a vehicle for exploration in the expressive arts, the youngsters living in The Home for Incurable Children (later known as Bloorview Hospital) became advocates, seeking access to the arts as their basic human rights.

These youngsters, who because of their obstacles were perceived as receivers and consumers, wanted to be viewed as contributors and sharers. They understood that through the sharing and development of creative activities, they could move beyond the confines of their disabilities. We decided a musical show would help in this regard.

Initially it was difficult to convince these kids that they could indeed mount a musical show. They needed time to participate and experiment, and they needed these experiences to deepen and stabilize into understanding. Eventually they went on to produce dozens of shows for themselves and each year a production for the public.

A documentary film was made of the Emperor’s Nightingale, a dance drama written and directed by Fran Herman with the youngsters participating as a production company. Below are two clips from the film, one from the preparation phase and one from the actual performance.

JB: You have inspired MTs from around the world, including me – who has inspired you?

FH: The young kids that I have worked with – they continue to inspire me. And always people, who are creative in their style of living and working.

JB: What else was going on during these early days of music therapy development in Canada?

FH: It was a pretty empty time. In the 50s there were only three pioneer music therapists here – and in the following 10 – 15 years, just a sprinkling of practitioners throughout the country who had been trained elsewhere. The development of MT in Canada has been challenging because of the geography, the distances often leaving MTs isolated from their peers. At the same time this isolation produced innovative and resourceful clinicians as well as an identifiable national approach – one which is inclusive, a combination of many music therapy styles. I believe this is why music therapy has survived and flourishes in Canada.

JB: Fran, as a pioneer in Canada, did you feel you had a greater responsibility to the music therapy community beyond your own clinical work?

FH: ABSOLUTELY! No question. The idea for everyone here was to make people aware that music could be a healing force and could make a difference. People had to be educated, and at the same time, those who were trained had to be up to the stuff to be good therapists. I think we were lucky in Canada for having some very strong clinicians who have been leaders in various parts of the country. Being such a large country presented many difficulties. We lacked funds, but we didn’t lack purpose. If we published a journal one year then we would be in the red. If we were on the Board our dues had to be paid ahead of time so we could print the journal and get it out. If we wanted to get anything more out there – such as promotional materials– we had to really work hard to accomplish that. That is one of the reasons the CMTTF was founded years later.

JB: So Fran, you were educating the community and you were collaborating with other music therapists. From what I understand and have experienced myself, you also have a knack for putting on a great conference – you have done a few of those…

FH: …I have done five altogether including the Joint Conference in Toronto in 1993, when the two American Associations (NAMT and AAMT) joined forces with CAMT. It was the largest conference we had ever had in North America and was extremely successful from all points of view, including financial. It featured Dr. Oliver Sacks as keynote speaker and highlighted wonderful creative energy that went into the collaborative effort.

Later I was involved on the committee for the joining of the American Associations.

JB: I understand that part of your role was in quilt making.

FH: Yes, I headed up a quilt committee. It all began when we were debating the theme of the conference. I suggested “MUSIC THERAPY….A TAPESTRY of CARING!” This was adopted as the theme, as well as the further suggestion of making quilted tapestries to celebrate the occasion. I then asked anyone who wanted to quilt a square to do so. Two tapestries were made in the US and were finished in Canada. They were hanging as backdrops at the conference with a Canadian quilt as well.

JB: I have seen a picture of the Queen Mom holding a scarf that I have been told you made. How did that come about?

FH: Well I used to make wall hangings, silk scarves and clothing, both in batik and marbling. This was my recreational outlet for over 40 years. My efforts were sold in the Canadian Guild of Crafts, art stores in the US and Canada, hospital gift shops and in one person shows in some very selective galleries. And so, one day I was commissioned by the government to create a scarf for the visit of HRH Queen Elizabeth. I designed it in her favourite shades of blue.

The Queen Mum and Fran – with Fran’s scarf in the Queen Mum’s hand

JB: You have never been afraid to incorporate all the expressive arts in your work.

FH: I believe that all the expressive arts can enhance what you do with music. Certainly my experience has been with young children and teenagers and I was able to use drama, puppetry and movement at all times with success. The more I explored, the more convinced I became that not only was self-expression necessary for their self-concept but also for their sense of well-being. For surely, if artistic pursuits are of fundamental importance to all persons, they are critical for those with special needs.

JB: You also demonstrated that in the books you have written.

FH: The books were written because parents, teachers, and therapists would call from around the world to get information. Some called from England, Ireland, Yugoslavia, the US, South Africa and Australia. It was very obvious there needed to be resources parents and therapists could use that were written in a simple, non-academic way. James Smith, my artist colleague, and I were able to present a broad statement of ideas that people could use and which we had tested on numerous children.

JB: You have many highlights in your career including the Wheelchair Players, conferences, literary works and now the work you have done for the Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund. Would you mind discussing your role with the CMTTF over the past decade?

FH: I began as chairperson of the Fund, a role that I held for over a decade at which time I stepped sideways and carried on with fundraising and promotion. My goals were: to find funding to support MT in this country because of the overwhelming problem of distances and to create a Music Therapy Centre which would provide profile for the profession.

The CMTTF was created to support development, research and promote the use of MT in hospitals, special schools, and facilities. Fundraising was therefore essential. In order to do that Carl (Fran’s husband) and I together got the recording industry involved in fundraising with us. The Fund has pulled in resources from different agencies, individuals, and receives funding from events in different parts of the country throughout the year.

JB: how did you do that?

FH: Well, 15 years before this all started, Much Music a TV station here in Canada put together a promotional video about music therapy. John Marshall was the producer and went down to the Nordoff and Robbins Centre in NY to do some filming. Clive Robbins recommended that John should contact me and I was able to connect him to therapists here. The film was very successful.

When we created the Trust Fund, Carl asked John to be one of the directors of the Board. John agreed and helped us gain access to all the major record labels which in turn have been tremendous supporters throughout the years.

JB: Fran, it deeply saddened all of us when Carl passed away September 2007. He was a good friend of music therapy and was missed by many.

FH: From the time Carl was exposed to MT shortly after we met in1958, he became an ardent advocate and supporter. At his death, there was a tremendous outpouring of affection for him, for his big heart, his dry humour, his perceptive comments and his loyalty to me and my various visions and.projects. We collaborated throughout the years and he could be seen in every one of the hundreds of productions I put on with kids and staff.

Carl received a LIFETIME membership award from CAMT and the MIA (Music Industry Award) from CMTTF.

JB: Would you tell the readers a little more about the Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund

FH: Well we are a non-profit charity that supports and boldly promotes music therapy in this country. What we try to do is make it possible, particularly for students, to apply for bursaries, scholarships and fellowships for those who are moving farther along. Because the country is so spread out it is important for us to get music therapy into areas where nobody has gone before. We have seen the CMTTF support projects in such places. This is what we have been doing in Canada – giving music therapists an opportunity to dream about a project and then attempt to make that project happen. That is the reason we have raised over 4.25 million dollars in the past 12 years and funded over 375 projects from coast to coast including the most northerly regions of Canada.

For more information on the Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund see www.musictherapytrust.ca

JB: Your long career just doesn’t stop. You certainly have never retired. From the time you ceased your clinical work you moved right into other music therapy work including fundraising for the CMTTF and being Chair of that charity for a number of years. This past year you were recognized by the Music Industries Association of Canada with their inaugural MIAC award for Advocacy for music for children. They paid tribute to your many years of efforts on behalf of young people with special needs. I am sure this has meant a lot to you, but I trust it should also mean something to music therapists. What do you feel that is?

FH: Well, all I can say is that I hope it makes music therapists learn that little by little people are getting to know this term (music therapy) and perhaps it will open some doors for them. I think that every little step we achieve helps make people realize how empowering music therapy can be. Every time we have success with a client, every time we touch someone and there is a response that is positive, it helps to widen the awareness of how music has been a part of the lives of every group of people on every continent from the days of the first beating drum.

JB: Thank you Fran – your efforts, your work and your life have certainly enhanced those of the people around you.

To cite this page:
Buchanan, Jennifer (2009). Fran Herman, Music Therapist in Canada for over 50 years. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved September 20, 2010, from http://www.voices.no/mainissues/mi40009000311.php

FRAN AND I would love to hear your comments.  I will pass them on to her.

Music, Moments and Gratitude

I have had a wonderful summer and am consciously striving to not take these days for granted.   Having the opportunity to spend time with my family and friends and going on an incredible Alaskan running cruise …well it can’t get any better than that.  Usually at this time of year the dryness fades most of the green to brown so being able to run, bike or walk through a field of grass and wild flowers is a small but important reminder of the great place we live.  After 19 years of being a music therapist my clients continue to teach me gratitude and daily thanksgiving be it for the weather (I am one of those that actually enjoys the rain – BC roots et al), my family (those here and past), my job (I know how good it is) or just a great bath with bubbles that I can sit in any day of the week.

I have written about ARBI before – the Association for the Rehabilitation of the Brain Injured (www.arbi.ca).  I have been inspired to be grateful by the clients served at this agency. Triathletes, Parents, Farmers, University Students are just some of the people that now deal with the day to day copings of their body not doing all the things it once could. These clients have contributed to helping me do something I at one time found so difficult  – to honestly appreciate the little things.

Last year a music therapy documentary in support of the Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund (www.musictherapytrust.ca) was released by Hell Creek Productions. Scott Rondeau the Director and Producer of this project (www.hellcreek.ca) highlighted music therapy programs throughout Canada including the Yukon.  ARBI was the music therapy setting in Calgary.

During the taping we decided to do songwriting as a means to highlight each individual including their hopes for their future.  One young man wrote that he hoped to “walk” again.  He wanted his song to be upbeat and determined.  Then I was introduced to what Mike wrote….or should I say wanted to write…..here is the video to show you what happened next:

Inhale the beautiful moments.  Happy Summer and send me a note anytime.

Communicate… just like you are in a Music Therapy Session

I often compare my communication in business or personal relationships to “doing it like a music therapy session.”  This may sound a little odd so please indulge me as I attempt to explain. You see a music therapy session might go something like this:

It starts with a GREETING that lures attention from any previous distraction.

Then it moves into a  VOCAL RONDO – a call and response – you say something, I say something, you say something, I say something.  At the end we have both spoken and felt heard.

If the vocal rondo is not direct enough or if one of the parties is unable to present their side then a MUSIC IMPROVISATION is in order.  This is when people are no longer speaking but using a common medium. Just like verbal conversation music can make assumptions, critically analyze,  find a solution, vent or express whatever is on someone’s mind in the moment.

Each session regardless of how it started will have some form of CLOSE – a final salutation that reflects the essence of the full communication that has transpired,  a sense of resolution or understanding, a swift so-long, or perhaps a sense that we need to do this again very soon.

Do you recognize a common formula? Both require a process of transferring information from one to another.  A sender imparts information and then the receiver decodes the message and returns feedback.  Successful communication requires that all parties have a foundation of commonality, acceptance, and understanding.  Music therapy presents music as a common place. For a session to be truly successful the music therapist pays close attention to the tone of voice, timbre of instrument, inflection of pitch and body language – all critical to establishing a positive bond that strives for optimum results.  If done right even the most inhibited person can find a voice.  And isn’t that what we all desire? – a voice that is heard.

In business and in our personal life communication is critical in order to support others, feel supported, to express who we are or learn about someone else, to get something we want or give something that we have.  In music therapy communication is critical in order to support others, feel supported, to express who we are or learn about someone else, to get something we want or give something that we have.

For me I feel communication is going well when the  person I am with is also feeling the communication is going well often indicated by a matched intensity, wit, and knowledge exchange. When the conversation is collaborative then together we can both feel good about it.

JUST FOR FUN – how would you describe your communication using musical terms?

Acappella – performing without accompaniment
Accessible – easy to listen to and understand
Adagio – restful, at ease
Allegro – lively and fast
Atonal – no regard for any key
Cadence – brings an end to a phrase
Cadenza – initially improvised solo building into an elaborate passage
Canon – lots of imitation at regular intervals
Capriccio – quick, improvisational, spirited
Cavatina – short, simple
Chorus – togetherness
Concert Master – the first violin in an orchestra
Conductor – one who directs a group.  The conductor indicates the tempo, phrasing, dynamics and style by gestures and facial expressions.
Dissonance – harsh, discordant and lack of harmony
Drone – dull, monotonous
Expressivo – expressive
Harmony – pleasing combination, playing together behind the melody
Legato – smooth
Minuet – slow and stately
Nocturne – romantic and dreamy
Opera – dramatic
Ostinato – repeating
Resonance – traveling vibrations
Waltz – a dance

I would love to hear your comments…

Celebrating a Special Music Therapist Through Her Work With Remarkable Children

This month JB Music Therapy is highlighting the 10th year of a well-loved music therapist in our company – Shannon Robinson, BMT, MTA.

I couldn’t imagine a better way to acknowledge Shannon than to share her beautiful work at the Emily Follensbee School – work that celebrates the students our company has the privilege to serve each week (since 1995).

The students of Emily Follensbee have multiple – what the world would call challenges – but really are strengths.  Strengths of character, clarity of emotion and a determined work ethic (most anyway – they are kids for goodness sake). Through improvised music these students have the opportunity to demonstrate their gifts.

The use of improvised music in an improvised manner is the cornerstone of music therapy. London based music therapist, Mercedes Pavlicevic states “that music improvisation has always been.  Before music was notated, oral tradition ensured that songs and pieces were kept alive through performance, and each performer added something distinctive to the music, which transformed it, albeit subtly” (1997, p.73)

Thank you Shannon and students for showing us an ALIVE performanace..regardless of the subtlety…demonstrating the many strengths of character we all aim to achieve.

Music Reduces the Despair.. that can come from having Multiple Sclerosis

She sits in her wheelchair in a small, one bedroom apartment, the sun is barely visible through the closed chocolate brown drapes. I unpack my tools for the day, percussion instruments, plain paper, a variety of art media, a songbook and my guitar. Janis has been talking to me since I entered the room. She had a terrible sleep and woke up feeling frustrated. “I don’t want to be a shut in,” the beautiful young 40 year old passionately exclaims to me. “I am feeling so much loss today.” Janis was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis only 3 years ago. She is well-groomed, confident and even though she is in a wheelchair she possesses a grace in her movements. She is a teacher, a poet, a philosopher and a student of life.

I have selected a few instruments and placed them on a small table. Tone drums, zen chimes, wood blocks, a tambourine, along with other instruments are laid out in front of Her eyes sparkle. Our relationship has grown over the year and I know that when this amount of pent up frustration has accumulated a mallet is in order. I pass it over to her. The room stills and when she is ready she strikes the first note. I match and respond to her rhythm patterns on a solo drum and several minutes later I move to the piano. We improvise, never speaking a word for 20 minutes. All of a sudden we make eye contact and her lip curls until she releases her infamous laugh, infectious and charming. We laugh together as the music ends. Janis knows herself well and is great at processing what just transpired for her. “It is amazing that how I feel is reflected in the music we create together.”

Researchers have observed that this two-person interchange has physical ramifications including an external coordination of heart rate. Robert Zatorre, PhD, of the Montreal Neurological Institute concludes that music affects almost every cognitive ability that neuroscientists are interested in, including: multi sensory interactions, memory learning, attention, planning, creativity and emotion.

Dr. David Aldridge, a US Music Therapy researcher and professor, describes active music therapy, such as improvisation, in the treatment of multiple sclerosis as a significant opportunity for the individual to improve in the areas of self-esteem, depression and anxiety. Dr. Aldridge along with a team consisting of a doctor, a nurse, and a statistician summarized their findings by presenting comments made during post music therapy interviews:

Nine out of ten participants described that it was very important for them to become personally active.
All ten participants reported an immediate improvement in their well-being during the sessions. For eight of them this state continued till the next day and was confirmed by partners or colleagues.
Seven participants described an enhanced perception of themselves with an increasing self-confidence over the course of the therapy. They were increasingly able to let themselves be surprised by their music and by their own previously undiscovered skills.
Music and music therapy are experienced as something moving “that reduces negative thoughts about the disease and offers a means of expression for feelings of security, freedom and pleasure”.

Music making is a shared human experience. And the experience, the commonality that all humans are equal whether coping with MS or not, is cranked up even more when one can share in the making of music.

Jennifer Buchanan is a professional speaker and music therapist. She is Past-President of the Canadian Association for Music Therapy and owner of JB Music Therapy (www.jbmusic.ca).

Our Living Soundtrack

I had my first “live” music experience in grade 2.

Half a school year had passed and the sun started to shine again when Mr. Trudeau walked into my class carrying a guitar case.  I had never seen someone make music before with just their voice and a guitar.  Mr Trudeau sat on the piano bench and faced all 40 students now huddled together on the carpet staring with expectant faces straight up at him.  He began to strum and sing with a clear voice that allowed us to absorb every word. I sat in awe.  His guitar had a worn patch under his strumming hand and he smiled as he sang. Over many weeks we learned new songs that we had never heard before. Good bye Fred Rogers, I will miss you Friendly Giant, move over Mr. Dressup and welcome in Mr. Bob Dylan, Original Caste and Friendly John Denver. Over and over again we sang “Blowing in the Wind”, “One Tin Soldier” and “Country Roads.” Mr Trudeau brought music to the foreground.  Music was no longer stuck in a radio. Music became a living smiling happening.

After I broke my ankle (for the first time) on Halloween I felt disappointed to say the least. I could no longer go trick or treating with my friends in the neighbourhood. To ease the emotional pain my mom purchased my very first album – Shawn Cassidy’s Do Run Run.  I could barely contain my excitement that evening as I listened to his familiar and new melodies, looked at his feathered blond hair all the while swooning over his blue eyes.  It made Halloween 1979 very memorable.

My mom would later introduce me to many significant music personalities that included Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, KD Lang, and Patty LaBelle.  The gospel sounds continue to reach my soul at a deep level every time I hear them.

I remember one time when she heard a song that she liked and started to jive around the kitchen. I mocked her at the time, feeling mildly embarrassed for her as she moved forwards, backwards, all the time her arms flew around her – (this is the same woman who would later endure my less than dignified performance of “Crazy for You” by Madonna donned in lace fingerless gloves, a short skirt and high heels).

Everyone has a soundtrack as unique as we are ourselves.  My mom’s kitchen dance gave me a view into her past.  A past that started before me. Witnessing my mom express herself through music gave me new insight into her.  It revealed a person who liked to have fun even before I came along.

Music highlights significant events in our life.  All music. Live and recorded.  Bring music to the foreground and ask yourself:
What does your music say about you?
What music makes you feel your best?
What music takes you back to your innocence?
What music makes you feel fun?

Sound Mind, Sound Body

It was my 8th week in a community running program.  The snow started to fall half way through the short distance run. We had just turned down our last street to the finish when the snow started coming down fast.  I stepped off the curb when I felt a slick piece of ice under the new fallen snow.  My ankle buckled and as I fell to the ground, and heard the three cracks, I knew that my new running career was ending.

I remember lying there weeping quietly not just because I felt physical pain but because a cloud of disappointment engulfed me.  I had wanted to learn to run so bad.

I had made the decision a few months prior that it was time for me to get off the couch and get active if I was to avoid living in a nursing home too young in life.  There is enough documentation that demonstrates the value of a few tough exercises each week to get the heart pumping and some weight bearing activities to help you feel fit and fabulous.  I was not doing any of this and was feeling fat and floppy.

After the fall I was back on the couch and feeling very sorry for myself.  After 4 months of rehab and soothing words from excellent health care providers and a loving husband I went online to look up the next running clinic.  That is when I saw it -  “triathlon training” and signed up immediately. I couldn’t swim, I didn’t own a bike and well you know my running history.  But a peace came over me when I thought that I would learn 3 sports instead of just one. It seemed to better my odds somehow of staying active in at least one sport.

3 years ago I completed my first triathlon.  I came in last and felt sick for two days…but I did it.   And I plan to continue doing at least one every year until my body no longer can.

I have done some research on how music can help me through my training.  Here is some of what I have discovered.  I hope it is useful to  help you develop your own training program this spring.

MUSIC AND IMPROVED SPORTS PERFORMANCE

“For those that exercise, music is a way to distract oneself from the physical activity they are enduring and to try to lessen their consciousness of fatigue.  However recent studies have seen that music has a much greater effect than just providing a distraction. Studies conducted by sports psychologists have determined that music has a great impact on the performance level of an athlete. It has been suggested that the correct type of music can heighten an athlete’s performance by up to twenty percent.  A sports psychologist at Brunel University, Dr. Costas Karageorghis, has done studies to see the results of synchronous music and asynchronous music.  Synchronous music, music that has a clear and steady beat, was what was shown to elevate a person’s performance by twenty percent whereas asynchronous music, background music, was shown to calm the nerves of athletes by as much as ten percent.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article581004.ece

Riding a bike really did come back to me quite quickly and thanks to good coaching my legs have gotten stronger.  Swimming has become a very relaxing, mediative sport that has been a gift for my well-being.  Running continues to be the toughest part.  Still a beginner, I find that fast paced music triggers an impulse in me to run faster leading to feelings of early onset fatigue and overall dissatisfaction with my run.  It is when I select preferred, moderate, inspirational music that I feel I can continue for a much longer time and feel positive at the end.
I encourage each of you to try different musical preferences until you find the perfect partner to help your performance.
PS.  Keep in mind that when jogging alone it is best NOT to listen to music in order to stay aware of your environment.
To learn more about music therapy and products that support programs for all persons regardless of age or ability please visit www.jbmusic.ca

Love in Action

As Valentine’s Day approached I explored the theme of love with my clients.  A difficult topic for some who feel thrown away by society and for many even their families.  Two such young men reside in a long-term care facility.  They have no family and their community life has been greatly reduced to their agency’s confines due to financial constraints.  Both men are in their early 40’s and are living with PTSD and chronic sadness.

As the music therapy session progressed we used music to evoke memories and meaningful discussion.  The session came to a close and a soft voice spoke,  “Jennifer….thank you for your gentle touch.  We don’t get a lot of people who show care for us in here.”  When I mentioned the hard working nurses and care attendants he responded with, “ yes, but this tapped into my feelings.”

In music therapy, love is demonstrated through the lyrics in a song, the music connections made between the instruments and those who play them, the hand holding, the gentle touch on a senior’s knee that is feeling alone and the general camaraderie that seems to ensue as we make music together.

As caregivers, parents, professionals and agencies we all demonstrate and give love in different ways.  One such agency that contributes to our community is ARBI (the Association for the Rehabilitation of the Brain Injured).  It is built on the motto “Love in Action,” a message they aim to live out every day.

From what I have observed at ARBI love means: not turning people away, striving to give the answers people are searching for and offering people hope. In essence ARBI strives to make their client’s day – everyday.

This week I have asked clients how they can make someone’s day.  Here are their suggestions:

call someone you are angry with and apologize
send a valentines card to your friends
hug your mom
ask someone who sits alone in the cafeteria if you can sit with them because you don’t like eating alone
smile more often at others in the hall
put your answer here________________________

To learn more about music therapy and products that support programs for all persons regardless of age or ability please visit www.jbmusic.ca

An Option in Care For Seniors

I first witnessed the power of music at the age of 14. My grandfather had recently had a stroke that left him partially paralyzed and unable to speak.  He would reside in a long term care facility for the next eight years of life.  Earlier in his life my grandfather spent many hours in his immaculate workshop and very few hours with his grandchildren. After several weeks of what I perceived as obligatory visits to a grandfather I barely knew, my grandmother suggested I learn my grandfather’s favourite song.  I had no idea that my grandfather even liked music.

Over the following week I learned “White Cliffs of Dover.” On Friday night I pulled out my guitar, sat next to my grandfather and began to sing the slow and still unfamiliar lyrics….”There’ll be blue birds over, the White Cliffs of Dover tomorrow just you wait and see.”  During this first stanza unexpected occurrences happened. Residents entered my grandfather’s room, hovered over his bed and mouthed the words I sang. The woman who typically screamed began to sing.  My grandmother smiled and my rather grumpy grandfather began to cry. At the age of 14 I looked around uncomfortably at the unexpected scene. This event coupled with many more miraculous musical moments would spark the beginning of my long and rewarding career as a music therapist.

Today, 30% of JB Music Therapy’s clients are seniors. With many long term care facilities in development to meet societal demand, care options are constantly being assessed for the potential to improve overall health and cost effectiveness.

A multi state, 2 year study* monitored seniors who attended regular music therapy  to research the potential costs savings to agencies and caregivers. The seniors who attended music therapy sessions 3 times per week reported a higher overall rate of physical health, fewer doctors visits, less medication used, and fewer instances of falls compared to the control group.

The study goes on to translate this into dollars…..

If all persons who fall under what is classified as Medicare D  (national health coverage for those aged 65 and older in the US) participated in regular music therapy  – the savings on the US tax payers would equal 6.3 billion dollars. 6.3 BILLION dollars.

I have certainly witnessed incredible clinical results.  I have watched seniors increase their level of interest in their environment and those around them. I have observed changes in facial affect indicating a happier outlook on life. I have experienced memories thought long forgotten.  I have heard seniors comment that they were more relaxed and less anxious about the day after only 10 minutes of music therapy.

I learned early on at my grandfather’s bedside that music affects us in many unexpected and fabulous ways. Since then I have learned that music for seniors could potentially be the meaningful, cost effective lifeline that many seniors and their caregivers seek.

*this study from: Gene Cohen, Arts and Health.  Volume 1, Issue 1, March 2009

A True Gift

Sixteen years ago, on Christmas Eve,  the McDonald family lost their mother to cancer.  I know this because the family invited me, as a music therapist, to spend the last few, difficult days with them. The following sequence of events are some I have never forgotten. This family was a true inspiration to me , unknowingly helping me get past some of my own struggles with the Christmas season.

The McDonalds were a close family comprised of Mr. and Mrs. McDonald and their three young adult children ranging in ages from 17 – 25.  Mr. McDonald would often reminisce about the fond memories they had being together including family travel and great family traditions during the holiday season.

I first met Mrs. McDonald on a Palliative Care Unit.  She had been diagnosed with cancer 8 months earlier. When I first met her she had been given less than 1 month to live.  Her family would visit daily and laughter would fill her room – an unusual sound on this unit.

A week before Christmas I was assigned as the music therapist to Mrs. McDonald and it was by her special request that I would hold family sessions every day.  The entire family would meet precisely at 4:00.

It was the day before Christmas when I would sing for the family for the last time.  The oldest daughter pulled me aside and said “Jennifer, we love it when you come but it is getting so close to mom’s death and we do not want to cry anymore.  We have decided that we need to just sing happy Christmas carols and celebrate the great times we have had together.”   When I asked the group what they felt would be the most positive musical memory for them,  they all replied “Jingle Bells.”

I took out my guitar, strummed the first few chords and launched into the words “Jingle Bells……I didn’t even repeat those words when the whole family erupted into more sounds of grief than I had ever witnessed in previous sessions. I stopped playing and looked at this family, hugging and crying….and then hugging and smiling….and then hugging and laughing.

The oldest daughter looked at me and said “I guess it doesn’t matter what kind of songs we sing….please just keep going.’  And we did.  And I have continued to “keep going” through this season that can often be quite challenging not only for many of my clients but for myself as well.

When I was 11 my father left our house and returned only on Christmas’ with a car full of toys.  By the time I was 16 I realized that these were in fact guilt tokens and were placing a great strain on my mom who worked tirelessly (3 jobs) throughout the year just to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads.  Somewhere along the way Christmas and particularly “all the trimmings” started to affect me negatively and I would mope around the Christmas holidays with a big chip on my shoulder.

The only gifts the McDonald Family had in the room on that Christmas Eve were each other and the fond memories they shared.

WE as people ARE the gift and the gifted.  What we bring to each other are the trimmings. Let’s do our best to leave the guilt tokens behind and bring our fond memories forward to share with the ones we treasure.

I wish each of you great health and happiness this holiday season.  Merry Christmas everyone.