I heard on the local news tonight that Minnesota’s Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment has been audited, and that there are “inconsistencies in the structures and procedures used to oversee the Legacy Amendment funds” (Source, MPR). Hence, the controversy over using half of the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund money to pay toward a new Minnesota Vikings Stadium. I wrote about that here, and am happy to know that using the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund for this purpose no longer seems likely.
NewsPod and standards
I just listened to Friday’s podcast “NewsPod” from the BBC, and the last story describes how Yorkshire’s anthem, “Ilkla Moor Baht’At,” is dying out. A music teacher uses the tune to teach intervals, and has noticed that in the past three years, fewer and fewer of his students know the song.
(Should you like to hear only this portion of “NewsPod,” skip to 29:04 in the podcast.)
Over the months I have worked at my care center, I have learned many “standards” from the 1930s, 1940s, and on. However, many of those songs I hadn’t known before I worked there. Once I learned them, though, I have been able to use them in a variety of situations.
A surprising number of family members have come up to me and asked what music I predict will be provided for me and my generation when I’m elderly. And I always answer that I don’t know.
There isn’t “standard” music for my age group, which is definitely not to say that each person I serve shares the same taste in what we call “old standards.” With the rise of availability and access to music from all around the globe, there will be simply no way to predict what any one group of people will enjoy. Music therapy is very concerned with patients’ and clients’ musical preference. I wonder just what that will be in a few decades.
Cards
I ordered business cards yesterday. Thrilling.
ABC’s piece on caregivers
Another great piece on music therapy’s and caregivers’ roles in Representative Gabrielle Giffords’ recovery.
Dance, storytelling, moths, and music
I am sorry to be missing the American Music Therapy Association National Conference this year, but alas, I simply will not be there.
***
Here in Minneapolis, though, I have been reading up (however briefly) on some information I’ve been given.
On Monday, one of my co-workers at the care center brought in an article published in the AARP Bulletin, entitled, “Living Art.” This co-worker is very active in theatre, and has even begun a drama group at the care center. I have been able to see their rehearsals, and I love seeing residents display a variety of talents.
Find the article here.
The author of the article definitely advocates for the benefits of creative expression in residents in assisted living and care centers. I was really happy to read about “The Dancing Heart” program, offered by the Kairos Dance Theatre right here in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The work of Stagebridge Theatre Company in Oakland, California, was also included in the piece, but of course what interested me most was the mention of Songwriting Works.
The mission of Songwriting Works is to “restore health and community through the power of song.” As the name implies, their intention is to spread the impact of songwriting to the elderly population. I was curious, as I perused their website, if there would be any mention of music therapy. In the FAQ page, there were some nicely worded summaries of the distinction between music therapy and their mission.
I am always excited to know what else there is out there.
*While reading about Stagebridge Theatre Company, I thought that the awesome podcast, The Moth, could venture out to the elderly population. That would be storytelling.
Using sound waves on cancer cells
I listened to the most recent podcast of “This American Life” this evening, and was intrigued by one of the stories that followed a music teacher who teamed up with a cancer researcher to find ways to use sound, or rather electromagnetic waves in this case, to kill cancer cells.
If that’s not one important use of sound (arguably music), I don’t know what is!
You can hear that portion of This American Life right here.
Songwriting for veterans
I heard the following story on my drive home from my massive day at the care center.
Vets Write Music to Heal the Wounds of War
” ‘You know, it’s a way of talking about this stuff without having to stand up and be feeling like they’re pouring their heart our (sic) or be sitting on a couch talking to a therapist or anything,’ [Dustin] Welch says.”
Presenting
I am thrilled that tonight I was asked whether or not I am interested in presenting on music therapy to a monthly meeting of families with children who have Down’s syndrome. Thrilled. I look forward to this opportunity, should it come to fruition (I haven’t been officially invited yet). I’ve wanted to present for a long time; this would be a great beginning.
Music Therapists Unite!
I am excited that a meeting I had organized tonight went really well. I invited all of the music therapists I know personally who live in Minneapolis and its surrounding areas to get together and catch up, share knowledge, and plan for future meetings. I found a space to hold the get-together, which, unfortunately, didn’t prove to be ideal. I am so happy we got together, though.
Beyond re-connecting and sharing where we’re working and what we’re doing, we talked about CEUs, supporting each other in performance endeavors, and what we want out of this group in the future. None of us happened to be very versed in how, when, or where to obtain our CEUs, so we’ve decided that our next meeting’s big topic will be learning just that.
Ideally, we’ll have time to make music together in some fashion. Tonight, we didn’t.
Chaska Music Studios
The website for the music studio through which I’m contracting has completely re-created its website. The site has hugely improved.