Poetry engages the imagination and emotional heart, offering connection beyond facts or memory. Sharing a poem creates a novel, shared experience that focuses on the beauty of sound, rhythm, and feeling in the present moment. How to do it: Choose a short, uplifting poem. Nature or love poems work beautifully. [...]
Many of us have favorite songs that can help us relax after a hectic day or get us moving on the dance floor. Music can also be a powerful gateway to memory; for example, a song from our past may bring back memories that trigger strong emotions. But what is [...]
We all know to eat right, exercise, and get a good night’s sleep to stay healthy. But can flexing our creative muscles help us thrive as we age? Ongoing research looking at singing group programs, theater training, and visual arts for older adults suggest that participating in the arts may improve the health, well-being, and [...]
In the final months of her life while she was bedfast, my mother – Miss Ethel – sang in the very early morning hours. How could one not awaken smiling when hearing that beautiful voice singing joyfully next door and welcoming a new day! Daytime surprises brought the unexpected burst [...]
"Currently, the aged care sector is in crisis, with devastating outcomes reported by the Royal Commission into Aged Care. The Commission’s report highlighted the benefits and subsequent need for music therapy, and MATCH goes at least a part of the way to increasing access to the benefits of music therapy [...]
"Prayer of the children" Performed on June 5, 2022 by the First Community Church Choirs & Orchestra, Columbus, OH Conducted by Dr. C. Andrew Blosser, Director of Music, leading the combined choirs of two campuses This performance followed the recent tragic events at Buffalo and Uvalde – while the war [...]
"Despite what we have learned and what we are now beginning to practice, there has been little work on chronic pain. This area of growing importance refers to pain either from an ongoing disease or that continues beyond the normal time that a wound usually takes to heal." Author: [...]