Friday, August 5, 2011

New organization

A friend and I formed the Lake Superior Therapeutic Music Association. We are ready to do a combination of music visits in hospitals and assisted living places one-on-one for patients. The new organization is partly to find positions to work in this field but also for awareness of music as a therapeutic instrument and dulcimers work great for this. I've played many, many times in nursing homes in their Activities department but with therapeutic music it's more about the individual, not entertainment, but can be a source for physiological change. There are a fair amount of 'mays" in the description but patients may have their pain reduced, become more relaxed, enjoy the benefit of the body being better prepared to function normally and not under anxious conditions. I can say I've put many people to sleep and rest is beneficial after a surgery or again if someone is very stressed. The simplicity and light sound of the mountain dulcimer, especially when plucked, gives a gentle route to relax the mind and soothe the soul. I was trained through the Music for Healing and Transition Program and my friend was trained through the Harps for Healing program.

I love play dulcimers slowly and generating a healing rhythm but I also do love the fast fiddle tunes. There's a nice range of melodies to play and what you do with your right hand (strum fast, strum slowly, fingerpick, etc) is as important as the left hand's melody note selection. Get your right and left hands making some music!

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