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Music for Seniors

Summer 2015

musicandmorepa.com ~ facebook.com/MusicandMorePA

“Music tells us who we are.”

10 Amazing Ways Music Affects Our Brains 1. Verbal IQ improvement: A study by Forgeard et al., 2008 found that, students aged 8 to 11, who had extracurricular music classes over time developed higher visual abilities and verbal IQ when compared to those who did not get any musical training. Benefits of studying a musical instrument extend to visual perception and cognition. 2. Feeling the chills: A study done by Nusbaum and Silva (2010) shows that 90% of people feel chills when they listen to music. How much of the chills, however depends on personality. People high on ‘openness to experience’, one of the five personality dimensions, are likely to feel them more. 3. Happiness is amplified by active listening: Ferguson and Sheldon (2013) did a research that showed that, participants who tried actively to feel happier while listening to Aaron Copland’s upbeat classical compositions felt their moods being lifted more as compared to those who listened to the music passively. 4. When we sing together we are brought together: Music is a social

activity and when we sing together, we are brought together. Finnish students who took extended music classes were studied and it was found that they reported higher satisfaction while in school even in areas that were not related to music classes. 5. Music as a cure to heart diseases: In a review of 23 studies that covered almost 1500 patients, listening to music helped reduce blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety in patients with heart disease. 6. Music lifts you up when sad: A Kawakami et al. (2013) study found that people enjoy sad music because it produces a mix of emotions; some positive, some negative. As we listen to music, we recognize the negative emotions but they are not strongly felt. 7. Improves our judgment: Logeswaran et al. (2009) discovered that participants in a study perceived other faces as happier when they listened to a quick gust of happy music. The same applied to sad music. People tend to project the mood of the type of music they are listening to onto other faces. 8. Music color: Different cultures

relate particular colors with particular music. Palmer et al. (2013) in a study of Mexico and US people found that they connected duller, darker colors with sad music and vivid colors with happy music. In a follow-up study found that these associations of music to color were due to the music’s emotional content. 9. Could Music bring back vision?: The brain’s visual areas are the ones affected in 60% percent of those who get strokes. Patients lose awareness of the objects on the opposite side where damage to the brain has occurred. Studies have found that when these patients listen to music they love, some of the visual attention gets restored. 10. Music For Babies: Infants respond rhythmically to music, even those as young as five months. In fact, it’s more interesting to them than speech! A study by Zentner and Eerola (2010), found that babies spontaneously dance to all genres of music and smile a lot while doing so. http://www.unbelievablefacts.com/2014/06/Effects-Of-Music-On-OurBrains.html

Note from Fern: Here at Making Music & More, we believe that music is a powerful art form that reaches beyond all boundaries. This extends to the Senior community, and we are so excited and blessed to work with our Senior communities. It's almost summer time, and that means more workshops, time with our music friends and lots of fun. With that in mind, enjoy the summer version of our Music for Seniors newsletter! - Fern

Music for Seniors, Summer 2015

Musical Moment – Elm Terrace Gardens Here’s what some of our Elm Terrace Gardens residents have to say about the music activity: "I like the music and craft. It's very entertaining. Tricia has a beautiful voice and Fern plays the piano so well." -Karla "I like the craft and working with my hands. I'm not very good at it but I like it." -Anne "I come down to the event because I like it. I enjoy the people here and socializing. " Mac

Updates from Making Music & More: (Above): Tricia Paffen Knopka entertains the residents of Elm Terrace Gardens with the music from the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. (Below): Making Music & More for Seniors March program with Tricia Knopka, featuring the music of Grease: “Hound Dog,” “Grease Lightening.” Everyone got into it, including Elm Terrace staff and the residents!

“It's nice to be around the people." -Jennie

Music Facts, Ideas & Quotes: Favorite Song Facts: Stormy Weather 1933 Written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler First performed by Ethel Waters at the Cotton Club Nightblub in Harlem in 1933 Famous versions of the song were also recorded by Lena Horne and Billie Holiday Ethel Waters' version of the tune was featured in a 1943 movie of the same name

Fun Fact:

The word ‘music’ comes from the Greek goddesses of inspiration, called muses.

Music Activity Idea:

Classical Music Listening to relaxing music is a great way for seniors to unwind and enjoy some down time. This musical activity is something that seniors can enjoy in a group or alone. Seniors should find a quiet area away from noise and distractions that has a comfortable spot for them to sit and relax. Classical music is a very popular genre for relaxation music but seniors can also enjoy other songs that are soft and slow. It can be helpful for seniors to listen to relaxing music before bed as it may help them calm and relax so that they will be able to fall asleep easily.

Music for Seniors, Summer 2015

Making Music & More Workshops We offer many great music and performing arts workshops for seniors, including: Music and Crafts Broadway Choir Music for Wellness Circle Dancing Wheelchair Dancing Musical Yoga Theater Theater – Improv Musical Fitness And more…

Updates from Making Music & More: (Below): The residents of Elm Terrace Gardens decorate a spring craft after listening to songs made famous by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald at our May program.

Visit our website or contact Fern for more information. We will gladly work with the individual needs of your community.

Musicians on the Move: Overview:

Musicians on the Move feature:

Making Music & More offers performances for all occasions. Our teachers are also excellent musicians, and we are excited to offer quality performances for events of all kinds. We have already booked performances at Senior Centers and weddings and are excited to share the gift of music at more great events.

Piano, Voice, Guitar, Ukulele, Workshops

Daniel Boehmcke sings standards for the residents of Elm Terrace Gardens at their Mother's Day Tea.

Tricia Knopka Tricia was born and raised in northeast Philadelphia, and has been performing since she was 7 years old competing in various vocal competitions around the city. While in high school Tricia loved theater. Her lifelong dream was to one day perform on Broadway. However, she decided that having a college education was more important. Tricia is a recent graduate from Temple University Ester Boyer School of Music and Dance, acquiring a Music Education degree with a vocal concentration. Tricia greatly enjoys giving lessons in voice, guitar and piano. She finds teaching to be extremely fulfilling. Tricia is also a lead singer in two cover bands and is in the process of writing music and singing in an original band. Tricia was born to be on the stage and could not imagine a life without her music.

Brief History of American Roots Music The term "American roots music" may not be a familiar one, and requires some explanation. At the beginning of the 20th Century, the term "folk music" was used by scholars to describe music made by whites of European ancestry, often in the relatively isolated rural South. As the century progressed, the definition of folk music expanded to include the song styles particularly the blues - of Southern blacks as well. In general, folk music was viewed as a window into the cultural life of these groups. Folk songs communicated the hopes, sorrows and convictions of ordinary people's everyday lives. Increasingly, music made by other groups of Americans such as Native Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Cajuns came under the umbrella of "folk music." It was sung in churches, on front porches, in the fields and other workplaces, while rocking children to sleep, and at parties. The melodies and words were passed down from parent to child, though songs - and their meanings often changed to reflect changing times. In the 1960s, awareness of folk songs and musicians grew, and popular musicians began to draw on folk music as an artistic source as never before. "Folk music" then became a form of popular music itself, popularized by singer/songwriters such as Bob Dylan, who helped pioneer the intimate, often acoustic performing style that echoed that of community-based folk musicians. Music writers, scholars and fans began to look for new ways to describe the diverse array of musical styles still being sung and played in communities across America, though most often not heard on radios. The term "roots music" is now used to refer to this broad range of musical genres, which include blues, gospel, traditional country, zydeco, tejano, and native American pow-wow. http://www.pbs.org/americanrootsmusic/pbs_arm_itc_historical _background.html

Contact us if you would like more information about Making Music & More’s workshops or excellent teachers and musicians. We are happy to work with the individual needs of your community. Email [email protected] or visit our website at musicandmorepa.com.