Latest news with #musictherapy
CTV News
a day ago
- Health
- CTV News
‘That's my mission': Retired N.S nurse uses music to raise dementia awareness
Se Uk Walling uses her love for music to raise awareness about dementia. Se Uk Walling uses her love for music to raise awareness about dementia. Se Uk Walling is living a quieter life. Nowadays, the retired nurse spends most of her time keeping active. 'People surprise me (and say) 'How come you have so much energy?' Well, I've been looking after myself,' says Walling. Back in December, Walling says she was watching a CTV Atlantic Story about a global rise in dementia rates. The topic caught the attention of the retired nurse, who says it wasn't discussed nearly enough during her time in health care. 'I was a nurse for such a long time. I was in (the) operating room most of my time. We never talked about Alzheimer problems. Never. That was never in my mind,' she says. That's when inspiration struck and she decided to combine the need for Alzheimer's awareness with her life-long love of music. 'I love music. Music makes me happy. Music makes me heal my pains… whatever bothers my body or my spirit,' she says. Life Is Music A poster for a concert to raise money for dementia awareness is pictured. Walling is putting together a fundraising concert at St. Andrews United Church in Halifax on June 22, with all proceeds going to the Alzheimer's Society of Nova Scotia. 'The song is the best treatment for the people who have dementia. So, I just want people to be happy and (in the) same token, raise funds to help the Alzheimer's society so they can help people suffering from dementia or any other brain disease,' says Walling. The concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m., will feature different artists and performers all with a goal of spreading awareness about prevention. 'I want people to know there's so many ways we can prevent disease... being proactive and living healthy,' says Walling. The event will take place just days after Walling's 80th birthday. 'I (think) this will be a great birthday gift to myself. I'm not having a big party or anything, this concert will my birthday party,' says Walling. 'I want to do something for community before I die. That's my mission.' For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
BBC News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Music gave me my voice back after having a stroke'
The power of music has been credited by a stroke victim for allowing him to recover the use of his Perkins, from Grove in Oxfordshire, was left unable to communicate after falling ill in April former carpenter could not speak due to a condition called aphasia - often caused by brain damage as a result of strokes - that can also impact people's ability to read, write or understand rediscovered his voice through the songs of Elvis Presley, Mr Perkins is now highlighting the positive impact music and singing can have for others like him as part of Stroke Awareness Month. "I was working in Wantage, and [a customer] said to me 'do you want a cup of tea?' and I said 'yes, OK'," the 68-year-old told the BBC."She gave me the cup and I put it down, and next I know I fell straight - I went down."That was the end of me." Mr Perkins said he does not remember anything more until he woke up in hospital three days later unable to speak. He felt like he did not know anything and would have to re-learn basic life skills. "I was a carpenter all my life and now, all of a sudden, I've got to start like a little baby," he said. "I could do talking [in my head] but it wouldn't come out of myself," he said the "terrible" situation left him feeling "useless" and asking "why me?".It was during his time in hospital that Mr Parker's partner, Miriam Doyle, began playing music for said: "He's always loved music of any sort, and so I thought I'd play him music in the background." Two weeks after the stroke and now back at home, Ms Doyle said she spotted Mr Perkins listening to music on an "looked up and saw him mumbling away" to Elvis classic Can't Help Falling in Love. It was the first time Mr Perkins had audibly communicated since the stroke."For both of us there were goosebumps and tears," she said of the Perkins is now able to speak, having had to relearn the alphabet, and attends singing groups with other stroke victims."People really don't know to do some singing, and all of a sudden you start to come into yourself," he said."I still struggle with my speech, but singing has given me the confidence to keep trying."Ms Doyle said she was "immensely proud" of how her partner had "reinvented himself after his stroke"."He'd always been a very shy and unassuming person, but now he's putting himself out there to try and help others and to raise awareness," she added. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
CBS News
30-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Denver Animal Shelter adopts music program to help calm pets, get them adopted
Since the beginning of 2025, 680 dogs at the Denver Animal Shelter have been given up by their owners. That's only in the first five months, and more than all of 2019. That year, there were 540 dogs total. CBS With so many pets at the services of the animal shelter, it has also required a way to keep them feeling happy and safe until they find new forever homes. So Denver Animal Shelter is using music to make those pets waiting for adoption more comfortable and less stressed. "I find it really touching that my music is able to make such a difference for the animals," Yuvi Agarwal said. "They honestly don't care who you are. They just care that you're doing something good for them. So I like that. That's all that matters." The 12-year-old is combining his love for animals with his love for music to help shelter pets across the nation. "My son has been an animal lover all his life," Priyanka Agarwal said. "So once, when I took him to read to the animals at a local animal shelter in Houston, after reading to the animals, he was like, 'Mama, can I come and play music for them?'" That's how Agarwal, then just 10 years old, started Wild Tunes. The nonprofit brings together volunteers to play music for the animals. "For the dogs, they come from very rough backgrounds," Yuvi said. "This is generally a highly stressed environment for them. Music has been clinically shown to reduce that stress, and it also helps them rebuild their bridges with humans, and it helps them get adopted faster." In two short years, Wild Tunes has grown to more than 100 volunteers across three states, with the new addition of Colorado. "It gives me goosebumps," Priyanka said . "He's really been a trailblazer in that sense. I'd like to be in as many states as possible over the next five years. I've just seen so many beautiful moments, like when a volunteer would start playing, and a pup would just come look at them. Their ears would perk up, or they'd kind of move their head. Difficult to describe, but it's really lovely." Due to an overwhelming interest, Denver Animal Shelter is hosting an orientation for volunteers who have already applied on Saturday, May 31 and another on June 14. "The response was immediately we love this idea," a Denver Animal Shelter spokesperson told CBS Colorado. "It's just like another way for us to connect with community members that we haven't connected with yet to join our volunteer program." Yuvi calls it a win-win for the animals, the staff and the musicians. But for him, "Honestly making a difference in the animals is the best part," he said.
Globe and Mail
26-05-2025
- Health
- Globe and Mail
Indie Rock band The Beaches play a concert in support of UHN's Music Healing Programs
Earlier this month, patients and staff at the University Health Network (UHN) were treated to a special concert, not by a hospital music therapist, but by Toronto indie rock band, The Beaches. Known for their viral hit Blame Brett, which boasts more than 90 million streams on Spotify, the band swapped sold-out arenas for a more intimate hospital setting, playing for just a few dozen attendees in one of their most personal performances. Moments of such visible joy are rare in hospital settings, and this one struck a powerful chord as the band played a relaxed set of tunes in support of UHN's music healing programs, which assist patients with breathing challenges in rehabilitating and regaining control of their health. 'It was such an honour to perform,' said The Beaches' guitarist and keyboard player, Leandra Earl, who used to play for her grandmother when she had Alzheimer's disease. 'How much music helps people heal – not only the mind, but also the soul, the body – it's really just all encompassing.' The band's excitement reflects the increasing public interest in the link between music and health. Across the country, researchers, clinicians, and community groups are exploring how singing can do more than just entertain. According to some health experts, it can even physically heal. Research indicates numerous benefits of singing for patients dealing with breathing challenges. According to a study by the British Medical Journal's Open Respiratory Research, participants experienced reduced shortness of breath and improved oxygen saturation during singing sessions. 'Lung disease is extremely challenging and takes a lot of determination to overcome,' said UHN Foundation CEO Julie Quenneville. 'Music has an incredible healing power; the patients are doing physical rehabilitation and enjoying it.' At UHN, two programs help patients with breathing challenges: Singing to Breathe and The Tri Hards. Singing to Breathe, launched nearly a decade ago, brings together patients with chronic lung disease or those with pre- or post-lung transplants for biweekly singing sessions. Meanwhile, every Friday, The Tri Hards, a band of health care experts, play a concert for patients at Toronto Rehab. At the shows, patients are encouraged to sing along, move and unwind. The UHN therapists love the group because it's an easy way to encourage exercise. It also helps to create a positive and lighthearted environment during situations that are often challenging. 'Physiotherapy in these cases can be difficult,' Quenneville said. 'So, incorporating songs into exercises provides an enjoyable means of achieving similar outcomes in health.' While the UHN is quick to point out that neither program is technically music therapy – they're voluntary groups for patients – they still highlight how music, especially singing, can be a powerful tool for mental and physical well-being. And they're not alone. SingWell, a Canada-wide research project led by Dr. Frank Russo at Toronto Metropolitan University, is studying the effects of singing on people with chronic conditions. SingWell collaborates with numerous community choirs and rehabilitation programs throughout Canada, focusing on individuals with lung disease, Parkinson's disease, dementia and other disorders. 'Singing is interesting because it engages the body in ways that are kind of similar to physical therapy,' he said. 'It involves posture, breath control, using your core, coordinating speech and movement. And so the physical activity of singing is itself therapeutic.' One of SingWell's major goals is to make singing groups for health accessible and available for those seeking additional therapeutic options for their conditions, in hospitals, community centres, or long-term care homes. This means training choir leaders to work with vulnerable populations and embedding choirs within these communities. Initiatives such as SingWell represent a form of 'social prescription,' Dr. Russo said. He believes that being in a community with others can help those struggling with health challenges and collectively rehabilitate individuals with diverse health conditions. 'That social connection can even translate to physiological changes,' stated Dr. Russo. He indicated that evidence shows group singing increases oxytocin, the 'love hormone,' while lowering cortisol, a stress hormone. SingWell's preliminary findings echo what UHN is seeing on the ground. People who participate in singing programs report improved respiratory function, better mood, enhanced social connection, and even better sleep. These programs also offer something harder to measure: joy. 'What we've seen from participants in our research is that they keep coming back, that they're reporting it as something they enjoy, they feel a sense of belonging,' Dr. Russo said.
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
New Sheffield film explores early-onset dementia and music
A documentary exploring the relationship between early-onset dementia and music is to be screened premiere of Living with Young Onset Dementia: Our Music, Our Voice will be held at the Pavillion in Hillsborough by the University of Sheffield in partnership with charity Age UK, the film examines how music can improve outcomes for people between the ages of 30 and 65 who have been diagnosed with the condition Senior research fellow Jenni MacRitchie said while music was not a "cure all" it could be use to stimulate memories and help keep people connected. Howard Gordon, 62, who features in the film, was diagnosed with early-onset dementia aged 54."I grew up with music, listening to music, playing music, and I used to compose music," he said his favourite music ranged "from classical to punk"."It can be uplifting, it can raise your mood, but some heavy metal will make me feel angry at times," he said."It affects people in different ways, at the end of the day, every person with dementia is different."We're not defined by our diagnosis, we are human beings, and every human being is different." Dr MacRitchie said music was not a "cure all" for dementia and people respond differently."It's not 'if everyone does music, we'll all be happier', it's really if someone has a passion or enthusiasm for music, it might be something that's part of their support."It's something that could be about stimulating past memories or giving a mood boost, but it's also incredibly social - it's that part of keeping connected to others."She said it was important to break "assumptions and stereotypes" surrounding dementia."We'll typically think of someone older, someone frail and vulnerable, liking a particular piece of music."Even for those older adults, we need an overhaul of what music can offer, because they have a wide diversity of tastes and wants."She said they had also been investigating different ways that new technology could be used to help people access and listen to music, or even make it themselves - for example, by using voice activated speakers."We've been discovering more about when it helps, when it doesn't help, and really trying to challenge those stereotypes around what engaging in music might look like." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
