Caregiver workshop explores benefits of music for seniors
3/5/2021 12AM
Perfect Harmony provides opportunities for social and musical engagement and promotes holistic well-being by offering monthly video resources and themed music activities for both individual and group settings.
Registration now open for Perfect Harmony event March 25-26
CARMEL, Ind. – Caregivers, healthcare professionals and others who work with older adults can learn the benefits of music-based activities through an upcoming online workshop presented by the Great American Songbook Foundation and its Perfect Harmony program.
The two-day 2021 Perfect Harmony Virtual Workshop is scheduled 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, March 25, and Friday, March 26. Titled An Intro to Music for Care Partners, the event offers an opportunity to learn about the benefits of music for older adults, connect with others in the elder-care community, and master simple techniques and musical exercises that can create positive, shared experiences with loved ones or community residents.
The year’s featured speaker is Meredith Hamons, MT-BC, board-certified music therapist and founder of North Austin Music Therapy in Texas. She is a nationally recognized speaker and author of Musically Engaged Seniors: 40 Session Plans and Resources for a Vibrant Music Therapy Program (2013) and co-author of Music, Memory, and Meaning: How to Effectively Use Music to Connect with Aging Loved Ones.
The presentations will take place via Zoom teleconferencing, and participants also will gain access to online materials including how-to videos, activity outlines, song playlists and other resources. The cost is $15, with discounts available for groups or students. Registration and more information are available at TheSongbook.org/PHvirtual or by contacting Director of Programs Renée La Schiazza at (317) 844-5832 or rlaschiazza@TheSongbook.org.
About Perfect Harmony
Perfect Harmony, developed by the Great American Songbook Foundation and sponsored by American Senior Communities, is a music resource that helps care partners identify appropriate generational music and activities to engage older adults in a shared music experience. Perfect Harmony offers a unique opportunity for social and musical engagement and promotes holistic well-being through music by offering monthly video resources and themed music activities that are beneficial in both individual and group settings. Perfect Harmony consults with a board-certified music therapist for expert guidance and feedback on all musical resources.
About the Great American Songbook Foundation
The mission of the Great American Songbook Foundation, founded in 2007 by five-time Grammy® Award nominee Michael Feinstein, is to inspire and educate by celebrating the timeless standards of pop, jazz, Broadway and Hollywood. Headquartered at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana, the Foundation advances this rich musical legacy by curating a vast archive of items representing its creators, performers and publishers; operating a multimedia exhibit gallery; overseeing the Songbook Hall of Fame; offering programs for the public and research opportunities for scholars and artists; and providing educational opportunities for student musicians, including the annual Songbook Academy® summer intensive. The Foundation is a Cultural Affiliate of the Los Angeles-based Grammy Museum®. More information is available at TheSongbook.org.
