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Caregive workshop explores use of music in dementia care

10/3/2019 12AM

Allegra Sorley (center), a board-certified music therapist, leads caregivers in a songwriting exercise at the 2018 Perfect Harmony Fall Training Workshop at the Center for the Performing Arts.


Perfect Harmony program promotes social engagement, mental stimulation

 

CARMEL, Ind. – Caregivers, healthcare professionals and community members who work with older adults can learn about the benefits of music-based programming through a workshop presented by the Great American Songbook Foundation.

 

The 2019 Perfect Harmony Fall Training Workshop, sponsored by Applegate Elder Law, is scheduled 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Foundation’s home, the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts, 1 Center Green, Carmel.

 

Perfect Harmony, developed by the Great American Songbook Foundation, is a group music program for older adults living with dementia. Endorsed by the Greater Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, Perfect Harmony offers a unique opportunity for social and musical engagement and promotes holistic well-being through music by offering a wide range of musical activities, from group singing to instrument play to open discussion of experiences related to memorable songs. Perfect Harmony consults with a board-certified music therapist in an effort to provide the most effective non-clinical use of music.

 

This annual fall training workshop was developed to empower caregivers to learn about the power of music, connect with other professionals in the elder-care community, and master simple techniques and musical activities that can be incorporated into the daily care of loved ones or residents in their community. Presenter Allegra Sorley, a Board-Certified Music Therapist and Musician in Residence at Woodland Terrace of Carmel, will return as a guest presenter along with other experts from the elder-care community. Key topics of this year’s workshop will include: research behind the power of music; how to engage your loved ones or residents in a group music experience; the importance of using generational music; communication techniques for positive and successful music interactions; and cost-effective musical activities for the non-musician.

 

Pre-registration is required, and tickets are available through the Center for the Performing Arts at TheSongbook.org/phfallworkshop19. The $20 registration fee includes lunch and supplementary materials provided by the Foundation. For more information, contact Renée La Schiazza, Manager of Programs & Communications, at (317) 844-5832 or rlaschiazza@TheSongbook.org.

 

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.