From Brian Age 82
Retirement Village Resident
Member of the Hamilton Chorale
"In retirement years I find there are two things that make a whole difference to life. These are a satisfying activity to give a measure of achievement and a comradeship with like-minded people. Singing with a performance choir gives both.
As with everything else, frequent use of the singing voice improves its performance. Practice under a helpful and knowledgeable conductor extends that, as well as giving physical and mental improvement. Put simply, physical and mental well-being is improved.
Belonging to a group that has an adequate and improving level of performance has many benefits, as teams on a sports field will agree. It promotes pleasure in belonging to the group, which satisfies a fundamental human need.
These benefits are those which retired people need to hang on to, in order to gain personal satisfaction from life, otherwise living becomes just a continuance of existence, and the thrill of it diminishes.
So join a choir and get cracking!"
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Michelle & Elizabeth
Michelle came to her singing lesson, reporting that she had been hospitalised because of tightness in her chest and loss of breath when going up stairs. This had gone on for a week and was getting worse. She was put through a barrage of tests, including treadmill, and ecg.
Within 10 minutes of her arrival the chest pain had gone, and she was breathing naturally and efficiently. What I did was to get her to lie on the floor, with a book under her head (important, otherwise the head goes back too far and the throat closes), and just relax. We than chatted about what had happened for a few minutes, and then I got her to concentrate on the breath going 'into her abdomen'. She realised that she had somehow got herself into upper torso breathing patterns, by lifting and lowering the ribcage that were unsatisfactory which had led to the tightness-of-chest pains, as it became more and more frustrating.
This is Elizabeth, in her own words
"After 65yrs with Chronic Brochierctasis and unable to sing, I've been able to take part in 3 choirs, thanks to Julie Jackson-Gough. The physiotherapist at Waikato Hospital was most impressed that someone suffering a lung condition would be able to sing, and recommended the activity as an excellent pursuit for improving breathing and keeping lungs expanded."
www.singingforseniors.co.nz
Within 10 minutes of her arrival the chest pain had gone, and she was breathing naturally and efficiently. What I did was to get her to lie on the floor, with a book under her head (important, otherwise the head goes back too far and the throat closes), and just relax. We than chatted about what had happened for a few minutes, and then I got her to concentrate on the breath going 'into her abdomen'. She realised that she had somehow got herself into upper torso breathing patterns, by lifting and lowering the ribcage that were unsatisfactory which had led to the tightness-of-chest pains, as it became more and more frustrating.
This is Elizabeth, in her own words
"After 65yrs with Chronic Brochierctasis and unable to sing, I've been able to take part in 3 choirs, thanks to Julie Jackson-Gough. The physiotherapist at Waikato Hospital was most impressed that someone suffering a lung condition would be able to sing, and recommended the activity as an excellent pursuit for improving breathing and keeping lungs expanded."
www.singingforseniors.co.nz
Monday, June 10, 2013
Neurological Journal reports benefits of music to mental and physical health
The Neurological Foundation of New Zealand's newsletter has arrived and contains the following article, which was reprinted from Trends in Cognitive Sciences
It was written by professor Daniel Levintin, who is the James McGill professor of phsychology and behavioural neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, with additional appointments in music theory, computer science, and education.
It is a meta-study, a distillation of 400 research papers in the neurochemistry of music, which found that music can improve the function of the body's immune system and reduce levels of stress.
Here is the article:
Research by Professor Daniel Levitin demonstrates that listening to music is more successful than prescription drugs in decreasing a person's anxiety before undergoing surgery. A report from 2011 indicated that anxiety in cancer patients can be reduced by music. Prof Levitin explained: 'We've found compelling evidence that musical interventions can play a health care role in settings ranging from operating rooms to family clinics. But even more importantly we were able to document the neuro-chemical mechanisms by which music has an effect in four domains:management of mood, stress, immunity, and as an aid to social bonding'
Results showed that music increases an antibody that plays an important role in immunity of the mucous system, known as immunoglobin A, as well as in natural killer cell counts, the cells that attack germs and bacteria invading the body. Listening to, and playing (singing) music can alos lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), according to Prof Levitin and Dr Mona Lisa Chanda, his post-graduate research fellow.
Previous research in the British Journal of Psychiatry demonstrated that music therapy when combined with standard care, is a successful treatment for depression.
The experts reccommend a number of areas for later trials in the field. For example, identifying the relationship between the "love drug" oxytoxin, group affiliation, and music. They suggested administering naltrexone (and opioid antagonist drug used when a person is having alcohol withdrawal) to determine whether musical pleasure is encouraged by the same chemical systems in the brain activated by other types of pleasure, such as food.
a 2011 study suggested that thrilling music is similar to food and sex - more pleasure and anticipation means moire dopamine. The authors also urged for studies "in which patients are randomly assigned to musical intervention or a rigorously matched control condition in post-operative or chronic pain trials" They poinetd out that proper controls include TV, comedy recordings, audio books or films. Additional the scientists developed an outline for future experiements with questions including:
It was written by professor Daniel Levintin, who is the James McGill professor of phsychology and behavioural neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, with additional appointments in music theory, computer science, and education.
It is a meta-study, a distillation of 400 research papers in the neurochemistry of music, which found that music can improve the function of the body's immune system and reduce levels of stress.
Here is the article:
Research by Professor Daniel Levitin demonstrates that listening to music is more successful than prescription drugs in decreasing a person's anxiety before undergoing surgery. A report from 2011 indicated that anxiety in cancer patients can be reduced by music. Prof Levitin explained: 'We've found compelling evidence that musical interventions can play a health care role in settings ranging from operating rooms to family clinics. But even more importantly we were able to document the neuro-chemical mechanisms by which music has an effect in four domains:management of mood, stress, immunity, and as an aid to social bonding'
Results showed that music increases an antibody that plays an important role in immunity of the mucous system, known as immunoglobin A, as well as in natural killer cell counts, the cells that attack germs and bacteria invading the body. Listening to, and playing (singing) music can alos lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), according to Prof Levitin and Dr Mona Lisa Chanda, his post-graduate research fellow.
Previous research in the British Journal of Psychiatry demonstrated that music therapy when combined with standard care, is a successful treatment for depression.
The experts reccommend a number of areas for later trials in the field. For example, identifying the relationship between the "love drug" oxytoxin, group affiliation, and music. They suggested administering naltrexone (and opioid antagonist drug used when a person is having alcohol withdrawal) to determine whether musical pleasure is encouraged by the same chemical systems in the brain activated by other types of pleasure, such as food.
a 2011 study suggested that thrilling music is similar to food and sex - more pleasure and anticipation means moire dopamine. The authors also urged for studies "in which patients are randomly assigned to musical intervention or a rigorously matched control condition in post-operative or chronic pain trials" They poinetd out that proper controls include TV, comedy recordings, audio books or films. Additional the scientists developed an outline for future experiements with questions including:
- What are the different effects, if any of playing (singing) music compared to listening to music?
- Are the positive effects of music a result of mood induction, distraction, feelings of bonding/support, or other factors?
- What stimuli can be used as a foundation o comparison to match music along dimensions of arousal, attractiveness or lack thereof, engagement, and mood induction?
- What role does "the love drug" (oxytoxin) play in mediating music experiences?
- Are certain people ore likely to experience a positive impact form music than others? If so, what individual differences, such as personality traits, genetic, or biological factors, aid the success of music interventions?
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
The word is spreading
It is exciting to have contacts from around New Zealand and further afield asking about the Singing for Seniors programme. Following up is being done by my commercial manager. I have been contacted by the woman who ran the Weekend of Workshops in Tirau, to ask if I want her to contact groups there about the programme. She will set up the visits and we will visit together. Krissy Jackson, part-time high school music teacher of New Plymouth is planning how to market to the 23 villages in the greater New Plymouth area. Christchurch villages are being followed up in the next week. A day is being planned for the Rotorua area, and a three-day campaign around the Auckland villages.
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