Musical Trivia Game To Try At Home

Various musical notes in different neon colors scattered across a white background. Label reads "various genres"

With cold weather and short days, a fun inside musical game is just the thing to bring some joy to the day. Why not try out a bit of timeline trivia with your care partners? What you need:  Access to a greatest hits album (either a hard copy on CD or LP, or digitally on…

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Virtual Music Opportunities: Summer 2021

Person playing electric guitar, visible from the shoulders to waist. Label says "Virtual Music Resources"

It’s been over a year since many concerts closed their doors. Musicians and performers were left without work and the general public and music lovers without live art and music. For many, attending concerts and performances with friends was not only an activity, but the opportunity to engage with art in a different way, to…

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Easy Songwriting: “Rattlin’ Bog”

Green, weedy bog

Songwriting can be a great way to foster joy and self expression. Here’s an easy songwriting experience using a traditional Irish song. (Click here for a video explanation.) “The Rattlin’ Bog” is a traditional Irish folk tune that has over 120 different recorded versions. Since it has been passed down through time by oral tradition,…

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Easy Songwriting Activity: “Winter Wishlist”

Glass ball reminiscent of a snow globe with what looks like frost in the bottom, and a reflection of the sun in the top left corner. Words read: Show Me Hope Missouri - Winter Wishlist

Looking for something new and fun to do during these bleak winter months? Want a break from the heaviness all around us from the pandemic and political unrest? Trying out some songwriting can be a fun and creative way to discover your friends’ and family’s favorite winter activities while also acknowledging some of the things…

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Video: Songs for Labor Day

Can you believe it’s almost time for Labor Day? Labor Day is the first Monday of September. This holiday was originally created in 1882 to celebrate organized labor. It’s difficult to believe now, but efforts by organized labor have brought us the 40-hour work week, minimum age requirements for employment, overtime pay, safety regulations, and…

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10 Free Concerts and Live Streams During the Pandemic

Tired of scrolling through social media? Can’t find anything on TV, and you’ve finished binge watching all of Netflix too? How about some live music? We’ve searched far and wide for the best online concerts and live streams the internet has to offer during this unprecedented period of time when all the performers have to…

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Football Songs? Try This Variation

Three football players in uniforms and helmets, with a referee in the background.

It’s true – there aren’t many singable songs about football. Nothing as great as “Take Me Out To The Ballgame,”  for sure. The song “You Gotta Be A Football Hero” is one option, but having been written in 1933, the lyrics are a bit outdated for many of us living in the 21st century. Jock…

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Alice Grandon and a Lifetime of Accordion Music

Alice Grandon playing her accordion

I met Alice Grandon at North Point Nursing Home. She was playing her accordion for the residents there, as she often has done since the facility first opened in 1995 as the Louisburg Care Center. Her performance that day was dynamic and engaging. You could tell just by watching that Grandon plays for the residents…

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Seasons of Advocacy

This post is about music therapy for older adults. If you love both of those – music therapy and older adults – then I am calling on you to be an advocate, to help more older adults have access to meaningful, therapeutic music experiences. We can all be advocates by using our voices and energy…

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4 Times To Use Music To Support ADLs

Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s Disease or a related dementia is this: When the person with dementia starts needing help with their activities of daily living (ADLs). ADLs are the basic tasks like dressing, bathing, eating, and walking that healthy adults can accomplish with little thought. For…

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