Music for Self-Care
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…
Read More20-Second Handwashing Songs for Seniors
COVID-19 is on the rise, and we need all the help we can get to make sure that coronavirus doesn’t spread. The CDC recommends at least 20 seconds of vigorous handwashing with soap and warm water to prevent the spread of germs. Why not make it fun? Here are 10 choruses from 1940-1970 to help…
Read MoreSong Spotlight: “Some Days Are Diamonds (Some Days Are Stone)”
Theme: Validation, Positive thinking Mood: Thoughtful, processing, slow Style: Country, Folk The John Denver classic song “Some Days Are Diamonds” is one of those songs that is both soothing and upbeat at the same time. This song can be a musical container for processing changes in your life, and in the right context, the lyrics…
Read More5 Surprising Ways To Age Out Loud
The news is out – people over the age of 65 are living differently than the senior citizens of decades gone by. No more do you have to plan on finishing up the last year of your life in a quiet retirement home somewhere. Nope, now you can age out loud. Of course, there are…
Read More5 Ways Music Makes Your Life Better
10 Less-Than-Jolly Songs For Christmas
Sometimes the holidays are wonderful and perfect and picturesque. Sometimes they are heartbreakingly, bone-crushingly painful. The cultural messages we hear don’t leave much room for sadness or anger or grief. The decorations are relentlessly cheery. (In our neighborhood, there’s an electric Santa waving to cars passing by all night long!) The commercials on TV and…
Read More10 Reasons To Learn An Instrument As An Adult
Fred Stobaugh, "Oh, Sweet Lorraine," and the Therapeutic Value of Musical Expression
Can People With Parkinson’s Disease Sing?
Not too long ago, superstar singer Linda Ronstadt told the world that she has Parkinson’s disease. Because of this, she said, “I can’t sing at all…I can’t sing a note.” Along with a world full of music lovers, I am very sorry to hear of Ronstadt’s health struggles. I can only imagine how difficult it…
Read MoreAesthetic Experiences at the End of Life
What is the value of aesthetic experience near the end of life? This question has been on my mind as I’ve been thinking about a character from Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved. This is the story of ex-slave Sethe trying to live a new, free life while haunted by the ugliness of the past, not the…
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