Worth a Thousand Words

Picture time - more from the Dec. 6 Holiday Music Festival at Barnes and Noble in Mishawaka, Ind.

Guitar Hero

Layne Miskin breaks out her axe and shreds for the crowd at the Foundation's Holiday Music Festival on Dec. 6. After you watch the video below a few times, you can read more about Layne in the Dec. 2007 edition of Arts Everywhere magazine. (Skip ahead to page 13 for a top-notch layout.)

Highlights from the Holiday concert

We want to thank everyone who made it to Barnes and Noble in Mishawaka, Ind. Saturday for our annual Holiday Music Festival. Recitals went on all day and the performers showed their range of abilities with performances on the piano, drums, guitar, and more.

In case you didn't make it, here is a highlight of what you missed. After playing a couple pieces on the piano, Samuel Vite wowed the crowd with his Glockenspiel.

Around the Town

Here at the Foundation, we're always trying to spread the word around the area, and we are extremely grateful when those opportunities come up.

Most recently, Chris Robinson, music instructor, presented a program of music and information to the Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley in South Bend, Ind. on Thursday, December 4. The event, coordinated by Lizzie Fagen, social work coordinator for the Jewish Federation, highlighted how music is able to assist people with Alzheimer's. Refreshments were served during the social hour after the program.

From the Director

By Chris Robinson

Director, Foundation For Music and Healing, Inc.

A unique fine arts adventure offered by the Foundation for Music and Healing, Inc. involves students in piano, general music, singing, guitar, dance movement and drumming. These and related activities are designed to enhance music appreciation for students with special needs.

This is a rare opportunity to explore deeper and exciting dimensions of music. Designed to appeal especially to students with special needs and their families, new ideas have been developed during the last few years by instructors associated with the Foundation for Music and Healing, Inc., colleagues, and, most importantly, in consultation with parents. This innovative approach is designed to help students function more effectively in society.

Specifically, it:
1) Brings fun, with no prior expectations, to every music session.
2) Identifies a learning path that everyone can follow, regardless of ability.
3) Builds pride and self confidence supported by generous praise and strong interpersonal relationships.
4) Helps the student discover a deep personal love and appreciation of music to last a lifetime.
5) Provides a complete, student-centered musical experience, including —
a) Note recognition
b) Traditional lesson songs and materials
c) Theory, sight reading and ear training
d) Song-writing and duet playing
e) Enhanced activities such as rhythm, dance movements
and other modalities and instruments according to student interest.
6) For younger or more challenged students, an interactive experience of “general music” is provided. Used are colors, letters, play objects, age-appropriate instruction books, rhythm, singing, electronic media, guitars, drumming and dance to establish a positive personal experience with music and the arts. This experience becomes more structured as time goes on, and is determined by the student’s interests and abilities. This process enables the student to find their own way into the enjoyment of music and the arts on their own terms.

Using interdisciplinary programs and techniques pioneered in Foundation studios, students have achieved remarkable success, not only in music but in other areas of life as well. Larger goals are to enable the student to live more confidently and effectively in society through improved functioning of major body systems:
• Central nervous system
• Auditory processing
• Visual coordination
• Neuro-muscular and skeletal systems
Research continues on new programs and techniques using music studios as learning laboratories.

Students, parents and Foundation instructors work together to explore possibilities and determine productive paths to explore music. Instructors function as coaches during weekly 30-minute sessions. The music studio is an environment for creative expression. At times, and with student and parent permission, various guests may attend lessons on occasion to observe lessons. They may offer advice and assistance to maximize progress. This atmosphere is characterized by mutual learning and respect.

For further information, visit the Foundation’s website: http://www.musichealing.org/
Or telephone (574) 993-2093
Offices and studios at 2811 Beechwood Lane • South Bend, Indiana 46615

2008 Holiday Music Extravaganza!

The Foundation for Music and Healing, Inc.’s annual Book Fair Fund Raiser will be held at Barnes and Noble Booksellers in Mishawaka Saturday December 6, 2008. Store hours are from 9 a m. to 11 p.m.

Last year’s event raised enough funds for scholarships, equipment and supplies to assist with this project. Vouchers are being distributed to Foundation students and their families which, when used on Saturday, Dec. 6 at Barnes and Noble Booksellers in Mishawaka, result in a donation made directly to the Foundation for Music and Healing, Inc. Supporters may also request an electronic voucher at the cash registers.

We are deeply grateful for the thoughtfulness of those who made their seasonal purchases to coincide with our annual festival. Last year Barnes and Noble donated a healthy percent of purchases made to the Foundation during our music fund-raiser. Our goal this year is to again qualify to receive the top award of purchases made on Saturday, Dec. 6.

There is another way to help: tax-deductible donations go directly to the Foundation’s year-end appeal. With your gift, every dollar will go to help students in need. An official letter will be sent to donors acknowledging their contribution.

Foundation Book Coming Soon!

We ventured forth to help

Since 2001, scores of students who have special needs have been assisted with innovative music and movement activities.

Now we offer to share

A new book designed to encourage parents to get the same experiences for their loved ones is being published soon. It tells the story of the creation of this humanitarian organization, which employs a unique blend of techniques from music, dance, rhythm, drumming, psychology, sociology and physical therapy.

Instructors bring the benefits of music to those who never thought it possible in studios throughout northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan.

Making Our Own Kind of Music

Written for parents, caregivers and professionals, this valuable resource is designed to help people in communities across the nation develop similar programs to get help in music and movement for their children of all ages who have special needs.

288 pages softcover, also available in DVD format - See our news release.

Pre-publication orders now being accepted

Foundation for Music and Healing, Inc.
http://www.musichealing.org/
Telephone (574) 234-0928

Foundation Drumming Circle

Here are some pictures of the Foundation Drumming Circle's event held Sunday, Sept. 28. The Drumming Circle is open to people who have special needs and meets Friday nights at 7 p.m. The group performs favorite contemporary music and appears by invitation at locations throughout the community. The next performance is at Fountainview Care Center on Tanglewood Lane in Mishawaka, just off Grape Road on Sunday Oct. 26 at 2:30 p.m.

Sept. 2008 Piano Recital

Here are some pictures from the Foundation's most recent piano recital at University Park Mall in Mishawaka, Ind. (More below...)

Our next recital is the annual Holiday extravaganza, planned for early December. There will be more soon about the what, where and when, but it will be as great as previous years, and with a new feature - a gift wrapping station to wrap up your presents while you listen to some beautiful music.

Tomorrow, we'll put up pictures from the Foundation drumming circle, so check back then. We also want to encourage anyone who would like to participate in this blog to send us an email or leave a comment. We want to hear from you - if you're a teacher, a student, a parent or a music enthusiast, this is your chance to share.

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Subscribe to the Foundation Blog by using the feed application on the right and get updates whenever we put up a new post.

Coming soon: We'll put up pictures from our most recent recital in September at University Park Mall, as well as a video of a drummers circle.

There will also be announcements of upcoming recitals and fundraisers, an updated Foundation brochure, and lots more very exciting stuff - you don't want to miss it, trust us.

Music as Medicine for the Brain

We'd love to hear from you if you have a great story to tell about how music has impacted your life, or if you recently read something that you just have to share.

Here's a great example, a link sent to us by Michele in South Bend. It's a U.S. News and World Report feature entitled Music as Medicine for the Brain, from July of this year. Here's a sample:

Music therapy has been practiced for decades as a way to treat neurological conditions from Parkinson's to Alzheimer's to anxiety and depression. Now, advances in neuroscience and brain imaging are revealing what's actually happening in the brain as patients listen to music or play instruments and why the therapy works. "It's been substantiated only in the last year or two that music therapy can help restore the loss of expressive language in patients with aphasia" following brain injury from stroke, says Oliver Sacks, the noted neurologist and professor at Columbia University, who explored the link between music and the brain in his recent book Musicophilia.

There are also links to videos and discussion groups.

More Foundation media coverage

Here are a couple more links to stories about the Foundation within the last year or two...

Yamaha Corporation did a feature in its Accent magazine in 2006. As you can see, Shannon McNeer is becoming quite the household name!

Also, here's a recent blurb from the Tribune's Arts Everywhere publication.

Hopefully more to come soon...

Welcome to the Foundation Blog!

Thanks for stopping by, we hope to have lots of easy-to-use features very soon. We plan to use this medium as a way to get more Foundation information out as quickly as possible. We'll also post about relevant news and provide plenty of links to information and websites that will help facilitate the discovery and joy of music.

Check back often and check out our sponsors as well, please (links coming soon!)

Healing Melody

The Foundation was recently featured in the South Bend Tribune's Health section:

By CHRISTINE COX

Tribune Staff Writer

Shannon McNeer can’t get to the piano fast enough. She throws her teacher a quick hello, speeds to the bench, opens her book and starts playing before he can settle beside her. ...

Read the full story on the South Bend Tribune website.

There's also an excellent photo gallery.