Denise Graveline

This post first appeared on The Eloquent Woman blog. I earlier wrote about Denise’s decision to take up the guitar, for the first time, at 50. Denise is a public speaking coach.

“You can’t stop when you make a mistake,” he said. “You’re pausing to think what you did wrong and how to fix it. But you’ve got to keep going. The pros make mistakes all the time, but they keep going.” 

Call it my once-a-week professional development if you want to. It’s really my guitar lesson, and I’m finding each session rich in insights about the speaker and presenter trainings I do, and what my trainees experience when they’re new to public speaking or trying a new technique for the first time.

Take the stopping. I know full well that “ums” trip lots of speakers up. The speaker’s got a heightened awareness of any mistakes she makes, especially if she’s nervous or not as practiced at it. And ums serve as a verbal pause while you’re trying to remember what it was you wanted to say. 

They’re also a normally occurring part of everyone’s speech. Nonetheless, if an um throws you off and you stop, you’ll find your momentum and focus tough to recover. Easy for me to know about public speaking, but new as a concept to learn on the guitar. 

And I’ve learned that I’m just like anyone else: Anxious to do well, aware of how difficult the skill is to learn, not happy when I miss a note or lose the rhythm; all perfectly understandable feelings that do nothing to help me get through “Wildwood Flower” or “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” In fact, they’re my biggest roadblocks.

When I was thinking through whether to take up guitar, my pal Leah Garnett of the website Music After 50 gave me great advice (she’s a lifelong guitarist and jazz guitar is her passion) — and she interviewed me right before I bought a guitar and started lessons. She asked about similarities between performing and public speaking, and I can now say from experience that I understand even better what’s going through the minds of trainees who get nervous just speaking in front of only me! 

Performing for my instructor is nerve-wracking enough for me for now, although he gently reminds me that my goal is to get good enough to play with other people. Music, like speaking, needs an audience to really thrive. Performers, whether guitarists or speakers, need to stop underestimating themselves and plunge in.

Case in point: I predicted for Leah that I wouldn’t be able to handle a dreadnought, the largest acoustic guitar, but it’s what I own now. It’s truly a stretch, but the sound is incredible. And in the last month, when I let go and anchor my playing with rest, practice and a willingness to risk, it sounds great–even when I miss a note.  (I also know from speaker coaching that it’s the performer who notices their nervousness and mistakes, not the audience, most of the time.) 

My instructor, who informed me I just got myself a hobby for life, says with confidence what I say to would-be speakers: If you practice, you will get better.

So these days, I think of my guitar instructor when I get a comment like this one from a woman who participated in one of my workshops focused on creating and delivering a message: “Thanks for making me step out of my comfort zone and for the warning that I would be expected to step out of my comfort zone. Without that discomfort, I don’t think the message would have been as meaningful.” 

Denise Graveline is a writer and communicator whose Washington, DC-based consulting firm, Don’t Get Caught, provides strategic communications plans; training; and editorial and creative services. A former journalist and communications director for several major nonprofits and a federal agency, she is the 2002 Washington Women in Public Relations “PR Woman of the Year” and a former member of the White House Council on Women.

Kat Fulton

“There’s no wrong way to play” is usually my mantra when facilitating a drum class or music therapy session with older adults. In music, dance, and art, there is no wrong way to express yourself. Whatever comes out is an extension of yourself. (Leave the judgment and criticism behind during this article.) Truly, as much as we urge people to play the “right” notes, get the “right” rhythm, harmonize on the “right” interval, listen for the “right” chord progression, please be mindful that what’s “right” is relative.

As a classically trained pianist with an undergraduate degree in piano performance and music theory, I strongly value what we consider to be “high quality” performance, according to the genre. At the same time, I appreciate another aspect of music, something that goes beyond rules and standards. Something that touches our very core.

Today, there is a separation between musicians and non-musicians, artists and non-artists, dancers and those who say, “Oh, no, I certainly don’t dance.” The truth is that we all have rhythm, we all make art, and we all dance. The heartbeat, our footsteps, our breathing, toe tapping, finger snapping, hand clapping, and vocal rapping! You cannot avoid rhythm.

In my work as a music therapist, the easiest way to prove my point is to hand out a bunch of drums. I provide music therapy to groups of older adults in independent living retirement communities, assisted living, skilled nursing care, and Alzheimer’s/dementia care.

When I meet a new group of older adults, I always ask: “How many of you took music lessons as a child?” Usually more than 90 percent of the participants raise their hands. When I ask: “How many of you play now?” Less than 5 percent of the participants raise their hands.

When I ask them why, some common responses are “I got my hand slapped by my piano teacher or “It wasn’t fun anymore” or “When I sang in the chorus, our director asked me to lip sync” or “I was always intimidated by the requirement of playing in recitals.” After listening to some comments, I suggest that by the end of our session, negative associations with making music will be debunked. Then I demonstrate how fun, easy, and stress-relieving making music can be.

One music therapy experience that I often use is this: Everyone has a drum. I have a guitar. I say “Everyone play just one beat. On your mark, get set, *GO* On your mark, get set, *GO* On your mark, get set, *GO*… *GO*… *GO*…” By then, everyone is playing the tempo to “Blue Suede Shoes,” so “it’s a *ONE* for the money, *TWO* for the show, *THREE* to get ready, etc.” Because this tune is a standard 12-bar blues form, solo and duet opportunities occur during some of the choruses. I simply provide the rhythmic and chordal framework with the guitar and voice while every player is showcased. I encourage participants to make up their own rhythms and experiment during the music. The music-making is a successful hit on the first try!

As a music therapist, I am able to combine improvisational techniques, performance of familiar tunes, drum circle facilitation techniques, and therapeutic skills in one session. Plus, therapeutic goals are achieved and documented: increased socialization, decreased isolation, agitation reduction, enhanced quality of life, and sustained gross motor movement. And, wow, what a meaningful moment it is to see a wheelchair-bound, arthritic 90-year-old woman playing music happily for the first time since childhood!

Kat Fulton is a speaker and board-certified music therapist whose passion is to inspire others to make music. She is the founder and director of Sound Health Music, an organization that uses music to elicit positive change in medical, corporate, and wellness settings.

Gloria Hoffner, a former reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, now has a second career playing music in nursing homes.

Nearly 20 years ago, I had a guitar teacher who made most of his income playing concerts in nursing homes. I never knew such a career existed, and it was years before I met anyone else who did this work. Now, a confluence of events has made playing music in senior facilities a sought-after career – and second career – for both amateur and professional musicians.

For one, the baby boomers continue to age. Not only are there more people living in nursing homes and senior housing, the musicians themselves are aging. Many musicians have grown tired of playing in bars or venues where the pay and audience appreciation may be low. At the same time, there is a better understanding among geriatric professionals that music not only provides entertainment, but healing. It keeps people more engaged in life, with each other, more pain free, and less anxious and depressed.

Although nursing home work has been harder to get during the recent recession, it is there. Below is an interview with Gloria Hoffner of Media, Pa., who successfully transitioned from a journalism career to playing music in nursing homes and senior living facilities.

LRG: How long did you work as a journalist and what did you cover?

Gloria Hoffner (GH): I was a reporter at The Philadelphia Inquirer for 21 years. During that time, I covered everything from town meetings to a murder. Most of the time I covered education in the suburbs with a focus on special education and autism. I am very proud of a story that exposed a lack of classrooms designed for students with autism in Delaware County. It resulted in a state investigation and an order requiring all districts to serve students with autism within their own district schools.

LRG: What prompted you to switch careers – and play music in nursing homes?

GH: I worked at the paper through several buyouts, downsizings, and two sales of the company. So with the future of newspapers looking grim, I looked into switching careers. I’ve spent my life volunteering for various organizations so it was natural to look at my work in that area. I’ve been a registered Girl Scout since childhood and a leader; a Boy Scout leader since 1987; a church and community volunteer; etc. I played in an adult band and we played concerts once a month at local nursing homes. While playing in nursing homes, I met activity directors. Being an activity director seemed like a career that might interest me.

I took a part-time job two hours a week at a local nursing home as an activity assistant to get a feel for the work. The director at the home noticed from my resume that I played guitar and asked me to bring the guitar and play for the residents. I loved playing and enjoyed it so much that in the fall of 2006, I enrolled in a course to earn my activity director certification, with plans to complete the course and then look for a job as a director. 

LRG: How long have you played music?

GH: I played piano in elementary school, picked up guitar in junior high, and added baritone horn in high school. From high school on I played guitar at church and scouts. I taught private guitar lessons and formed a group and played professionally at weddings throughout the 1970s and 1980s.  I majored in journalism and minored in music at Temple University where I earned a B.A. I have played guitar at church services most years since 1969.

LRG: Do you have any formal training in singing?

GH: I sang in “Messiah” with the Main Line Chorus in 1985.

LRG: What is a typical day for you?

GH: I have no typical day. That is one of the things I love, as I also never had a typical day at the newspaper. Every day brings a new chance to meet people and play music. On average, I play at two locations a day. I play music for an hour at most locations.

LRG: Are you ‘performing’ or are you running interactive sessions?

GH: I do both – I play and interactive with the audience.

LRG: What songs do you play? Do you take requests?

GH: I play classic sing-a-longs, showtunes, country tunes, patriotic songs, holiday themes. I do take requests.

LRG: Are you on a stage or do you just play in a room?

GH: I play in a room usually. I bring my guitar, music stand, and an amp system.

LRG: For those who are interested in playing in nursing homes/independent living facilities, what advice can you provide?

GH: This is a very rough time due to cutbacks in nursing home budgets as a result of the housing downturn – seniors who can’t sell their homes don’t move into retirement communities – and the government is cutting back funding for public nursing homes. I’ve since discovered there are hundreds of seasoned musicians that have been playing at nursing homes for years; sadly, due to the recession, many are turning to other venues. I wake up every morning in prayer for the new day. I am fortunate that my home is paid for, my husband has health insurance for both of us, and I have always lived a thrifty lifestyle.

LRG: Did you ever work as an activity director or have you stuck with playing only?

GH: A friend said, “Why take the director’s job (three were offered) when you can play music?” I didn’t do what I naturally would do as a journalist – research. I listened to the Lord and my heart – and my husband said, “Try it for a year.”

LRG: What can someone generally charge an hour?

GH: It is so individual I would not want to say.

LRG: How many hours is a ‘gig’?

GH: That depends on the client. Usually an hour – but I’ve done up to four hours at one location.

LRG: What do you like best about your work?

GH: I LOVE working with people! It is what I loved about being a reporter – never the elections, the courts, the cops… I loved feature stories and telling the story of each individual’s impact on the world. And best of all, being a small cog that helped make a difference – eg, writing about homeless families and the response from the readers, which placed seven families in homes!

LRG: What reaction do you get from your audiences?

GH: I get smiles, hugs. I’ve had people who stopped speaking due to dementia sing all the words to a Christmas carol. I had a woman who, after months of silence, spoke up and said to her husband, “We heard that song (I was playing) at the Latin Casino,” and tell the memory in detail. I had a woman, a former scout leader, for whom I played Girl Scout songs; she had severe dementia, but she remembered me, the songs, and the event three weeks later! I’ve had people wheeled into an area for music who come in complaining of pain and leave smiling and thanking me for the music making them forget their pain.

LRG: How do you go about finding work?

GH: It is word of mouth, my website, networking. A lot of musicians use agents and some nursing homes hire only through agents. I use agents, but mostly I am on my own.

Drumming can help people with Parkinson's retain better control of muscle movement.

A college friend with whom I have not spoken in years contacted me recently. Just as she and her husband were looking forward to the next phase of their lives, she learned last year, at 49, that she has Parkinson’s disease.
 
She saw the Music After 50 site, and asked me if I knew what instrument she might take up as a form of therapy in the very early stages of the disease. Her note is a reminder that life changes in an instant, and that change is only dealt with moment by moment and day by day.
 
The beauty of music is that it requires “in the moment” focus. If you worry about the ending of a song while you’re in the middle of it, you’ll lose your place. All you can do is attack the note or measure that’s in front of you. The same is true with illness; there is often no choice but to manage it a day at a time.

From the research I was able to do, it appears that singing and drumming are two great musical pursuits for someone with early-stage Parkinson’s disease. Both are incredibly joyous pursuits, so I hope my friend gives each a try.

Neurologist Daniel Tarsy, Director of the Parkinson’s Disease Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, was recently awarded a grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to lead a study comparing standard voice therapy to singing therapy to treat the decreased voice volume experienced by many Parkinson’s patients.

“Musical therapy is currently being used for rehabilitation from other types of neurological conditions, such as language impairment following stroke,” Dr. Tarsy said in a statement. “If singing therapy can also improve voice and speech disorders resulting from Parkinson’s disease, this would represent an important alternative to existing speech therapy techniques.”

CNN recently ran an article that profiled a 44-year old woman with Parkinson’s who spearheaded the establishment of a chorus called “Sing for Joy” in London that is made up of people with neurological conditions and their families.

One member of the chorus, who has multiple sclerosis, told CNN: “All neurological conditions affect the throat because it has so many muscles. So singing, which makes you lift up your body and expand your lungs, is perfect for neurological diseases.”

Drumming is another particularly powerful way to maintain coordination and keep Parkinson’s effects at bay because of its focus on rhythm. Amazingly, people whose movements are frozen by Parkinson’s are sometimes able to move normally when rhythmic music is played. Read stories here about people who were able to regain movement through practice with rhythms.
 
The neurologist Oliver Sacks has written extensively about the benefits of music for neurological disorders; he is quoted in this excellent story in U.S.News and World Report about the benefits of music for people with Parkinson’s. Most exciting is the evidence that playing the drums and other rhythm instruments may help even more than listening.

Here is a passage from the U.S.News story:

Actually playing music, which requires coordinating muscle movements and developing an ear for timing, can also bring dramatic results, says Rick Bausman, a musician and the founder and director of the Martha’s Vineyard-based Drum Workshop. The workshop uses traditional drum ensembles, in which groups of participants play percussion pieces, as one form of therapy for patients with a variety of cognitive and physical disabilities, including Parkinson’s disease. Bausman teaches participants to play along with traditional Afro-Caribbean beats like the Haitian kongo and Cuban bembe using congas, bongos, and djun-djun drums. “Participants report that their control of physical movement improves after playing the drums, their motion becomes more fluid, they don’t shake quite as much, and their tremors seem to calm down,” says Bausman.

Indeed, research on the effects of music therapy in Parkinson’s patients has found motor control to be better in those who participated in group music sessions—improvisation with pianos, drums, cymbals, and xylophones—than in people who underwent traditional physical therapy. But gains were no longer evident two months after the sessions ended, so the best results require continued therapy. To stay motivated, Tomaino recommends seeking out both therapeutic drumming groups like Bausman’s and social dance classes. Patients can also create music libraries for CDs or MP3 players that can be used to facilitate walking.

Ron Tintner, MD, a Co-Director of the Movement Disorders and Neuro-rehabilitation Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston, is researching how specific rhythms can help people with Parkinson’s get better control of their movements. Read a short interview with Dr. Tintner here. 

To see what programs may be available in your area, start by contacting the American Music Therapy Association. If you’re at a stage where music therapy sounds too, well, therapeutic, investigate local voice and drum teachers and perhaps begin lessons.

There are undoubtedly many teachers with senior students or others with various limitations that may be perfect for you. Go to a music store that carries the instrument you want to play and ask the staff for teacher recommendations. When looking for a voice or drum teacher, make sure to find one that is involved in workshops and group activities. Read Diana Cole’s advice about how to find a voice teacher.

The New Horizons Band of Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio is one of more than 150 New Horizons bands worldwide that are made up mostly of players 55- through 80-something years of age.

In the late 1980s, Roy Ernst, then a professor at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, envisioned the creation of a music program for retired adults. He thought it would be great fun for the players, but that there would not be much of an audience. Fortunately, he was wrong.

Today, Ernst’s 19-year-old organization, New Horizons International Music Association, has thousands of members around the world, and has spurred the development of more than 150 bands that play swing, pops, jazz, and classical music to packed, enthusiastic audiences.

Ernst’s philosophy was that “anyone can learn to play music at a level that will bring a sense of accomplishment and the ability to perform in a group.” Indeed, many band members have started in their retirement years with no musical background at all.

Music After 50 talked to Pam Bolton, a vice president of the New Horizons board of directors, about how she got involved in the organization and how you can, too.

LRG: How did you first hear about New Horizons?

PB: In April 2001, I retired as a production coordinator-manager for the Canadian division of Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.  A year later, my former high school music teacher, Peter Ford, called and asked if I would be interested in playing again, as he was starting a New Horizons Band in Peterborough (Ontario, Canada). I attended his first information meeting, fell in love with the whole New Horizons band concept, and I immediately jumped on the bandwagon. I have never looked back, and I readily and happily admit that it has taken over my life. I play alto sax in a wind ensemble, a swing band, a sax quartet, and a 20-piece band that performs at retirement homes.

LRG: Do you require that New Horizons band members have a minimum amount of experience with an instrument? 

PB: No. Every New Horizons band is self-governed and every new group builds their band based on the needs of the people that join. Most will include quite a few people who have never played, some who played many years ago and want to play again in their retirement years, and those that have always played but want to learn a different instrument. 

LRG: Do you connect the non-musicians with local teachers?

PB: Yes. Some of the New Horizons organizations are affiliated with universities such as the Rochester band (the first band originally formed by Roy Ernst), and they provide music students to assist with the teaching aspect. Many people find teachers on their own and take lessons in conjunction with the instruction they receive within their group. Our group has five full bands - with each band playing the grade of music suited to the participants’ stage of learning. As members improve, they advance to the next level.

LRG: What is the general age range of participants?

PB: It is open to all adults, but the majority of players are between the ages of 55 and 80.

LRG: Have you noticed an increase in membership?

PB: Yes. I don’t know the precise figure, but yes, membership increases every year as new bands are formed. 

LRG: Say I’d like to start a band in my community. How do I get the ball rolling?

PB: First check and see if a group already exists. Then, take a look at the groups in the planning stages. If no group exists, we provide start-up kits that can get you going.

LRG: How are you funded overall, and how are the individual bands funded?

PB: New Horizons receives a small amount of revenue via individual and business membership fees. The NAMM foundation has provided grant money that has been used for various special projects.
 
LRG: At what kinds of venues do the bands play?

PB: Concert venues, benefit concerts at various locations, retirement homes, special events.

LRG: Which venues are your personal favorites?

PB: I love the senior homes because their response to both the music and the musicians is wonderful and we are equally warmed by their enthusiasm.

LRG: What are some of the organization’s future goals? 

PB: We will continue to support our existing bands and assist in the formation of new groups throughout the world. The 20th anniversary of New Horizons is in 2011, so plans for various celebrations are underway and a committee has been appointed to organize special events.

LRG: How has playing in a New Horizon’s band personally affected you and your life? 

PB: I am having the time of my life. The music keeps my body healthy, my mind active, my soul nourished and my heart filled with joy. And as if I needed anything more – I have about 100 or so new friends. My husband is the beneficiary of my good humour, the supporter of my addiction, and my children and grandchildren are all proud of my accomplishments.

LRG: Read about Lynette Berigan’s experience (a French horn player) and Mona Van Vooren’s experience (a sax player) with New Horizons bands.

Barry Bittman, MD, oversees clinical and research studies for the Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute.

Music is as old as mankind. And yet, the physical, emotional, and biological effects of playing music have not been widely studied. Over the past several years, the Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute has been on a quest to change that. The institute supports what is probably the largest body of scientific research in the world on the biological effects of playing music.

Barry Bittman, MD, the Yamaha institute’s president and CEO, oversees both clinical and laboratory studies for Yamaha. Among the researchers’ findings: “recreational music-making” modulates natural killer cell activity in the body, a marker of immune response, and reduces stress as evidenced by changes in cells at the molecular level.

Anyone who plays music knows about its positive effects first-hand. So, why go to the trouble to prove its benefits scientifically? Because only 7.6% of the U.S. adult population plays a musical instrument, says Dr. Bittman, and musical instruments could be used more widely in health care settings to reduce stress, improve mood, lower blood pressure, and possibly affect the course of many diseases including cancer and heart disease.

LRG: How did your interest in mind-body medicine begin?

BB: I began my career as a mainstream neurologist practicing in the early 1980s. I’m 57. I felt we needed a more collaborative and holistic approach to help people move past their perceived obstacles. In addition to my role as CEO and president of the Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute, I serve as CEO and medical director of the Mind-Body Wellness Center in Meadville, Pa. In the early 1990s, we did work on laughter and its positive effects on the immune system, and worked on strategies that enabled people to take a more active role in their health and well-being.

LRG: What sparked your interest in studying music?

BB: We were searching for ways to help people with stress reduction. One day I brought colorful Remo drums to a pulmonary rehabilitation group to see if we could use drumming to help people reduce the stress associated with their illnesses. It turned out to be the Lay’s potato chip effect. People couldn’t get enough! Their oxygen masks were falling off; they were breathing better; laughing. People became alive and animated. I said to myself; this is wonderful! Let’s see if there’s a biological benefit to this. I fell in love with what I saw.

LRG: And your first academic paper on the health effects of music was on drumming?

BB: Yes. Our first paper, in 2001, was on natural killer cell activity in group drumming; it showed that drumming had a positive effect on immune response. That paper, in my opinion, held great importance in kicking off this movement we call “recreational music making.” 

LRG: How do you define “recreational music making”?

BB: Karl Bruhn, chairman of the Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute, is considered the father of the music and wellness movement, and spearheaded the concept of recreational music making as a way to promote wellness. At Yamaha, we define recreational music making as music-based activities that unite people of all ages and musical experience. These activities provide exercise, social support, bonding, spirituality, intellectual stimulation, an ability to cope with life’s challenges – it is creative expression that unites body, mind and spirit.

LRG: The Clavinova Connection, where digital pianos (the Clavinova made by Yamaha) are brought to senior centers and other locations sounds like a good example of recreational music making.

BB: Yes. The goal is not music lessons per se, but a way for non-musicians to create music from their hearts and souls within a supportive group. Using pentatonic scales and Clavinova technology, people are able to compose their own pieces without any instruction or prior knowledge of music. Within 2 to 3 minutes, they’re playing as an orchestra. One person could use the Clavinova to sample cello music; another could be ‘playing’ the flute. This is not a synthesizer; these are sampled sounds from real instruments.

LRG: Talk about some of the published research involving the Clavinova.

BB: In one study, we looked at the Clavinova Connection, Clavinova Sing-alongs, and Clavinova-assisted HealthRHYTHMS drum circles, and we documented a positive impact on attentiveness, active participation, socialization, positive mood, affect, contentment/joy, and meaningful self-expression in 550 seniors living in two long-term care centers.  Next we extended our investigation to stressed students. That study, in 2004, using Clavinova-assisted HealthRHYTHMS drum circles, demonstrated reduced burnout, improved mood states, and decreased attrition in 75 first-year nursing students. Cost-savings were projected at $322,000 for each acute care hospital, and more than $1.5 billion annually for the healthcare industry. 

Working with Applied Biosystems – the research firm that successfully deciphered the human genome – we’ve demonstrated effective stress reversal at the DNA level from making music. The study, published in Medical Science Monitor in 2005, was the first of its kind in the field of molecular genomics.

LRG: What research is underway now?

BB: We’re evaluating the impact – at the molecular level – of recreational music making on people with cardiovascular disease. However, rather than limiting our analysis to 47 genes that impact cancer, heart disease, and inflammatory syndromes, we’re studying the entire human genome. Our hope is to learn more about the role of recreational music making as an effective stress-reduction strategy for people facing life-threatening illnesses.

LRG: Are you a musician?

BB: Yes, I was trained as a classical pianist. My last concert was in New York when I was 14 years old. For me at that time, piano was a love-hate relationship. I didn’t understand the value of music in those early years. I came back to playing after becoming a physician.

LRG: What would you tell someone who says he or she isn’t musical?

BB: We all start out as musicians. I believe we’re hardwired for music. Most people go through life thinking they’re not musical. But that’s not true. It’s innate, and when we can realize our capacity, that’s when it becomes magical.

Doctor Marion uses music to engage older people who have lost their zest for living.

Marion Somers recently spied a $75 guitar at a garage sale and snapped it up. Somers, who is 69, doesn’t play the guitar, but she’d like to learn. “I love guitar music,” she says. “I love calypso music and dance music that has guitar; the sound of guitar resonates in my heart.”

Marion Somers, PhD, is known in the elder care field as “Doctor Marion.” She has spent the past 40 years as a geriatric care manager, consultant, lecturer, and teacher in the field of elder care. Her book, Elder Care Made Easier: Doctor Marion’s 10 Steps to Help You Care for an Aging Loved One, gives practical suggestions for caring for an aging parent, spouse, or other loved one.

Music After 50 talked to Doctor Marion about her first-hand use of music with elderly people, and how she has literally seen people get out of wheelchairs to dance when they are engaged through music.

LRG: Why, at age 69, do you want to learn guitar?

DM: Because I have no musical ability whatsoever – other than singing in the shower. I’m a painter and a poet, so I already know how to do those things. I’m looking for something totally new; I know the aging brain continues to grow when it’s challenged. Also, I know that music provides a kind of self comfort. There is a comfort in plucking the strings. And of course I want to challenge myself. I want to learn the guitar and learn how to play chess.

LRG: So, you’re not a musician but you use music in your work?

DM: Yes. I always use music with elderly clients. I was a pre-kindergarten teacher before I worked with the elderly. My PhD is not just in gerontology, but in special populations. I’ve worked with a whole roster of people with handicaps. People who others thought couldn’t be reached, and we reached them through music.

LRG: Talk about how you’ve brought music to elderly people in nursing homes or institutionalized settings.

DM: Thirty years ago, I was bringing washboards and spoons into nursing homes and people who were depressed or unresponsive were playing them, and having a ball. I was once hired by the family of a Hungarian woman in her 80s who refused to communicate because she was placed in a nursing home. She was completely unresponsive to everything, including a form of touch therapy I do. So, I went to the library and found some Hungarian music and played it. It didn’t move her at all. I don’t give up, so I went back to the library and found Hungarian gypsy music and brought it to her. She immediately came alive, and started talking in Hungarian. We got a translator. She was saying: “This is my music! This is my music.” She had been living in her own world. She was able to accept her situation after hearing the music, and started coming to music programs. The gypsy music touched her heart.

LRG: I know that many senior living facilities have concerts brought to them, but there is not much participatory music – where the residents get to learn or play an instrument.

DM: Yes, that’s true. There is so much they could do; sing, play the harmonica. I always bring music to my clients, because I know it’s something they will enjoy, and I can get them rocking! I get them to stand up out of their wheelchairs. There are people who are desperate to get up and dance. But they are in wheelchairs, because of learned helplessness. The harmonica is an easy instrument to learn. It helps them with breath control. When you breathe deeply, you calm yourself. Most of us only use half of our lung capacity. Also, when you play an instrument, you need to concentrate. You breathe more deeply when you concentrate; oxygen feeds the brain, and you relax.

LRG: You mentioned helping an elderly client play the piano for the first time in many years.

DM: Yes, she was 93 or 94 and once played the piano, but could no longer play. So I brought her a Spalding ball to exercise her fingers. She built up her flexibility and finally limbered up her fingers enough to try the piano. She hadn’t played in 20 years. She started playing again, gave concerts to her grandchildren, and became a happier person. Everyone had written her off. We can do so much more when we allow ourselves to be pushed, in a gentle way, toward things that are satisfying to the soul.

LRG: It sounds like music could replace antidepressants.

DM: Absolutely. Music has the power to revive and resuscitate our sense of self. It no doubt has the ability to reverse depressions. You cannot be sad and sing at the same time!

Dr. Gene Cohen, who died on Nov. 7, 2009, showed that aging was a time of creativity, not decline.

Gene D. Cohen was ahead of his time. Well before human aging was studied from a psychological or neurological perspective, Dr. Cohen was doing both. He proved that aging was a time of creativity – and not decline – and spent his life writing and teaching about this phenomenon. Gene D. Cohen, MD, PhD, died this past Saturday at age 65; he had prostate cancer.

A geriatric psychiatrist, Dr. Cohen shaped the field of geriatrics, first through his work at the National Institute of Mental Health in the early 1970s. In recent years, he directed the Center on Aging, Health & Humanities at George Washington University. His work there focused mainly on the creative potential of older adults. He also spearheaded a landmark study showing that engagement in arts programs had signficant health benefits for older adults.

His books included The Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential in the Second Half of Life and The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain.

Drawing on both scientific research as well as in-depth interviews with older people, Dr. Cohen showed that positive changes occur as we age. Cohen frequently spoke of late-blooming artists such as Grandma Moses, Picasso, and Georgia O’Keeffe, who reached their creative peak late in life. His research indicated that the older brain produces new cells when challenged, and that the brain can, in fact, draw on areas that were underused decades earlier. To learn more about Dr. Cohen and his groundbreaking work, read a tribute by his son Alex Cohen on the National Center for Creative Aging website.

In future blogs, I’ll be interviewing experts in the field of aging about recent findings related to music and aging. Dr. Cohen was on my list of people to talk to. I had only recently discovered the National Center for Creative Aging and was awestruck by Dr. Cohen’s body of work. I plan on reading ”The Mature Mind,” and will share what I learn here. If you read it, too, we can talk about it in the Forum.

Jazz vocalist Elli Fordyce recorded her first album at 70 and her second at 72. Both have received critical acclaim.

Elli Fordyce’s first CD, “Something STILL Cool” came out when she was 70 – to rave reviews. At 72, the New York-based jazz singer has released her second and latest CD, “Songs Spun of Gold.” Like anyone who has reached their 70s, Fordyce doesn’t just have a story – she has thousands of them!

There’s the story about how a car accident ended a successful year-long tour with her band in 1976; the story about how she didn’t sing – a single note – for 15 years; the story about how she supported herself for 15 years walking dogs and taking care of pets; the story about how it took 8 years to complete her first CD; the story about how a small dog named Dindi helped her return to singing; the the story about how she acted in film roles over the past 10 years, and finally, the story of returning to doing what she loves – singing jazz in front of live audiences.

Music After 50 talked to Fordyce about her new album, and what it’s like to sing for 54 years before finally recording an album.

LRG: I read that you wanted to be a jazz singer since you were 15 years old. Why jazz?

EF: Jazz spoke to me from the time I first heard it; it grabbed on and would not let me go.

LRG: Who influenced you musically?

EF: If we’re talking about “resonance,” I adored Chet Baker when I first heard him on the radio, first playing, then singing on his next record, back in the ‘50s. June Christy and Chris Connor were my next obsessions. Later, Sinatra (ballads such as “In the Wee Small Hours” and “Softly as I Leave You,” both of which are on my second album) and Carmen McCrae (I own more of her CDs  than anyone else’s in a relatively small collection). I first got the idea of jazz singing from Ella [Fitzgerald], and Stan Getz (with Johnny Smith on guitar) swept me away. Later my big love affair was with his bossa nova stuff, and then with any bossa nova. Their music sank in, simmered, and came out my way.

Barry Harris [the jazz pianist, composer and teacher] played a huge part in helping me integrate all the listening, thinking about, and trying to sing jazz since those early days. Things he says to his vocal workshop groups (which I attended twice a week religiously for two years) were multiple lightbulbs going off for me. I owe him a great debt and profoundly remember everyone of his pearls.

LRG: Who influenced you personally?

EF: My biggest influences are metaphysical teachers, teachings and techniques. As far as naming names, I’d have to say Bobby Darin (then Cassato) and my friend/producer/engineer, Patrick Lo Re. In my second year of high school, I met Bobby and we became close friends. He began studying acting and never thought of himself as a vocalist; he played drums in a jazz group and fooled around imitating pop singers sometimes. I remember one of our conversations when he told me he knew that somehow he was going to make it in the business. I didn’t believe him because that seemed so impossible. I’ve never, even to this day, known anyone so focused or dedicated; I was not at all surprised at his great success and longevity.

Patrick Lo Re is a great mentor. He was so faithful and steady at the mind-numbing task of meticulously editing and pulling together the pieces of a CD. Patrick stuck with me through a lot of soul-searching, digitally capturing a lot of what was inside me, some of which I didn’t even know was there, and supported me through what ended up to be the year-long production of our second CD, “Songs Spun of Gold.” One of my early managers said, “You’re the best Elli Fordyce there is, no one will ever do Elli Fordyce as well as you,” which was and continues to be very helpful to me.

LRG: Is 70 the new 50?

EF: I think it depends entirely on the person. For me 70 is the new 50, anyway. I think I’m in at least as good physical shape and mentally and emotionally, am better off than I was in my 50s, and my 40s are only a messy blur.

LRG: Your style reminds me of Diana Krall? Do you agree with that comparison?

EF: There are many generic similarities and many subtle differences. Certainly, her popularity opens people’s ears for jazz vocals.

LRG: You mentioned that you liked a certain period of Sinatra. What was he doing during that period?

EF: He did brilliant work in the early ‘50s; some of his later “sincere ballad” stuff was also wonderful. I saw him live once in ’67 and was astonished at his vocal stamina, his connection with the audience, and his groundedness as a performer. A true icon of the genre.

LRG: The first thing I noticed about your singing was your wonderful phrasing. Is your phrasing a conscious effort?

EF: Phrasing is like breathing to me. It’s intense conversation set to melody and rhythm. You don’t think about how you phrase what you say, when you’re really in-the-moment and engaged in saying it. I’m the same with singing if I’m really in it. In the ‘70s I was working in top-40 “cover” groups, and my job was to do hits relatively closely to the originals. I used to make a conscious effort to not re-phrase; to try to imitate. I was never great at that, I’d simulate it but sometimes would be told I was “too jazzy.” I’ve always had a hard time with exact replication of phrasing and notes — can’t even lip sync to my own stuff! I was in a film shoot where I was supposed to lip sync to two of my tracks and it was a disaster; they had to keep the camera off my face most of the time since they wanted to use the recorded versions, which didn’t match! I hardly ever do anything identically.

LRG: Many people say they don’t like jazz, but they like certain jazz artists. Such is the case with your work, you’ve said.

EF: My music often attracts people who say they are not into jazz. I think it’s because they have a fixed idea of what jazz is, whereas there are many sub-genres. Singers  like Diana Krall, Harry Connick, Jr., Tony Bennett or Michael Buble cross those barriers and I relate to all of them, but feel I’m a bit jazzier most of the time. I take a few more liberties and yet I’m more of an entertainer than many “jazz” singers; more cabaret-ish, in a sense. When I sing a ballad, I’m walking through a movie scene or a memory and people often get that.

LRG: Where are you performing next?

EF: I have two gigs near me in Westchester (NY) in November. My manager is also working with an agent who has promising stuff on the back burner. There’s no predictability to that aspect.

LRG: Would you like to stay close to home or would you tour if given the opportunity?

EF: I love to stay close to home, have gigs across-the-street and down the block! But I’m also eager to tour when given the opportunity. 

LRG: Watch Elli Fordyce sing “Our Love is Here to Stay.”

Stephen L. Cash lives a double-life: Chief hand surgeon at Lankenau Hospital outside of Philadelphia and 'George' in the Beatles tribute band 'Liverpool Beat.'

A thread was started on the Music After 50 forum about joint and muscle pains of guitar players, and how to treat these problems. We didn’t know how to advise one another and then … eureka! I remembered that there is an orthopaedic surgeon in the Philadelphia area who is not only a prominent hand surgeon, but “George” in a Beatles tribute band! What are the chances…?

Stephen L. Cash, MD, chief hand surgeon at the Lankenau Hospital and Medical Research Center in Wynnewood, Pa., and Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University, graciously agreed to be interviewed by Music After 50 on aches and pains of older musicians and, of course, how he came to be George… 

LRG: What are some of the most common problems you see in middle-aged and older musicians (professional and amateur)? 

SLC: Most problems fall into the broad category of “overuse” problems: too much practicing, especially in the younger players who haven’t learned to pace themselves. The older pros know how to do this, but their tolerance for the constant repetitive movement required diminishes over time, so they are at risk for muscle strains, cramping, and tendonitis.  

The appearance of arthritis with aging also causes problems, when joints are no longer as flexible as they once were. Les Paul’s hands were riddled with arthritis, limiting his dexterity considerably. He has been in the news recently because of his recent passing, and in many of the photos you can clearly see the arthritic knobbiness of his fingers. Also, older players often have diminished capacities from awkward posturing.

Occasionally, there are actually instrument issues that contribute to musicians straining to play, such as the set up; the string gauges used by guitarists; poor practice techniques, and the like. 

LRG: Is surgery a last resort for hand/arm problems or is it a common treatment for certain issues?

SLC: Surgery is always a last resort in musicians and non-musicians alike.

LRG:  What types of operations do you mostly perform on musicians?

SLC: Typical operations include carpal tunnel surgery, trigger finger releases, and wrist tendonitis releases of various types. 

LRG: Which preventive exercises or measures do you recommend for guitar and bass players, as well as other string players? 

SLC: Finger and wrist stretching exercises are helpful for any string player. Relaxing exercises can also be helpful to reduce excessive muscle tension and cramping. Strengthening exercises are usually not needed, and in fact, they can be a problem, as they often exacerbate pain, stress, and tension. Pace yourself! 

LRG: The forum members asked a variety of questions: which is better – heat or cold?; are stress balls/tennis balls good for strengthening the fingers? What about glucosamine and chondroitin for joint pain? How about rest?

SLC: Rest is definitely the best medicine. Heat helps some people, cold helps others. Glucosamine and chondroitin are unproven remedies for joint pain. Initially, there was some interest, but the weight of the actual scientific evidence to date has failed to show that this stuff actually does any good. Stress balls and tennis balls for strengthening are probably counter-productive, for the reasons I stated earlier; they can exacerbate the problem. On the other hand, a nerf ball, or other soft squeezable ball, may help with stiff joints, because these emphasize range of motion over strengthening. 

LRG: Where did you grow up, and when did you first see or hear the Beatles?

SLC: I grew up in Syracuse, N.Y., saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan when I was 12, and immediately dropped the trumpet and picked up a guitar. Much cooler! My interest in hands actually was unrelated to guitar playing, but I did appreciate all the fine delicate, dextrous things our hands allow us to do, like playing the guitar.

LRG: Did you ever consider becoming a professional musician?

SLC: I don’t think I ever seriously considered becoming a full-time professional musician, as it’s a difficult way to make a living except for a very tiny few. But I always knew music would be a big part of my life, even moreso when the Beatles came into my life. I am still a huge fan, obviously, since I play in a Beatles tribute band Liverpool Beat. I’ve been with the band since it’s inception, about 6 or 7 years now.  

LRG: How did you come to be “George”?

SLC: Basically I answered an ad, met with a guy who wanted to form a twosome – John and Paul – playing with a backing track. But that didn’t seem too much fun. So, eventually, we found two other guys, and formed an actual band. I became George because I was the best guitar player and already knew all his parts. I liked Paul because he was a lefty, like me, but I liked George the best because he got to play all the cool guitar parts. So all in all, playing George is a good fit for me. 

LRG: How often does “Liverpool Beat” play?

SLC: Currently, we play only every few months or so, although we were happily very busy over the summer. I play for the love of it, and a gig every 3 or 4 weeks would be ideal. I wouldn’t want it to become a “job,” an obligation.

But, there is nothing to compare with playing in front of a live audience, pretending you are the Beatles, and the audience pretending you are the Beatles, with everybody enjoying what is arguably the best music of the 20th century. I just love it, and will continue to play until they pry that guitar out of my cold, dead hands.