Music therapy with seniors

Heather is available for both group music therapy sessions and one-on-one sessions with seniors. She has partnered with several local senior care facilities, including Harbor View Cottage in Newcastle, Woodlands Memory Care of Rockland, Knox Center in Rockland, and Quarry Hill in Camden. She works with residents in the memory care units of each facility, leading group music therapy sessions designed to engage the brain, elevate mood, and promote social interaction. Through singing, playing percussion instruments, learning about music, sharing music-related memories, and re-writing well-known songs, residents have the opportunity to exercise their brains and bodies while enjoying each other’s company. 

Research has shown that music can stimulate memories in people with dementia, improve communication capabilities, reduce agitation and pain, and regulate sleep patterns.

Heather has also worked with people with Parkinson’s disease. This disease causes muscle tremors and stiffness, issues with balance, and speech difficulties. In music therapy sessions, Heather uses instruments that encourage a wide range of rhythmic motion in both the arms and legs. Singing and vocal exercises engage and exercise the participant’s oral muscles, promoting better speech quality. 

People at the end of life also have unique needs. Music can provide a way for people to connect with precious past moments and find greater comfort in their present moments. Heather engages in legacy work with people wanting to give their loved ones something tangible to remember them by. Legacy work might include collaborative songwriting, creating a playlist of songs tied to happy memories, or compiling a video presentation complete with photos and music.

Music lessons

Heather offers guitar, piano, and singing lessons in her space or her client’s space, depending on driving distance. 
 

Music therapy with children

Heather is available to work with children who have a wide range of conditions. She has previously worked with children experiencing developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder, and depression, as well as children recovering from brain and spinal cord injuries. 

Children who have difficulty with cognitive processing can benefit from a range of music therapy interventions, including musical pattern imitation, pairing commonly spoken phrases with musical melodies, playing musical memory games, and matching colors with sounds.

Children who have difficulty with gross motor movements can benefit from playing the drums and stomping their feet to music, while children who have difficulty with fine motor movements can benefit from playing piano and guitar. 

Heather promotes self-expression by engaging a child’s natural sense of creativity and fun. Many children love to re-write simple songs, making them personal to their own lives. Heather encourages children with limited self-expression to musically express what various emotions might sound like. Playing instruments and singing make the hard work of physical recovery and cognitive re-wiring more fun and accessible for children. 

Music therapy with adults

Adults can experience mental health issues, chronic disease, physical challenges, and substance dependency. Heather tailors each music therapy session to fit the unique needs of the adult, or group of adults, she is working with. In music therapy groups for people with substance dependency, she helps the group choose songs that reference the difficult emotions participants are experiencing, analyzing the lyrics and sometimes re-writing them to reflect participants’ thoughts and emotions. When working with an adult with anxiety, Heather might introduce music that mirrors the person’s racing thoughts, working with the person to slowly bring down the tempo and energy level in order to introduce a calmer mind state. Adults in rehabilitation from an injury can benefit from the strengthening, stretching, and range of motion that playing an instrument brings.