Music Therapy

Service Description

Music Therapy Every fourth Wednesday at 11 a.m. The Movement Connection, Colby To attend this free class, you must first complete a required physical intake assessment with Brenda Mazanec at The Movement Connection. The intake assessment is free and helps us fulfill our grant programming goals which makes these Moving to Live classes available. Once you are ready to attend class, please either call or text Elaine Ptacek or email Crystal Berg at parkinsons@movingtolive.org to reserve your spot. Please remember space is limited, so if you are not able to attend class, please be sure to cancel your reservation as soon as possible. Known to have a profound impact on the lives of patients suffering from Parkinson's Disease, we invite you to try out specialized Music Therapy with instructor Jerrilee Shuman. Experts at Parkinson's Foundation say that people with PD who take part in Music Therapy see improvements in movement symptoms, speech, cognitive issues and mental health. Additionally, research indicates a multidisciplinary approach to PD care is the best way to encourage the body and brain to realign and recalibrate for better quality of life. Symptoms reported to improve with music therapy include balance, like stride length, posture and side-to-side movement; the ability to articulate better, increase the volume of your voice and improve the ability to swallow; and singing helps with recall, recognition and attention span, which improves cognitive functions and communication. Additionally, people with PD often experience anxiety, fatigue, sleep problems, isolation, depression and other things that our community of support can help with. Music activities will vary each class, but you can expect to dabble in voice exercises like humming, singing and memorizing lyrics, keeping rhythm, and using a variety of drums and other musical instruments.