| Christopher Reeve’s legacy will continue when young patients with spinal cord injuries compose and record original songs as part of a community service initiative called Arts at Your Side, supported through the Arts and Quality of Life Research Center at Boyer College of Music and Dance. A grant for $24,900 from the Christopher Reeve Foundation will support the Singing for Tomorrow project at Shriner’s Hospital for Children from September 2007 through August 2008.
The project’s goals are to help patients better cope with the physical, emotional and social impact of spinal cord injuries, as well with as grief, loss and adjustment issues. The project also will provide a creative outlet for them to communicate and become actively involved with music therapy treatment. Most importantly, Singing for Tomorrow will give patients hope.
“Through this generous grant and the skillful guidance of music therapists, Singing for Tomorrow will help children transform grief into hope, sadness into joy and fear into courage,” said Joke Bradt, assistant director of the Arts and Quality of Life Research Center.
Music therapists and patients will use GarageBand, an Apple songwriting software program that allows patients to hear rhythms, melodies and instrumental sounds. A simple click-and-drag action will allow them to combine musical components and make all the compositional decisions, even if assistance with manipulation of the mouse is required. Patients will receive a customized CD of their original compositions.
The purpose of Arts at Your Side is to provide specially designed arts experiences and arts engagement directly to residents of the Philadelphia area to improve their well-being and serve those most greatly in need.
The Arts and Quality of Life Research Center promotes research, training and innovative programs that demonstrate the unique role of the arts in making a difference in people’s lives by exploring uses of various creative arts to enhance human functioning developmentally, intellectually, psychologically, socially, physically, aesthetically and spiritually. Its research findings will effect policy changes on institutional, state and national levels so that funding for the arts may be routinely included in educational, social and healthcare programs. The center strives to become an international model for arts and quality of life research, education and information. To learn more, visit www.temple.edu/boyer/ResearchCenter.
Linda Fiore is the director of college relations & external affairs at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance.
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