Music Helps

2.6 Music & Community with Nina, Alan & Marg

How does music bind your community? 
Music Helps is excited to introduce our first power couple double-bill of guests! Nina has had the pleasure of knowing Alan & Marg Bartley for several years now, as both are founder members of Musical Walkabout’s ‘Songsters’ community music group, co-curated with and for people living with a dementia, people in caregiving roles and health & social care staff.
Alan received a diagnosis of young onset dementia early into his retirement, and has since played an active role in his community. He raises awareness about the realities of dementia through his brilliant poetry and brings people together joyfully by hosting inclusive musical dance and disco nights with his wife Marg. 
Marg has been integral to Musical Walkabout’s explorations of how music can support caregivers, engaging in not only Songsters, but its offshoot ‘Songsters Care’, which provided a space for people in caregiving roles to explore their creativity and independent time.
Both are devoted hearts of their family, and share with Nina all the different ways music plays a part in their day to day lives and their community.
Community music engagement with people living with a dementia has been proven to…
~ Enhance social interaction and communication
~ Foster a sense of belonging 
~ Reduce isolation and create connected communities
These interventions provide a therapeutic and enjoyable avenue for individuals to express themselves, stimulate memories, and improve overall well-being through the power of music. 
These benefits are also available to participating caregivers. For whatever reason, maybe you feel reluctant to dive into music. Not enough time, or energy or support? We invite you to dip a toe and give music a try!
We’re here to help you discover more about the myriad ways to support your wellbeing with music. Listen to this episode of Music Helps and catch up on earlier conversations right here 👉 https://tinyurl.com/35ajsx4z 
Have a listen to the beautiful song from Alan & Marg’s wedding 👉https://tinyurl.com/5dc5anwu
Play Alan's Music Quiz on our Insta page here 👉 https://tinyurl.com/52p5fsrv
#MusicHelps #MusicalWalkabout #Songsters #AlanAndMarg #PLWD #YoungOnsetDementia #Caregiving #SongstersCare #Music #Dementia #Wellbeing #Wonkies #Community #CommunityMusic #THRIVE #DavidGates

2.5 Putting the person first with Nina and Ignar Rip

How important is music to you and your loved ones? 
Nina’s latest Music Helps guest is renowned Dutch music and dementia specialist Ignar Rip, creator of the MuziekGeluk (Music Happiness) methodology, which he has trained health & social care staff and informal caregivers in for many years. 
Ignar’s mission is to see music become a standard part of healthcare, a goal he moves us closer to be empowering individuals, communities and the care sector to discover ways to embed music into the culture of their creative care planning.
During this exciting conversation, Nina and Ignar will signpost ways you can keep your musical choices person-centred, and dig into how music impacts the caregiving and dementia experiences.
Using music to support everyone’s wellbeing can…
~ Reduce agitation
~ Consolidate a fraying sense of identity
~ Connect people across divides in communication
How do you embed more music into your day to day activities, and turn it into a Creative Care Plan?
Listen to this episode of Music Helps and catch up on earlier conversations right here 👉 https://tinyurl.com/35ajsx4z 
Find more about Ignar’s amazing work here 👉 https://tinyurl.com/4t35neyh
Watch the powerful video of former ballerina Marta Cinta González Saldaña that we talk about here 👉https://tinyurl.com/mwwy469y
#MusicHelps #MusicalWalkabout #IgnarRip #MuziekGeluk #MusicHappinness #DutchMusicAndDementiaPractitioner #Music #Dementia #Wellbeing #CareOrientedPlaylist #FabNHSStuff #Songsters #CreativeCarePlan #StartWithThePatientAndWorkBackwards #MusicIsACareTool #WeAreACareTool

2.4 What’s in your Musical Toolkit? With Nina and Randolph Matthews

What’s in your Musical Toolkit?
A master of the multi-disciplinary arts, acclaimed vocalist, composer, performer, loop artist and musical practitioner Randolph Matthews joins Music Helps host Nina Clark to explore the concept of how the contents of our Musical Toolkit shape our lives…and vice versa!
What do you keep in yours?
~ songs, artists, vinyl or downloads
~ ideas for musical activities or cherished live music experiences
Join Nina and Randolph as they explore his varied and adventurous creative life, and for more information on Musical Walkabout’s practice of co-curating a ‘Musical Toolkit’ and how it can benefit people impacted by a dementia, simply visit https://www.musicalwalkabout.com/musichelps
To check out Randolph’s creative output and for links to follow him on social media, visit https://www.randolphmatthews.co.uk/     
Listen here  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l9ESuOaoB4 and find out more about Voice Movement Therapy
If you want us to keep bringing you more ways that Music Helps, simply subscribe to the podcast, or visit our website to discover resources to start designing your own Musical Toolkit https://www.musicalwalkabout.com/resources
Help us keep the music flowing by sharing this podcast with a colleague, friend or loved one impacted by dementia, and leave us a comment on our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter to tell us how your Musical Toolkit is shaping up…
We champion your voice in this growing conversation about music, dementia and wellbeing so why not check out our work to hear what others think, and play it forward by sharing your thoughts!
#MusicHelps #MusicalWalkabout #Music #Dementia #Wellbeing #PLWD #Songsters #RandolphMatthews #Singer #JazzSinger #MultiDisciplinaryArtist #LoopArtist #VoiceMovementTherapy #MusicForWellbeing #NinaClark #MusicalToolkit #Caregivers #LivingWellWithDementia

2.3 De-stress With Balanced Breathing

Do you need a moment of calm? You’ve come to the right place!
In today’s Music Helps playtime session, you are invited to join our host Nina Clark on a gentle exploration of our breath practice...
All you'll need is:
~ somewhere safe and quiet that you can listen without distraction (not while driving please!)
This is a gentle practice, in which we’ll observe our breathing without judgement, apply some simple curiosity and then slow down the pace of our day for a moment. 
Spending time on breathing exercises can cause positive physiological changes.
Did you know that this can help
~ lower blood pressure and heart rate
~ reduce levels of stress hormone in the blood
~ improve immune system functioning?
At Music Helps, we’re interested in approaching day to day tasks with playful curiosity, to assist us access a more easeful way of moving through the world. Aka, less stress, thanks.
Let’s see how we feel before and after a little time spent with our breath. There’s no one size fits all, so be gentle with yourself if this doesn’t feel right for you, and feel free to look into other avenues of stress reduction or breath practice.
Perhaps you’d like to hear more on the 'music and dementia' conversation? Why not help us keep the music flowing by subscribing to this podcast, sharing it with a friend or loved one impacted by dementia, and dropping a comment below!
To hear what others think check out https://www.musicalwalkabout.com/testimonials, and play it forward by leaving us some feedback!
#MusicHelps #MusicalWalkabout #Music #Dementia #Wellbeing #Songsters #BalancedBreathing #Breath #MusicForWellbeing #NinaClark #BreathPractice #Stress #Singing #Playing #Curiosity

2.2 Music & Mental Health with Nina and Sarah Drage

Let’s talk about mental health. 
Our latest guest on Music Helps is the amazing Sarah Drage, Creative Director of Ethical Creatives, mental health advocate and powerful public speaker.
After losing her Dad to alcoholism, Sarah has made it her mission to challenge and address the stigma around alcohol use disorders, running a not-for-profit mental health organisation, connecting to audiences through her TED talk and her online campaigns.
Having just been made an ambassador for NACOA (National Association of Children Of Alcoholics) and become a recipient of the BBC Radio Make A Difference awards, Sarah joins Nina to discuss her experiences, and how she uses music to support her mental health and wellbeing.
Music has the incredible power to lift our spirits, reminding us that even on our darkest days, there might be a melody to bring light to our minds. 
Did you know that…
~ Listening to music releases dopamine - the feel good chemical
~ Sharing music with another person promotes bonding and social cohesion
Help us keep the music flowing and tell us in the comments how you use music to support your wellbeing…
Find more about Sarah's work with Ethical Creatives here 👉 https://tinyurl.com/ysj5enw8
#MusicHelps #MusicalWalkabout #SarahDrage #EthicalCreatives #NACOA #ChildrenofAlcholics #AlcoholUseDisorder #Music #Dementia #Wellbeing #MentalHealth #MusicAndMentalHealth #Songsters #MusicHeals #MentalHealthMatters

2.1 Soundtrack Your Day with Nina and Ashley Roberts

How do you soundtrack your day?
We know how powerful music can be to support our wellbeing, so we advocate for ways to integrate it into your day-to-day lived experiences
As we launch into season 2 of Music Helps, host Nina Clark delves into this idea with Dementia Consultant Ashley Roberts of Dementia Support Australia!
Did you know...
~ you can use music to support daily care tasks
~ meaningful music can serve as an anchor for both caregivers and people living with a dementia
Join Nina and Ashley as they explore this ethos and Musical Walkabout’s practice of using a ‘Music Clock’ approach to living well with a dementia. For more on Ashley’s work with DSA, click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg5Yzc5pn7k and to listen to his Jazzplain podcast, visit https://jazzsplain.com/
If you want us to keep bringing you more ways that Music Helps, simply subscribe to the podcast, or get in touch with Nina for a chat about our training programme at https://www.musicalwalkabout.com/musichelps
Help us keep the music flowing by sharing this podcast with a colleague, friend or loved one impacted by dementia
We champion your voice in this growing conversation about music, dementia and wellbeing so why not check out https://www.musicalwalkabout.com/testimonials to hear what others think, and play it forward by sharing your thoughts!
#MusicHelps #MusicalWalkabout #Music #Dementia #Wellbeing #Songsters #AshleyRoberts #DementiaSupportAustralia #HammondCare #DementiaCentre #JazzplainPodcast #InclusiveMusic #MusicForWellbeing #NinaClark #SoundtrackYourDay #DailyCareTasks #Caregivers #LivingWellWithDementia

1.11 Playful Curiosity and a Songsters session with Nina

Need a little pick me up? Let Music Help!
To celebrate the first season finale, host Nina Clark puts her music practitioner hat on, and invites you to join her in a gentle, joyful Songsters session...
All you'll need is:
~ a 'have-a-go' attitude
~ 10 minutes of 'you time' (yep, you deserve it)
That's it! No musical experience required whatsoever. Maybe you've been made to feel unwelcome in music environments in the past. Well, you're welcome here Songster!
Wether you're looking for the perfect antidote to a rough day or something to start your week off right, let Nina take you on an exploration of playful curiosity, as we warm up, engage our Vagus nerve and learn a beautiful song together.
Nina will be back in September with the second season of Music Helps, bringing you easy, fun and rewarding ways to engage with music to support wellbeing, and more brilliant guests to share their meaningful music experiences with you.
We'll be shining a light on the 'music and dementia' conversation, so why not help us keep the music flowing over the summer by sharing this podcast with a friend or loved one impacted by dementia
We value your voice, wether raised in song or in camaraderie, so head over to https://www.musicalwalkabout.com/testimonials to hear what others think, and play it forward by sharing your thoughts!
#MusicHelps #MusicalWalkabout #Music #Dementia #Wellbeing #Songsters #SkyeBoatSong #InclusiveMusic #MusicForWellbeing #NinaClark #VagusNerve #Vagal #Singing #Playing #Curiosity
 

1.10 The Stride Queen herself, Judy Carmichael joins Nina

All hail, the Stride Queen is in residence!
In this episode of Music Helps, host Nina Clark is joined by utter royalty, the legendary jazz pianist, singer, writer and host of NPR's radio show, 'Jazz Inspired' ~ the one and only, Judy Carmichael.
The world's leading proponent of the inimitable 'stride' piano style, Judy takes time out of her busy touring schedule to share her thoughts on the transformative power of music, why staying curious is beneficial, and how unlocking her singing voice has been a bountiful journey of discovery.
Help us keep the music flowing by sharing this podcast with a friend, and be sure to let us know in the comments below how music helps you!
www.judycarmichael.com
www.jazzinspired.com
#MusicHelps #Podcast #MusicalWalkabout #JudyCarmichael #StrideQueen #Jazz #Pianist #JazzPianist #Stride #StridePianist #JazzSinger #JazzInspired #NPR #NinaClark

1.9 Life lessons and a recipe with Nina and Pippa Kelly

A glorious meeting of minds awaits!
In this episode of Music Helps, host Nina Clark is joined by none other than blogger and dementia campaigner, Pippa Kelly. A woman of many talents, Pippa also hosts the podcast 'Well I Know Now', in which she and guests discuss what they've learnt in their journeys with dementia. 
Listen as Pippa talks intimately about moments from her own lived experiences, shares her musical passions and even a special recipe...
Help us keep the music flowing by sharing this podcast with a buddy, and let us know in the comments below how music helps you!
#MusicHelps #Podcast #MusicalWalkabout #PippaKelly #WellIKnowNow  #Blogger #DementiaCampaigner #Dementia #Music #Wellbeing

1.8 Joyful and accessible music with Nina and Eric Kolb

We've a joyful exchange of ideas for you!
In this episode of Music Helps, host Nina Clark is joined by the our very first international guest, the marvellous Eric Kolb. Hailing from Grapevine, Texas, USA, Eric and his wife Sheryl run 'Songs And Smiles', a 501 non-profit charitable organisation, who use music to help families stay connected through the Alzheimer's journey.  
Eric shares stories of how 'Songs And Smiles' began, during his mother in law Trish's final years living with an Alzheimer's diagnosis, his love of music that combines classical and rock n roll as well as some brilliant tips on engaging people with music in accessible ways.
Help us keep the music flowing by sharing this podcast with a buddy, and let us know in the comments below how music helps you!
#MusicHelps #Podcast #MusicalWalkabout #EricKolb #SongsAndSmiles #ConnectedFamilies #GrapevineTexas