Services
Bringing the joy of music to people with challenging situations requires an approach different from traditional music instruction. Physical, psychological and social barriers must be overcome.
The Foundation for Music and Healing, Inc. employs innovative techniques to facilitate the following activities:
- Answering inquiries from and providing free evaluations and orientation sessions to potential clients.
- Providing music lessons at reasonable costs for families already burdened with high medical expenses.
- Providing specialized equipment and facilities to accommodate special needs.
- Administration and coordination of ongoing activities to create an accepting environment for those with special needs.
 How we assist special needs
Lessons are given to provide the benefits of music to those who never thought it possible. Although each case is uniquely individual, these are general principles for successfully working with people with special needs:
- Establish a warm, friendly environment.
- Accept the special needs of every individual without reservation.
- Have fun!
- Involve family members and friends to support music instruction.
- Build strong musicianship that includes note recognition, rhythm and expression.
- Experience success via reasonable tasks and goals agreed upon between student and instructor.
- Reinforce positive behaviors; create confidence with plenty of praise.
- Foster an atmosphere of listening and mutual learning.
- Expand horizons with appropriate new activities.
- Realize that music created on the piano and other instruments is not made with the fingers but with the heart.
- Acknowledge and celebrate the uniquely human enterprise of learning about and making music.
Music is a Metaphor for Life. It represents many of the things we face in everyday living. For instance, it confronts us with challenges to solve problems we sometimes face relating to:
Attention.
It requires the person to focus on symbols and signs which, when
deciphered, become transformed into beautiful music.
Discipline.
Fingering must be figured out and followed. In life, some rules are
there to observe for best results. Practicing these principles helps
us get better at what we want to do.
Action.
Observing mathematical basics means dividing time into units of
measure by counting.
Engagement.
Music helps us to find the joy of meaning through the work of personal
involvement.
Personality.
Music helps us to express ourselves the way we want in a noisy,
confusing and fast-paced world.
Discovery.
The ultimate goal of life is learning how to live. Education should
enable us to teach ourselves how to explore, experiment and succeed.
Learning how to play new music is the objective of music instruction.
Renewal.
Each piece of music offers us the chance to start over again. It gives
us yet another opportunity to make each piece as perfect as it can be.
 Health Benefits of Music and Piano Playing
Rhythmic patterns of music . . .
- Influence breath and heartbeat
- Stimulate brain waves
- Calm nerves
- Promote blood circulation
- Assist with digestion
- Speed metabolism
- Vary blood pressure via auditory stimulus of medulla oblongata
- Reduce pain and can act as an anesthetic under certain circumstances
Music promotes intelligence
It improves coordination between eyes, ears, brain, hands and feet.
It has been shown to help synchronize brain waves to modify behavior.
Extremely low tones influence endolymphatic fluids.
Other benefits
- Improves memory and sharpens hearing.
- Helps the student develop discipline via practicing.
- Promotes creative self-expression.
- Lessons suggest strategies for overcoming problems.
- Facilitates positive social interaction.
- Builds self esteem.
- Improves personal work habits and goal setting.
- Creates relaxation.
Music helps us make sense of the world. It enables us to project a
wide range of ideas and emotions to resolve the tensions of everyday
life.
  
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