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Teens on the Scene: Music #3 Deepa Rajan “Harmonies for the Elderly”

Clean Teen Reads

Dual Role

This post serves a dual role. It’s definitely a Teens on the Scene featuring the young founder of an organization called Harmonies for the Elderly.

And it’s also the third post in my series on music—this one dealing with music and the memories. (See Music Part #1 HERE, and Music Part #2 HERE)

Music therapy for the elderly is a fairly recent concept, but it’s a well-known fact that music has the almost-magical ability to conger up memories from the past. This happens with anyone, including those who are suffering from mild or severe dementia, as well as Alzheimer’s.

Clean Teen Reads Founder of Harmonies for the Elderly

Violinist, Deepa Rajan, founded Harmonies for the Elderly in 2010, and since then has gathered a team of dedicated young musicians to build and expand the service. Deepa likes to focus on facilities in lower-income areas where the ability to supply music therapy might be out of their budget range.

As stated on the Harmonies for the Elderly website: Music has the extraordinary power to bridge the gap between the youth and elderly populations.

Listen to Deepa’s TED talk here to learn more about her, her vision, and the organization she founded.

Music plays a huge part in my teen novel Lingering Dreams.

You can read the first chapter right here:

FREE Download of Chapter 1

Clean Teen Reads

Music Part #2: Music and the Emotions (with “Musicians on Call”)

In my recent post Music Part #1: Teens, Music, and the Brain, we took a look at how music affects the brain. For me, personally, I always have classical music playing in the background on my computer while I’m at work writing. I’m convinced it helps me think more clearly.

In this blog, we take a look at the amazing way music affects a person’s emotions. I’m highlighting an amazing group called Musicians on Call.

Their website says:

It’s no secret that music can help you feel better. That’s why Musicians On Call brings music to the people who need it most – hospital patients.

Musicians On Call brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities. By delivering live, in-room performances to patients undergoing treatment or unable to leave their beds, we add a dose of joy to life in a healthcare facility. Since 1999, Musicians On Call volunteer musicians have performed for nearly 600,000 patients and their families.

What do you think? Cool, huh? If you’ve ever had to stay in the hospital, even for a short time, you know how dull and boring it can be.

You can find scads of MOC’s videos on YouTube, but this one tells their story in a WOW reality. Check out Andrew Leahey’s story!

Moving into Music Part #3 we learn about how music affects memories. Check out Part #3 right HERE

Music plays a huge part in my teen novel Lingering Dreams.

You can read the first chapter right here:

FREE Download of Chapter 1

Clean Teen Reads