HAMPTON ROADS, VIRGINIA (May 26, 2017) – Today marks the first session of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s new “Generations in Unison” program. The initiative aims to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of memory care and assisted living residents in partnering facilities.
Participating VSO musicians, staff and volunteers have received dementia awareness training. Today’s session will feature a string quartet and will engage participants in a variety of ways, including singing along to familiar tunes or playing along on small instruments like shakers and hand drums. A music therapist will be present to lead residents in each musical activity. Future sessions in this program will also include the participation of student volunteers via the VSO’s education programs, aspiring to foster intergenerational connections through community service.
This first-of-its-kind program by professional symphony orchestra players in Hampton Roads is possible by a grant from the City of Newport News Cultural Attractions Fund.
Becky Watson, MBA, Board Certified Music Therapist and owner of Music for Wellness, LLC, will assist the VSO in programming and facilitating each session. Her company specializes in providing music therapy services for older adults living with dementia. She is also a Teepa Snow Positive Approach to Care trainer/coach for individuals serving those affected by dementia.
“Generations in Unison” will not only make the experience of live music more accessible to elders, but it will also elevate mood, stimulate cognitive function and social interaction, and exercise motor coordination. Ms. Watson explains, “When someone has dementia, their brain is dying. But music is such a fundamental part of who we are, a person’s ability to engage in music remains intact through the entire life span. Music is very powerful and enriches the quality of life for individuals living with dementia.”
The first two sessions will take place May and June, in partnership with Warwick Forest Retirement Community in Newport News, onsite in Keswick Hall. Both concerts feature a string quartet comprised of VSO musicians Amanda Gates (violin), Lesa McCoy Bishop (violin), Jocelyn Smith (viola), and Rebecca Gilmore (cello).
According to VSO Director of Orchestra Activities Dr. Christy Havens, “This program offers an exciting new opportunity for the VSO to serve and connect the community beyond the concert hall and the classroom. And for many VSO musicians and staff who have a shared experience with loved ones suffering from memory loss, the mission is a very personal one.”
Special thanks to the Warwick Forest Retirement Community, Becky Watson, the Madison Symphony’s HeartStrings Program staff, and Newport News Cultural Attractions Fund for supporting this effort.
For more information about the Generations in Unison and other education and community engagement initiatives, please visit our website at www.virginiasymphony.org/educationprograms.php. If your facility would like to host this program, please contact VSO Director of Orchestra Activities Dr. Christy Havens at chavens@virginiasymphony.org. For more information on projects included in the Newport News Cultural Attractions Fund, go to www.nnva.gov.
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Under the leadership of GRAMMY-winning music director JoAnn Falletta, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra is Virginia’s preeminent professional symphony orchestra with a mission of inspiring, educating and connecting audiences of all ages.
Founded in 1921, it is ranked in the top ten percent of professional orchestras nationwide and serves the entire Southeastern Virginia region with Classics, Pops and Family concert series in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News and Williamsburg as well as performances in outlying Virginia and North Carolina communities, reaching nearly 150,000 concert-goers every year. Additionally, the orchestra annually reaches 45,000 children, students and lifelong learners with its education and community programs. The Virginia Symphony has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center and is the cornerstone of the performing arts in Hampton Roads.
Becky Watson, MBA, Board Certified Music Therapist is the Founder and Owner, Music for Wellness from Norfolk, VA. She is one of the rare women and former Navy Captain who served our country for over 25 years in operational logistics. After her Navy retirement, she completed multiple training programs in facilitation of drumming, rhythm, keyboard, and a degree in Music Therapy plus a 6-month music therapy internship at Eastern State Hospital in Williamsburg, VA. Becky creates rhythm-based programs and music therapy services to enhance the quality of life in supporting the health and wellbeing of older adults living with dementia, care partners and healthcare professionals in the Geriatric Industry. Becky is also a certified Teepa Snow Positive Approach to Care (PAC) trainer/coach and provides dementia awareness workshops to care partners and dementia healthcare professionals. She also conducts intergenerational music therapy programs to bridge the generations of preschoolers and individuals living with dementia.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May, 26, 2017
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