One of the most unusual instruments I play is hammered dulcimer. Tuning and number of strings vary from country to country. Generally, in the US and Western Europe, the hammered dulcimer has fifteen to sixteen courses per bridge. Each course has two to three strings. The stings are played by striking them with wooden hammers. Sometimes these hammers are covered with leather or felt for a softer sound. Just like any stringed instrument, the wood that the dulcimer is made

A soprano belting out an aria on stage. A third grader playing a not-so-tuneful version of hot cross buns on a recorder. An Irish session in a pub. A marching band stepping in formation across the field. An impromptu drum circle in the park. A choir joined in praise. The rock band rehearsing in someone’s garage or basement. The toddler dancing to their favorite song on the radio. A father singing a lullaby. Music is about connections, emotions, memories, and good times

I recently read an interesting journal article about music therapy in hospice titled “Music Therapy When Death is Imminent: a Phenomenological Inquiry”. Phenomenology is an approach that is more concerned with the subjective experiences of a few rather than with quantifiable data gleaned from a large number of test subjects. One of the themes that came up in the study was the need for thorough and ongoing assessment. However, assessment was often less clinical and more int

Have you made any New Years resolutions? Are you familiar with the SMART acronym for goal setting? Specific—Being specific isn’t just about numbers. Want to start an exercise program? What kind of exercise are you wanting to do? Measurable—Once again, it’s not necessarily about numbers. How are you accountable? How do you know that you have made progress? Achievable—It’s good to set a challenge for yourself however, do you have the means or the position to make your goal