Discovering Your Music-Ability

Using simple drum circles ... and your own your music-ability can enhance the lives of people dealing with aging, Parkinsons disease and dementia, cognitive challenges such as Autism, and emotional challenges such as depression.

Welcome to your music-ability site where you will find the resources to discover and enhance your skills and understanding about working and living with individuals who have special abilities. You are invited to expand, celebrate, and share new rhythms of opportunity.

Please be patient and check back if our links do not yet bring you to pages as shown. We are working on it!

Songs, Science & Spirit Songs,Science & Spirit

Songs, Science & Spirit is a book which offers insights into the physical and emotional worlds experienced by individuals with special abilities. Click on the Songs, Science & Spirit link above to check out the Table of Contents, read about facilitation techniques discussed in Chapter 6, and to find resources from the bibliography to enhance your understanding and knowledge.

Movement Disorders and Living with Parkinsons disease.

Have you been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease? Are you working or living with individuals with movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease? Go to the Parkinson's link above to discover how to enhance quality of life by using musical techniques.

Read about a study presented to the 2006 World Parkinson Congress documenting how the combined use of rhythm, story, and song serve to challenge minds, ignite spirits, create new opportunities of expression, and enhance music-ability.

Age Related Challenges (Stroke, Dementia & Alzheimer Disease)

Learn how Drum Circles positively affect participants with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. They:

• Show increased attention and participation levels.
• Demonstrate anticipation of challenge and reward.
• Exhibit improved perception, cognition, and recall.
• Display an improved sense of identity and belonging.

Learn the best methods for conducting musical programs. Discover how encouragement to sing old songs can lead to a remembered ability to speak. Understand the underlying factors associated with challenging behavior. Click here to learn more about belligerent or disruptive behaviour

Drum~Story~Songs

Click here to learn how to write and deliver drum~story~songs. Drum Circles and Drum~Story~Songs

Want to see a sample? Click on this link to view a drum~story~song conducted by Heather MacTavish and Zubin Balsara in India for the Mumbai Rotary Club members. India Drum~Story~Song

Skill Enhancement, Education, and Training

Find resources for skill enhancement, education, and training.

Songs, Science & Spirit by Heather MacTavish and Zubin Balsara

Here is a peek into <em>Songs, Science & Spirit</em> showing a sample chapter and more.

An Invitation to Create Drum-Story-Songs

Learn how Drum-Story-Songs create attention and involvement in drum circle settings with people with challenges such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease

Parkinsons Disease and Music

Let's review some Parkinsons disease symptoms and how music affects them.

Contact

Interested in resources for musical gerontology programs shown here? Please contact us.

About Rhythm-Based Event Facilitation

This page explains Rhythm-Based Event facilitation

Heather Can Help

Heather is always happy to assist media representatives with their projects. Some of her areas of expertise are:

Buffalo in the Park drum-story-song

This is a sample of the Buffalo in the Park drum-story-song

July-4th for kids

This is the July-4th drum-story-song for kids.