In support of support groups

The halls are alive with the sound of music! If you walk into Family Alliance’s new Huntley location’s building (just outside of Del Webb) at mid morning on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, you will indeed hear singing and musical instruments being played and the sound of both emitting from a support group meeting room.

Cheryl Levinson, Family Alliance’s Director of Strategic Advancement, partnered with Alan Mogilner, founder of the Sun City/Huntley Parkinson’s Support Group, recently apply for the National Parkinson Foundation’s music grant. Led by Brenda Buchanan, MA, NCTM, the structured music program resulting from the year-long grant “will run until September of this year,” according to Cheryl. Alan adds, “We will be submitting another application soon and annually thereafter.”

Mr. Mogilner continues, “Since FA was to be the recipient of the funds, Cheryl wrote the grant application; I reviewed it. Brenda, the [music] therapist, wrote the portion on the program.”

According to Alan, after Ms. Buchanan assessed the needs of her PD audience to be both movement and vocal, she developed lesson plans with discrete activity segments so that those arriving later in the morning during class time would still benefit from her instruction. The single class period is from 9:30 until 11:30 a.m. with a brief break halfway through. Generally the class size is from eight to 10 people. There is no charge for attendance.

Why am I so enthused about the “We Feel the Beat” program taught within the confines of this Sun City Centegra Wellness Support Group? PD is diagnosed primarily as a voluntary muscle and movement disorder with weakened voice and vocal inflection and balance difficulties as two (amongst other) motor symptoms. In 2000, Italian researchers objectively studied and published (Psychosomatic Medicine Journal) for the first time music therapy’s effect on Parkinson’s patients.

They separated two groups of PD adults into weekly physical therapy sessions and weekly music therapy sessions, the latter of which involved the listening to music, creating it on instruments, and moving to it rhythmically.

The researchers noted, according to WebMD Health News (6/20/2000), that “physical therapy improved stiffness…but did not have a significant effect on overall daily performance. Music therapy did. Patients reported improved ability to do such tasks as cut food and get dressed, and said they were less likely to fall or experience the sudden freezing-up of muscles that occurs with Parkinson’s. Also patients…sometimes have trouble initiating movement [automatically], and music therapy improved this problem…. In other words, they know where to put their feet because the music is giving them a cue: the beat.”

Brenda Buchanan agrees with the Italian findings, “The beat cues the body to respond like you’d like it to.” Alan further agrees, “We use the beat to get our feet moving.”

Entering the support group meeting location, a visitor immediately notes the presence of music instruments, especially various percussion instruments, to be played in accompaniment to the music teacher’s guitar. The participants’ vocal cords are strengthened through the singing of songs and working with kazoos. Upbeat music with various rhythms, often chosen by the students, is also used to develop large motor skills and balance as the Parkinsonians march around the room’s long tables: forward, sideways, arms punching forwards, and legs bending knees, but always keeping their bodies in movement during these music exercises.

Small motor movements are also developed during the instruction of games using rhythmic finger movements to music. Cognitive development even occurs through the individuals playing of instruments at the correct time while reading Brenda’s “music chart” and listening to their tutor’s music.

Those in attendance have been very optimistic about their progress during the “We Feel the Beat” sessions. Steve comments, “I go to movement exercise two times weekly and find this [single and every other week] session as affective as that program. All the movements are good – we need these.”

Marilyn says, “I find it beneficial to work on the fine motor skills.”

Al informs us, “Walking and the exercises were good to try because I’m losing the ability to swing my arms.”

Dave adds, “I’ve noticed my balance and walking have improved since starting the group.”

Referring to using the kazoos, Marlene mentions, “Kazoos help develop my [vocal] strength; I don’t have much.”

And Phil says, “I enjoyed the kazoos and walking to the music.” Annette further comments on the subject of walking, “I saw Phil not dragging his right foot, but using it well during the [walking] exercises.”

Okay all of you other Sun City Parkinsonians, when are you going to help your daily well-being through the development of better movement and walking skills? You have only to call Cheryl at 815-338-3590 or Alan at 847-659-1556 to register for this phenomenal music class and to obtain any up-to-date info needed.

Join the “We Feel the Beat” support group today! Then you too can exclaim in agreement with Alan Mogilner: “I have Parkinson’s, but Parkinson’s does NOT have me.”

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