Keeping music in the community in 2020
It has been known for some time that group singing can provide many positive benefits, both physical, emotional and social. For those suffering with Parkinson’s Disease, it can increase vocal strength, breathing and swallowing control. Research in both music therapy and neuroscience has shown that music synchronizes neural activity, improves cognitive motor responses, sensorimotor, and speech / language symptoms~.
It’s more than just the shakes
Parkinson’s is so much more than just the “Shakes”. It can strike at any age, Abi’s GodMother was just 28 years old when she was diagnosed with the disease in the late 1990’s. Things have come a long way since then. But while there are now better symptom controls there is still no cure. Parkinson’s disease is different with each person, it affects the muscles and can take away the ability to move. It can affect any group of muscles including the facial and eye muscles. Parkinson’s Disease can affect the ability to make facial expressions, to focus, to swallow and speak. Making music and singing can almost be thought of as the ideal therapy for those diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Singing and music making is well known to aid brain functions as it places unique demands on the nervous system. Leading to a strong coupling of perception and action mediated by sensory, motor, and multimodal integrative regions distributed throughout the brain* Music making is also thought to promote the brain’s neuroplasticity. It has also been well documented that both contrast sensitivity and colour discrimination, can be affected early in course of parkinson’s disease. These changes in contrast sensitivity and colour vision and tend to be quite subtle early on, but ultimately tend to progress. Poor contrast sensitivity has also been associated with an increased risk of falls as the condition progresses.
On Song
Singing combines exercise, creativity, fun, teamwork and most importantly, friendship. Long time Allegro Optical client and friend Liz Ryan says “singing is a bit like physiotherapy – in terms of the positive effects it can have for voice, lungs, posture etc”. Liz is one of the founders of the On Song Choir for Parkinson’s Sufferers which meets every Wednesday at 1 pm in the Salvation Army Hall in New Hey. Liz said “Following diagnosis we each find the best way to face the future. Singing is accessible, achievable and – can make a huge difference.
Many of our musical clients support and promote the choir, which is conducted by none other than Emily Reeves-Bradley who visited Allegro Optical earlier this year.
Emily also conducts Honley Girls Choir and Honley Ladies Choir, who recently performed at Huddersfield Town Hall with BGT winners Collabro.
We were lucky enough to attend the performance. It was a pleasure to hear all the ladies, including Liz, sing with series eight champions.
