Moving to the beat
Music therapy helps Islanders in their battle with Parkinson’s
One by one, they descend the stairs to a small room in the basement of Central Street Christian Church in Summerside.
They take a seat in the circle that is formed by an assortment of chairs and couches. They exchange simple lines, catching up and chatting about the happenings of the past week. A few people come in at the last minute just as they are ready to begin.
This is Shona Pottinger’s Friday afternoon group. She leads music therapy for about 10 people who have Parkinson’s and MS.
The group started in January and has grown since its small beginnings, but Pottinger says there is still space to grow.
“Always room for more.” The music therapy instructor says music therapy isn’t the same for everyone.
“People with dementia and Alzheimer’s, I focus more on using music they know, from the ’40s and ’50s, but with Parkinson’s, it’s based more on the movement.”
Each session begins with members getting their recorders out and playing a couple of tunes together as a group. It might sound like something more suited for an elementary school music class, but Pottinger says the recorders are used as a tool.
“It helps control their breathing and works on their motor skills.”
They then exit the room and head to the large hall that makes up the majority of the church’s basement. Pottinger enters with a guitar strapped around her and stands in the middle of the room while playing and singing the classic tune, “When the Saints Go Marching In.” The group walks to the beat in a circle around her.
“How well you move changes on the day. It has a steady beat so we can change it,” she said.
Once the saints have all gone in, the group heads back into the room where everyone settle into their seats and goes through a variety of vocal exercises.
With Pottinger on the piano, they follow the rhythm, going from “chi, cha and cho” to “fa, fi and foo,” sounds that help exercise the mouth.
“The mouth has three different parts and these exercises use all three of them,” she said.
She picks up the guitar again and, as a choral group, they go through numerous classic songs such as “Four Strong Winds” and The Beatles’ “Let It Be”.
The session comes to an end and one by one, the group makes their way towards the door.
As they say their goodbyes, almost everyone promises, “See you next week.”
That kind of atmosphere is exactly why Dan Steele wanted a group started in Summerside.
“Each group makes a minicommunity,” he said.
The president of the P.E.I. chapter of Parkinson Canada said the socialization element of the weekly gatherings is a huge plus, but the health benefits are significant.
Steele noted that the recorder playing and singing help ward off pneumonia which can affect a person’s ability to swallow and inhale and can be deadly for people with Parkinson’s.
“This can make a huge difference for people,” said Steele.
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Follow these points and be patient. Happy training!