Talking Up Music Education is a podcast from The NAMM Foundation about music education. Download and listen to episodes highlighting music therapy.
Feaured Episodes Highlighting Music Therapy
Mandy Harvey: The Courage to Have an Infinite Number of Dreams
Kala artist, vocalist, and America's Got Talent contestant Mandy Harvey found her voice after a devastating hearing loss that derailed her plans to become a vocal teacher. Through family encouragement and the realization that at her core, she was a musician who just happens to be deaf, Harvey relearned to play music and to sing by feeling the vibrations of the instrument along with the assistance of a visual tuner. She shares her inspirational story and performs LIVE from Summer NAMM.
“I'm finding a different way to experience music," said Harvey. “Now when I sing, I sing so much more freely than I ever have before, because I can't tell myself it wasn’t good enough. I feel like the whole experience has caused me to become a better person, but a better musician as well.”
Adaptive Technology Levels the Playing Field for Quadriplegic Musicians
Mike DiCesare, co-founder and President of Jamboxx shares his commitment to making a product that allows everyone to play music, regardless of ability. The Jamboxx is an electronic, USB-powered, breath-controlled instrument styled after a harmonica that plays digital MIDI notes. Notes are played by sipping or puffing via the mouthpiece. Moving the mouthpiece left or right determines which note is played.
“We view this as a platform technology that allows you to really control all kinds of different things,” said DiCesare. “One of the off-shoots of what we've been doing is—because individuals with disabilities tend to have decreased respiratory function, especially when you're in a wheelchair all day and you're not exercising, you're not moving around. We feel that this might be able to help with that. You're exercising your lungs.”
Rising Up With Music After Tragedy: The Song Goes On
Fred Schiff of All County Music chats about how music is bringing layers of healing to the Parkland, Florida community after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. Sitting down with Mary Luehrsen at NASMD, Fred talks about how music has helped the community of Parkland move forward and rise up. His company gave away 50 trombones in 50 different schools to recognize Alex Schachter, a freshman band student who was killed during the shooting.
"The musical life is what healed those students who were involved in band, " said Schiff. "Two of the students who were killed were in the band program. One was in the guard and did the rifles and the flags; and the other one, Alex Schachter, was a trombone player; and they were both freshmen in the band. They were just starting their journey with that organization, and just like everybody else, they loved it."
Subscribe to Talking Up Music Education
Where to subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Spotify
Talking Up Music Education is a podcast produced by The NAMM Foundation about music education. Host Mary Luehrsen chats with teachers, parents, students and community leaders who share stories about what they are doing to create music learning opportunities. Please download, share and subscribe to keep up with the stories that make a difference in music education advocacy.