Involving Senior Citizens in Group Music Therapy

I am delighted to find a book which acknowledges that group music with older people can be much more than a sing-along. Anyone who has suspected this, but feels that they don’t have enough musical training to set up therapeutic music groups, should be encouraged by reading it. – PlusAs well as being fun, these are powerful means of communication at a deep emotional level. – Caring TimesAs Pinson engages one in a lively discourse about therapeutic interactions with older persons, the reader is prompted with practical, step-by-step ways to facilitate meaningful music-making by seniors. This book delivers the what, when, where, why, and how all within the context of an animated conversation. – Anita L. Gadberry, PhD, MT-BC, Director of Music Therapy, Marywood University, and Regional Liaison for North America, World Federation of Music Therapy

Involving Senior Citizens in Group Music Therapy is a manual which gives detailed guidance on how to best engage with „senior citizens? in care homes… He uses a conversational style, quoting amusing anecdotes from his own experience at times, which makes light reading of most of this bookHe also gives examples of actual songs in the appendix… The songs themselves are engaging, rhythmically and melodically varied but also simple and it is easy to see that they would appeal to older people, indeed, to most people who like music.

Joseph Pinson, MA, MT-BC, is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Texas Woman’s University where he teaches courses on music therapy. He also provides music therapy services to older people in local facilities on a regular basis. He has degrees in music from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, and American University, Washington, District of Columbia. He is a published composer and he is the founding director of the Denton Bell Band, a community-based group whose members are adults with developmental disabilities. He has served as President of the Southwestern Region of the American Music Therapy Association. In 2009 he received the Community Arts Recognition Award in Arts Education by the Greater Denton Arts Council. He resides in Denton, Texas.