by Megan Harding, Keshet Paraeducator & Camp Counselor
Music is a common denominator at Keshet. It’s a language we can all understand. Every Keshet program uses music to create connection and encourage people to find their voices, we’ve witnessed firsthand the ways it can relax, excite or inspire our participants.
One of the best ways we celebrate music at Keshet is through weekly music therapy, which is a staple of programming at Keshet schools and camps. Participants are not only given the opportunity to play instruments such as a guitar, xylophone or tambourine, they are also able to customize their own experience. One way this is done is by letting each participant create their own version of a song using their preferred places, activities and characters. For example, each participant is given a variety of pictures or words to pick from, and they can hear the song performed based on their choices.
Mike Stock, Keshet social worker and co-director of Camp Keshet South, studied both theater and social work, giving him a unique perspective on music and the positive effects it has. Mike says music and art are important interventions for individuals with disabilities because it activates parts of the brain that are otherwise not being used. Because music uses so many parts of the brain, it is connected to other functions like memory and regulation. For example, music is sometimes referred to as medicine for people with dementia, because if they sing a song from their youth, it can help them recall information and improve communication and mood. One of Mike’s favorite pop culture moments showcasing this is when Lady Gaga sang live with Tony Bennett, who had Alzheimer’s, and was able to perform the entirety of “Fly Me to the Moon,” when prompted.
Mike says using any form of voice and movement such as rocking, clapping, singing or even humming activates the brain. Humming specifically activates the vagus nerve in the brainstem, which is responsible for calming the fight or flight response. In Mike’s own personal experiences, introducing music while individuals are already at baseline helps them use it as a tool when they become dysregulated. He says one student he works with will ask to listen to specific songs when dealing with challenging emotions, because singing along helps them reregulate.
For Emma, a student in Keshet’s Transition Program, music therapy is a highlight of her week and something she looks forward to. “[Music therapy] means everything to me,” Emma shares. “I have no words.” The music therapists at Keshet foster an environment of creativity and support that has gone beyond the classroom for Emma and other Keshet participants.
One of Emma’s memorable moments was when Elizabeth, a Keshet music therapist, introduced her to her favorite artist. “I finally got to know who Stephanie Leavell was and I love her music and I love her talent,” Emma says. Whether it’s Stephanie Leavell, or “Let it Go,” from Frozen, Emma is always singing along to every song she knows the words to.
Emma’s music therapists have also been very supportive of her other artistic endeavors outside of Keshet. In 2019, Emma played the Worker Girl in “The Nutcracker” for The Joffrey Ballet, and Keshet music therapist Erin came to cheer her on. This year, Emma plans to return to the Lyric Opera House to watch “The Nutcracker” with Keshet music therapists and choir instructors Becca and Marly. She says it’s a full circle moment going from performing to watching the show with people she knows and loves, and those who have instilled her love for music.
“Life is a journey–not all of us will get to the same place, but we can all get to our best place if we have tools to get there,” Mike says. Music is one of those tools that Keshet provides to empower participants to live out their best lives. It’s a multisensory experience that enhances growth, releases inhibitions and brings about so much joy.
