Parkinson's: Singing With Pam

 

A Journey Into Parkinson's with Nancy Mellon

Coordinated by Corrine Bayraktaroglu

 
Singing with Pam

“I'm so Glad We've had this Time Together”

 Trivia Question- Do you know who wrote the song that Carol Burnett always sang to close her show?  (check for the answer after The Snark and I say 'So long!')

It's a sweet, simple song and a fun way to sing goodbye to friends.

 I'm so glad we had this time together

Just to have a laugh, or sing a song.
Seems we just got started
and before you know it
Comes the time we have
to say, 'So long.'

Pam ends her Parkinson's voice class with this song each week.  We all sing it together.  Because we are singing through Zoom,  our voices blend in  a couple of seconds off each other, but it feels good. Pam Richardson is a Music Therapist.  Which I didn't know existed, but makes sense.  Last week, I had the pleasure of joining her Zoom class.  It's called “Speaking with Purpose.” It's a free class through Ohio State University and the Parkinson's Foundation.   Just click on the blue OSU link and it will get you there to see all they offer.  It is amazing to me how many groups have free classes for People with Parkinson's.  It has bowled me over.

My voice has been going a little wonky on me for the last couple of years.  I didn't know it was Parkinson's. My voice goes out on me at times or gets breathy or quiet.  Sometimes my tongue feels clumsy so it can feel kind of hard to talk.

Vocal problems and breathing too shallowly, can happen to people with Parkinson's.  So often it is suggested to do breathing exercises, vocal exercises and to sing.  Voila! Along came Pam. And she does it so well!

Pam checks in with each person first to hear what has been a joy in their last week.  So you get  to know each other better, with a bit about what is good happening in our lives. Then comes physical warm up exercises and vocal warm up exercises.  Next, we sing songs that are familiar and fun (like one of my favorites “I Love to Laugh” from Mary Poppins)  She puts up the words to the songs so it's easy to sing along.  There are also short breakout sessions- we break into small groups of 2's and 3s,- she switches them up each time, so you get to know each other more.  She gives us all the same question to chat about. So far in the 2 sessions that I have gone to, the questions were:

 “What did you do in 1964?” I was 11, getting over Elvis and beginning my crush on the Beatles. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH! It was a hard year, I didn't know which album to request for Christmas. I didn't want to be disloyal to Elvis but really wanted the “Meet The  Beatles” album.

 The 2^nd question was:

“What do you remember about a festival or carnival experience you've had?”  This is the story I told: I was maybe 14, and went with my cousin to a small carnival.  We watched an exotic young man with long dark hair and long fingernails doing magic tricks with cards. After he was done, we walked away and pretty soon we heard a voice behind us singing “There is someone walking behind you, turn around, look at me.” It was the magician.  He said he had something he wanted to show me. We went to his tent and he went in and came out with his hands cupped together. He invited me to open his hands and look.  I went to look and when he opened his hands, there was a tiny baby rabbit. He said it reminded him of me. We said goodbye and left.

 After we got home, I cried because I thought, I'd missed my chance,

 I should have stayed with him and joined the circus.

so long,

Nancy & the Snark

(Joe Hamilton, Carol Burnett's husband,  wrote “I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together.”)

Speaking with Purpose is a group exercise class that is instructed by a board certified Music Therapist with collaboration of a Speech Pathologist. Participants and their care providers meet for one hour and participate in rhythmic movement exercises, diaphragmatic breathing, voice exercises, singing, cognitive tasks and conversation tasks with a partner. Targeted training for voice and therapeutic singing have been associated with lasting changes for people with Parkinson’s in regards to vocal volume, speech intelligibility and overall mood.  

This class will be offered via Zoom.  

Sessions/Time: April 7 – June 30 // Thursdays at 10 – 11 am. & 2 – 3 pm.

Cost: Free

Questions? Email: pamilyn.richardson@osumc.edu 

Register Here

When your registration is received, you will be emailed the Zoom meeting number to join the class.

Footnotes from Corrine

I  used to love being in drum circle in Yellow Springs. Drumming circle and singing being in harmony with others was such a spiritual and comforting thing to do. Anyway I found this marvelous video Treating Parkinson’s With Song by Merrill Tanner from the University of Alberta. I hope you dear readers enjoy.