Workshops
To get a downloadable recording of the teleseminar “Music for an Ageless Mind,” which we presented on February 21st, 2010 please click the Buy Now button below.
Cost: $20. Or, if you prefer, you can send a check made out to Joshua Berrett, PhD to 55 East Way, Mt.Kisco, NY 10549-3504.
As always, we are happy to answer your questions. Contact us at musicandhappiness@gmail.com
You know the old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” More and more research supports this ancient wisdom.
That’s why we have created a music appreciation program dedicated to promoting the health of your brain (and with it, your mind, body and spirit) through music.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First Session: Music Appreciation for an Ageless Mind
The good news these days is that we now know our brains don’t have to deteriorate as we grow older.
But the realistic news is that we need to call on curiosity and other personal strengths to to keep our dendrites growing and synapses firing.
Amazingly, there are longitudinal studies of people whose brains, after death, were found to to show signs of Alzheimer’s Disease even though they didn’t manifest cognitive decline even in old age. This is most probably because they were able to call on extra cognitive reserves for protection.**
The possibility that exercising your mind, body and spirit as a whole can delay the onset of brain diseases is reason enough to make the effort. Using music is one of the easiest and most natural ways to do just that.
Our first session explores the topic of the aging brain (aging starts earlier in life than you might imagine) by bringing you relevant music and activities that incorporate the good news about aging.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**See E. Goldberg, The New Executive Brain (Oxford U. Press, 2009). Dr. Goldberg advocates activating many different parts of the brain through a “balanced workout.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Each session is on a separate topic. We have planned a variety of 75 minute teleseminars you can participate in by phone from the comfort of your own home.
- In each session we will introduce you to stimulating information and activities around music. The group interaction we encourage adds special energy to this experience, whether you attend in person or can only listen to the recording.
- We will guide you to listen to music so that your brain is challenged to stretch and grow. Continually expanding your horizons helps develop neuroplasticity, a major contributor to brain health.
- We will lead you through exercises which spark the mind-body-spirit connections so crucial to a high quality of life at any age.
- We will show you how listening to the right music consciously, with intention, can boost the inner strengths that foster authentic happiness.
- We will help you, if you wish, develop a personal Mindful Musical practice that can easily fit into your daily life and continuously nourish your total well-being.
Subscribe to our newsletter to become part of our mailing list for future workshops and teleseminars.
Questions or comments? Contact us at musicandhappiness@gmail.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Music and Happiness Workshops
Music and Happiness Interactive Workshops invite adult participants to learn how to nourish their bodies, minds and spirits through music. We focus primarily on people over 50 who are interested in staying active, healthy, and engaged for as long as they can.
Most people like music, but their enjoyment tends to be passive.
Our participants experience music actively and learn the many ways they can naturally sustain their well-being as they grow older through the mindful use of music.
In our workshops participants have fun doing various things to many kinds of music in the company of other adults. We focus on activities that encourage participants to:
- move to music playfully
- sing along and try out different kinds of instruments
- have fun with unfamiliar music
- learn surprising new things about old favorites
- share their own favorite music
- promote continuous brain development through new learning
- dream and envision to music
- try out new kinds of activities which can bring long-term benefits
- enhance their curiosity, optimism and everyday creativity through these experiences
We draw on Positive Psychology research on well-being, combining exercises that have been shown to promote resilience and increased happiness with music to boost their effectiveness.
The knowledge and skills participants gain from these workshops can be carried back home to their families and friends and can be enjoyed by different generations together.
The workshops are divided into 4 to 6 modules that run from 60 to 90 minutes. The material in them can be customized for different kinds of groups. The modules can also be presented as ongoing classes running for 4 to 6 sessions.
