Category: For Parents

Coming Home /16” by 19” / acrylic with silver frame / $ 195

Open the door and what do you see? Is home an interesting reflection of you and do others enjoy it? Does it share your personality? Your history? Your curiosity about life?

The following excerpt is from my upcoming book Lives of Museum Junkies that is due out at the end of August. Look for information in upcoming blogs. I will be holding several book signings beginning in Tampa, Florida in September; Lansing, Michigan in October; and Portland, Oregon in November. Information will be forthcoming in the next few weeks. I look forward to seeing you at one of these events.

Home as Museum

“You can easily substitute home for museum and live in an environment made inspiring. Instead of exhibits, consider decorations, furniture and personal treasures. Architecture, use of space, selection and arrangement of furnishings, collections, and the way they are displayed all define you. How you move about your home, share treasures with friends and family, and teach your children to understand their cultural heritage becomes your way of passing on values.

Ray, my life partner, is a maker of totem poles and Northwest Coast masks. Outside of our home, there is a seventeen foot pole that has become a neighborhood marker. “Go to the totem pole and turn left,” is an oft heard direction given by acquaintances. The lower level of our house has both indoor and outdoor shop areas where carving and painting are pursued much to the enjoyment of nosey friends and those hiking an adjacent trail. Strangers who hear the tap, tap, tap of a hammer stop by wanting to know what is going on, and Ray gladly shows them his carvings, entertaining them with stories of Raven and Beaver.

Our home is filled with his carvings, my collections of pottery and masks, canvases that I paint, and art purchased while traveling. Our furnishings are arranged in a restful way, though presented as eye candy for our visitors. I enjoy living surrounded by the items Ray and I have either made or collected. Sharing them with friends lets them into our souls and initiates many conversations about culture, art, and even politics. Our friends often say when entering our home that it looks like a museum, only warmer and more welcoming.

Many children are first introduced to a cultural institution by visiting a children’s museum. These institutions are unique because the ingenuity they apply to educating the young is more than just exciting—it is engaging. Children spend hours engaged in activities such as playing in water (learning physics and hydrodynamics without realizing it), dressing up in period costumes (a study in history), constructing and plumbing buildings (engineering), and a host of other activities that involve physical as well as mental effort. Young visitors often are seen crying as their parents pull them from the building to go home. A secret to their success is that they are centered on the child and organize their spaces in a way that permits freedom of movement. Displays are built to withstand hard use. They encourage learning by using a variety of cleverly hidden techniques.

I encourage parents to think like a professional and start their own museum at home. What better place to inspire your own child than the relaxed environment of a play area or living room? According to The American Association of Children’s Museums, “A children’s museum is defined as an institution committed to serving the needs and interests of children by providing exhibits and programs that stimulate curiosity and motivate learning.” They encourage parents to interact with their children while in the museum in order to make the experience more meaningful.

That definition fit my family to a “T.” When we moved to Lexington, Massachusetts, a community without a hands-on museum, I decided that I could make my own home into one. The Boston Children’s Museum was much too far to travel to on a regular basis. Part of the challenge of my home operation was one of organization. I decided to set up my children’s basement playroom with a Montessori approach.”
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Lives of Museum Junkies offers insight into how I went about doing this on a shoestring. I also encourage grandparents to consider their residences as their private museum. The accumulations from a life time of travel and just plain living can be organized and displayed in such a way as to fascinate friends and family alike. Perhaps you have thought similarly and share your treasures in a unique way. Do share on my blog site, eichingerfineart.com/blog.
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Artwork is always for sale. Contact me at marilynne@eichingerfineart.com.
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For sale on Amazon by Marilynne Eichinger: The True Story of Streetwise, overcoming homelessness and beating the odds. Go to AMAZON .

Soaring above the Crowd

It wasn’t until I was in my mid-fifties that I could fly freely. One by one my five children had left the nest and though I did miss them I also enjoyed being free from the responsibilities of parenthood. Days of carpooling and worry about college applications being submitted on time were left behind. I understood howimportant it was to balance work with play and especially looked forward to the play part.

And so I started a new business publishing the Museum Tour Catalog and looked forward to utilizing the knowledge gained from running two museums. Not worried about supporting anyone but myself, I was open to failing or succeeding through my own wits and effort. It was a terrifying, exciting time filled with opportunities in a field that was new to me. I loved every minute of every day even when balancing the budget became difficult. Annual buying trips to China, evaluating hundreds of educational toys, working with talented people and brainstorming w
ays to improve service were challenging and stimulating activities. I lived in the flow at the the top of my abilities , sailing through highs and lows with relative equanimity.

One year our company decided to promote the catalog on a billboard in Times Square. Flashing lights bearing our logo moved across a sign located adjacent to the Toys”R”Us store. I must have gone out of my way a hundred times during a February visit in order to stand and stare at the crowds as they passed under the billboard. My wings were spread and I was flying high.

That remembrance returned as I watched a newly hatched Great Horned Owl extending its wings for the fi
rst time. He (or she) was a puffball, looking twice its size while covered in soft white down. Periodically the fledgling shifted, testing his stance while Mom sat stoically on a rock nearby and Dad perched unmoving on an overhead wire. They were waiting for evening to supply food for their chick that demanded ten feedings a day. Owls are patient parents and excellent hunters that often go after prey that is too large for them to swallow. Using their strong beaks and talons they tear off pieces that can be swallowed by their young. Tasty morsels of rabbits, squirrels, snakes, possums and fish augment their diet.

It takes about 9-10 weeks before a hatched chick learns to fly and a bit longer to learn hunting techniques. For another two weeks nurturing continues continues before their offspring is left to fend for themselves. The owl family often stays in the same vicinity over the summer but by fall they disperse to live solitary lives until the next mating season. Each night they can be heard hooting and their shadows observed soaring through the sky as they dive silently for food. You’ve heard them,haven’t you? “hoo-hoo hoooooo hoo-hoo?” I love the sound.

It is now graduation season and my granddaughter, Sanna, is among the thousands of youth nationwide marking the end of childhood and moving on to embrace new experiences. Her parents provided a secure childhood and equipped her with wings to to survive in the adult world. As she arranges to move out of her home, I sit back and contemplate where her flight will take her.

I also think of the freedom my daughter will have when all three children leave home. Her wings have been clipped for a great many years. Will she embrace opportunity or be bothered by an empty house?

Psychology Today describes parenting as a long-term investment. “Be prepared to put far more into it than you get out of it, at least for some time.” they say. Because of the stress of American culture, their happiness factor decreases the minute they become parents. “And it gets worse before it gets better.” Happily, in the long run, parenting is one of the most rewarding jobs life provides.

Children in the United States are often nurtured until they are in their 30s. Rarely are they pushed from home and told that they are on their own. Once they do leave they return for vacations, when they lack money or when jobs turn sour. They appear at the door after devastating divorces or when they are just confused about life’s choices.

Yet as children reach maturity and parental pressures lesson many feel sad, get depressed and grieve. The time and energy previously spent as a caring, nurturing adult has ended and energy needs to be redirected. Even those with returning children create new ways of relating to them. Healthy liaisons evolve into peer relationships that provide space for both parties to move independently. Once new hobbies, careers, and leisure activities develop freedom becomes cherished most parents no longer want to be care givers to their children.

A period of rapid growth and contentment swept over me as I adjusted to an empty nest. I was often surprised that my wings grew stronger with each opportunity seized. I learned to soar to new heights by embracing different activities. Now I notice that though I still fly solo I often travel in flocks with those who have also have also reached this stage in life. Friendships deepened once I accepted my own foibles and realized that we all do the best we can. It is a good time to be alive.

References:

http://www.owlpages.com/owls/species.php?s=1220 – About great horned owls.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/parenting – parenting today.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/empty-nest-syndrome – Empty Nest Syndrome

Art work is always for sale. Contact me at marilynne@eichingerfineart.com

Do respond below with your thoughts.
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For sale on Amazon by Marilynne Eichinger: The True Story of Streetwise, overcoming homelessness and beating the odds. Go to AMAZON .

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry                                                                                                 Acrylic painting- 27” by 22”: $450
Science Centers are special places for hands-on learning.

You Never Know!
While sitting in my museum office one quiet fall day, I heard the sounds of shouting voices and footsteps running towards my door. Needless to say I was worried and jumped from my seat thinking that there had been an accident. Instead, a surprising story greeted me. An autistic child had spoken for the first time and the excited observers wanted to share their wonder with me.

Both mother and teacher were visiting the science center with a class of disabled elementary age children. A young girl happened to have been left alone for a few minutes and allowed to explore the small exhibit hall on her own. The child had stopped before an oscilloscope, picked up the microphone and started vocalizing. As she made a noise, her voice pattern was displayed on the scope. Since neither adult was paying attention, the child she felt free to play with the display without having to perform for an audience of concerned educators. When the mother turned to check on her daughter and observed what happening, she grabbed the teacher, and with excitement the two ran to share the news.

The teacher later told me that the incident was a reminder of research that suggested an oscilloscope be used to help non-verbal children. Back in her school she put in a requisition for a scope to use during therapy sessions with several children.

The conclusion of this story, however, gave me pause for thought. Parent, teacher and child returned to the museum a week later. The three immediately dovetailed to the oscilloscope where the child was handed the microphone and instructed to talk. There were high expectations of a repeat performance. Instead they got silence and disappointment in the child’s reaction. I thought the experience provided an interesting insight into human behavior and I tucked it away for further analysis.

What conclusions did I draw from the incident? Several . . . first, children need a rich and varied environment within which to roam and second, they need freedom to make choices away from the eyes of overly anxious adults.

What I like about science centers and children’s museums is that they provide a safe environment for self-exploration. They are designed to enable participants to learn in their own way and in their own time scale. Parents do not need to hover over their children and teachers are not asked to comment about what should or should not be learned. The visitors experiment with the displays and form their own conclusions. Since no one is watching or testing it is acceptable to make mistakes and then try once again.

Montessori schools take a similar approach. Their educational materials are organized in such a way that the room becomes child rather than teacher centered. In a Montessori classroom the teacher shows the child how to use age appropriate equipment but then lets the child alone to use it or not. Once a basic skill is mastered experimentation with other variations is encouraged as imagination dictates.

When I was a child the neighborhood was my domaine. During vacations I often left the house early, meeting friends to ride bicycles and explore the adjacent woods. Our parents were not worried, assuming we would come home when we were hungry or tired. In this way I experienced nature, found abandoned bird nests, listened to bull frogs, tried to catch polliwogs and climbed trees. When our apples fell in the dirt we picked them up and washed them off in the nearest stream. My friends and I made up stories and played our parts as lost princesses to be found by daring knights. To experiment with outdoor cooking, I put an egg in a frying pan to see if the sun was hot enough to cook it. After three hours the fried egg was well done but not very attractive for eating.

Childrearing practices today make me concerned that parents and grandparents have forgotten that children need freedom to explore their communities and need to be allowed to make mistakes. Instead they create pristine environments for play and provide constant praise for the smallest success or inconsequential achievement, making sure that the child is are never bored. Without realizing it they are working against their child’s ability to be self- sufficient and develop confidence in their own competency.

A woman I met last week told me that her brother invited her to the Spaghetti factory for a celebration. When she asked about the occasion she was told that her five year old niece had just completed her first week at school. The woman, a teacher, was concerned that a kindergartner should be awarded for having attended a week at school and wondered how the accolades were going to continue as the child aged.

The teacher went on to say how spoiled and demanding her students were. They (and their parents) insist on being given good grades even if they were not earned. These helicopter parents hover over their children, contributing to their homework, and observing every activity. When away, cell phones put their child in regular contact, and they text frequently, remaining in constant contact. Their children are told how to behave, what to do and where to do it. And when they do something wrong there are few consequences. All of this loving attention creates spoiled children who talk back and rule the household. By the time they are teenagers they are difficult to control yet have not learned how to make sensible decisions on their own.

By not being given the freedom to experiment and fail, or allowed to experience boredom and find their own amusement, many children grow up ill prepared to leave home. Going away to college can be a traumatic exercise. I know of a single mom who went so far as to move to her child’s college town, renting an apartment in order to be near. Parents are texted back and forth throughout the day to lessen the confusion, fear and loneliness that comes from being away from home for the first time. The result of these actions denies the student the experience of joy and confidence building that comes from having to overcome difficulties.

You never really know what is going to happen in life, and there is no way to protect children from every possible disaster. The best we can do is to let them know of our love. We can help them learn to problem solve, give them skills needed for working, and then leave them to find their own way.

acrylic painting – 22” x 18” $ 385
Training a child to become independent is an awesome job.

Whose Freedom Is It?
When my granddaughter was 16, she wanted to be free from her parents’ control. As a typical teenager she took her cues from her friends which often led to major disagreements at home. To my children’s credit my granddaughter did not always get her way, but her parents were good at adapting to age related situations in order to give her increased independence. Beach parties were big events in their coastal community and one year my granddaughter wanted to have one for her birthday, without parental supervision. Hummm,. . . .sounds good, but alcohol, drugs, and “what not” were often a part of teen beach events.

What would you do? Say no, or allow the festivities to take place? Her parents took a creative approach that let the party proceed. My son-in-law set up his own solitary party away from the revelers, but located within site lines of his daughter and her friends. The weather was perfect and during the evening he became engrossed in a book in front of his own fire while nibbling on snacks brought from home. He let the kids have fun for as long and they wanted, staying out of the way, but because everyone knew that there was an adult paying attention to their antics, the party proceeded without incident.

All children are going to become old enough to make their own decisions, but a difficult part of parenting is preparing them for this eventuality. Many years ago I read that offspring of parents who are very controlling while their children are in high school are often the wildest ones during freshman year at college. I am reminded of an incident that occurred when I was in 9th grade. While riding a public bus on the way home from school, my friends and I observed girls from a local private school who were made adhere to a strict dress code. As soon as these teens boarded the bus, out came their compact powders, lipsticks and combs. The girls refashioned their hair and added earrings and other jewelry to their attire. In order to soften the look of their uniforms, shirt tails would be pulled out of skirt bands and left casually hanging. Much to the discomfort of other the passengers, the students became loud and boisterous, acting as though they were riding a private vehicle. My friends and I felt sorry for them because they seemed out of control, and we gossiped about them behind their backs.

This incident raises the question of what is free choice, and how much of it should a parent give to their offspring? Freedom tied to responsibility is the goal, but how does one get reach that point? If a child does not clean the dishes or throws his or her clothes on the bedroom floor, is that freedom of choice? Perhaps it is, but those actions also can impinge on the parent’s freedom. If the adult does not agree to let the child use or abuse his own bedroom then the parent becomes a monitor, bringing feelings of anger because of increased household work and paying for clothing that is not valued.

So who and what is free? Teaching responsibility to accompany free choice starts at an early age. It involves discussions and actions that have consequences aimed at exploring the “what if?” question from several points of view. It also involves being present, without anger, when a child makes an honest mistake and stumbles. Being there to sooth raw emotions, and inviting verbal analysis of the event, with the goal of finding a path to avoid future pitfalls, presents an opportunity parents should cherish as long their children remain under their roof. When teens leave for a job or distant college campus, it is too late to teach the analytical skills needed for decision making.

When my children were young, we used the dinner hour as the main time to discuss and dissect daily issues. We would bring problems to the table and try to look at them from several viewpoints. Occasionally and just for the fun of it, I would introduce a complex situation from work, so all could contribute to a “How would you handle it?” discussion. We had lots of discourse, not always agreeing, but constantly thinking and gaining perspective from the various sides of the problem. There were many times when we became frustrated, such as when one child teased another, because we could not find a solution that stopped the behavior. In those occasions we did have to step in with a firm resolution from parental authority. The ensuing discussion about teasing and repercussions did eventually grab hold and helped to alleviate the situation.

My suggestion to parents is to start having philosophical conversations at an early age and bring children into a discussion of outcomes and fair consequences. Even a 5 year old can consider ethical and social issues. For instance, you might ask a youngster a question like, “ What should you do if you find a dollar in the driveway of your neighbor’s house? Do you keep it or return it?”

When the child in a bit older the subject of bullying might be introduced by inquiring, “What roll should a bystander take who observes a friend being bullied?” The conversations will most likely lead to talk of how the bullied person might feel and what would lead a person to becoming a bully. When my youngest child was being heckled because of his short stature, he and my husband spent hours thinking up and practicing quick retorts. By demonstrating that he was not embarrassed or put off by the bully, my son eventually put an end to the unwanted situation. The exercise also taught him to accept himself as a short person and not let it affect his life.

Young women love to talk about around body and facial adornment. It can be fun to debate cultural applications of makeup and tattoos applied in tribal communities, by prostitutes or actors, and by various socio-economic groups in local neighborhoods. Fashion certainly can produce a lively exchange of ideas. Because the discussion becomes a sociological lesson rather than a confrontation, the subject becomes mind expanding. Youngsters learn that a choice of lipstick color is often determined by the pressure of friends, a marketing expert or tribal custom, rather than one of free choice.

There are numerous conversations that might evolve from auto-speak. An adult who is knowledgeable about automobiles could discuss cars and how the selection of one model over another says something about the buyer. The economy, ecology, status symbol, safety, driver’s responsibilities, alternative transportation, even the topic of fuel efficiency at various driving speeds can be debated. It is through these types of conversations that children develop value systems.

So . . . parent’s and grandparents why not have frequent conversations with your children around the subject of freedom. By considering several points of view your child can refine his or her analytical skills. Then as your child ages, permit your youngster to test conclusions, allowing him or her to experience the lows of failure and the highs of success. A parent who is available to insure safety can reassure their child that mistakes are normal. This will go a long way in building their offspring’s self-confidence. It is by examining failures and being encouraged to try again that people grow. In this way parents, grandparents and teachers can help children understand the implications of so called “free choice.”

New Orleans 

Acrylic Painting – 12” x 36” – $ 350
A city where cool sounds of Jazz permeates the French Quarter

Passing the Baton
How do you provide a music education when your own experience is limited? Some children are fortunate because their parents are trained musicians. Others, like mine were, have parents who believe that education should include music. Though they pay for lessons, they do not know how to inspire their offspring to become passionate about their instruments, so the money they spend is not used to maximum effect.

Except for the scales and easy pieces played when my siblings and I practiced, music was not heard in our household. Neither radio, television nor record player was used to fill our home with melodies, though we occasionally were taken to children’s concerts. My family finally obtained a phonograph when I was sixteen allowing a few symphonic records and lots of rock n roll to enter our home. With marginal role models pointing the way, as an adult I was committed to creating a more musical home.

When my children were still in pre-school my husband and I set up an instrument tree in our living room. A floor to ceiling pole was erected with clips attached from which to hang all sorts of sound makers. It held tambourines, recorders, maracas, bells, whistles, harmonicas, drums, cymbals, sticks, and a wide variety of shakers. Each day I would put on a record (pre-CDs) and gather my young band members to sing, march and dance around the house while struggling with the challenge of staying on beat. Though visiting friends must of thought us to be a strange, noisy bunch, the kids took their music activities very seriously and had a great time.

As an adult, my husband learned the guitar and encouraged singing in the evenings, on long car rides and around campfires. He eventually became so accomplished as a musician that he and a group of professor friends formed a bluegrass band. The Bluegrass Extension Service practiced in our home and performed weekly in a local pub, attracting hordes of students to clog along with the music. I loved dancing to his music and had a wonderful time chatting with university friends. Our family quickly learned to belt out Rocky Top and Country Roads.

In analyzing my own musical talents, I admit that they were not great. I can not sing on key and though I studied the piano as a child, I was a mediocre player who found it difficult to read and strike a multitude of keys at one time. It still amazes me that people can actually understand complex scores with thirty second notes, trills and chords. In my thirties I decided to try again, this time taking up the flute since there is only one note to read at a time. With children running around the house my squeaky sounds added to the chaos, but the family was tolerant, and I do believe my perseverance may have inspired them.

My retired symphony orchestra teacher was sensitive, quickly realizing that I was not in training to be the next Sir James Galway, Jeanne Baxtresser or Herbie Mann. Instead of assigning hours of practice scales he had me play beginning music that could immediately be enjoyed with friends. A few of my enthusiastic neighbors were even willing to accompany me on the piano, making my practice very pleasurable indeed.

As my children reached their elementary grades their music-anti was raised. A willing teacher offered before-class recorder sessions in our neighborhood school. By the time they were eight, all of my off spring had had experience with musical notations, and were ready and willing to be enrolled in piano lessons. One daughter, who had an exceptional ear for sound, took up the violin as well. (No squeaky sounds there! ) My childhood spinet had a rotating hot seat for several hours each day.

It took a great deal of time to drive children to and from music lessons and recitals, and it was often annoying to be surrounded by discordant sound but in the end I found it to be worth the effort. Two daughters and I formed an ensemble that could play piano, violin and flute trios. The fun we had and pride we took in our small chamber group produced an emotional high I will remember forever.

Why did I believe that music education was so important? Many studies show that early musical training develops the left part of the brain, the side involved in reasoning and language. There also appears to be a link between the ability to perceive things accurately and form mental pictures of them. Music helps in understanding advanced mathematical problems, which may be why geniuses like Albert Einstein play the violin as their preferred leisure time outlet. A ten year study conducted in 2006 by Johnson,C.M. & Memmott, J.E. showed that children, irregardless of socio-economic background, had increased success on standardized tests such as the SAT. It also affirmed that those who play instruments tend to achieve higher school grades.

Columbia University research that “ students in the arts are found to be more cooperative with teachers and pears, more self-confident and better able to express their ideas.” They also found lower aggressive and anti-social behavior. Best of all those who participate in band and orchestra have, “ the lowest lifelong use of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs among any group in society.” Participating in a band or orchestra enhances teamwork skills and discipline. Practice improves study habits, and performances help youth accept risks and overcome fear.

When my children aged I was curious to see if their musical experiences would stay with them. Eldest son followed his father’s example and took up the guitar as an adult. He still takes voice and guitar lessens, practices regularly with friends, performs for family, and sings with his sons. When his sons were only two years old he enrolled them in a parent-child singing group that provided a great bonding experience. Now the entire family sings their way through family gatherings and evening camp fires.

Eldest daughter continued to play the piano for her own entertainment until a few years ago when she became very busy with a second career. When her children were young, however, she introduced them to both piano and choral singing. Her son became a classical and Celtic violin player who even serenaded me in the hospital when I was ill, much to the pleasure of the nursing staff and patients in surrounding rooms. Her three children know the words to the latest country/western songs and one even gives line dance lessons. Not sure where that came from!

Violin playing daughter taught music professionally to young children. She was most qualified to help her own family with their lessons. Her daughter studied harp for a while, becoming quite accomplished, at times accompanying her older sister who was taking voice lessons. To my sorrow, the harp was dropped with the mounting pressure of high school activities and a burgeoning social life, though both girls still enjoy the piano. Their younger brother is in the beginning trumpet stage. Yikes!!!

One daughter never achieved personal musical mastery but embraced the vibrant Seattle music scene. Her enjoyment was a pleasure to observe.

Youngest son fell in love with bongo drums as a teenager. Thank goodness he and his friends would go to a local park during the late night hours to beat their rhythmic sounds. He eventually bought a full drum set, but it sits in his abode gathering dust because of complaints by the neighbors. Much of his musical outlet today is around burning man activities. He has many friends who are in bands and they gather in his camp, playing well into the night. Parties in his home are unique because rotating musicians entertain throughout the event.

The benefits of music participation are not limited to youth, for it also is a great asset to the elderly. It can help those with dementia reconnect with their past, becoming more alive and responsive. The health benefits music brings to older people are impressive, especially when mixed with exercise. Moving to rhythmic sounds reduce risk of falling and increase balance. Participants are happier, have enhanced moods and appear more relaxed. Music education can also bring joy to those with special needs when the teacher takes time to adapt a program to the individual’s disability. Not only does music give pleasure to the student, but it gives an increased sense of self-worth.

My flute teacher once told me that when you have music in your life you will always have friends. I acknowledge that his words ring true. For four generations our family has passed on the baton.

Whether opera, metallica, rock or rap there is some form of acoustic harmony that you will find appealing. Music can be meditative when seeking solitude and calmness or equally enjoyable in groups when feeling festive. Whether playing or listening, it is one of the rich offerings in life that I’ve come to appreciate.

How does your family pass the baton from one generation to the next? Do you focus on the arts, literature, sports, nature or something else? Please share your way of passing on your passions to others.  DO RESPOND BELOW

Art is always for sale. Contact me at marilynne@eichingerfineart.com for more information.

References:

http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/twelve-benefits-of-music-education/ – Advantages of a music education.

http://musicempowersfoundation.org/why-music/the-importance-of-music – Studies about music, language and mathematics skills.

http://www.npr.org/sections/music-news/ – Elderly and dementia

http://www.dreamsfulfilledthroughmusi-org – Music and special needs

http://www.music2spark.com/2011/11/28/the-elderly-how-music-benefits-their-health/ – music and health.