Researcher(s)
- Mónica Santana Cintrón, Music Education, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Aimee Pearsall-Kramer, School of Music, University of Delaware
Abstract
Everyone wants a happy and healthy life. Healing is essential physically, mentally, and spiritually. Mother Teresa believed, “doctors can heal the body, but it is music that uplifts the spirit.” And bringing musical enrichment opportunities to the residents of Exceptional care for Children proved how profoundly music connects us to ourselves and each other no matter the circumstances. Participating in activities that encouraged active listening, collaboration, rhythm and dynamic exploration, and more, the teen population of Exceptional Care for Children shared musical engagement with their fellow residents, caretakers, volunteers, and most importantly, enjoyed themselves with music.
Exploring how music can improve the quality of life was central to this project. The residents house at Exceptional Care for Children are monitored 24/7 because they have ventilators, receive their nutrition via G-tube, and majority of them are wheelchair bound. Within the past 20 years, there have been major medical advancements that now prolong the life of people with severe medical conditions. As the treatments advance, so must the caretaking needed to sustain the life of these patients. Facilities like Exceptional Care for Children rely on volunteers and donations to give the residents a quality life full of experiences and activities to help them develop just like other youth. These activities cannot happen without the helping hands of volunteers.
To incorporate more volunteers for musical enrichment, UD’s ProjectMUSIC is looking to partner with Exceptional Care for Children. ProjectMUSIC is a community engagement initiative founded by Blue Hen alum and adjunct professor of music education, Dr. Aimee Pearsall-Kramer, with the goal of uniting schools in our communities to the university’s rising music educators as the program’s instructors. Providing musical enrichment to the residents regularly will provide a creative and healing outlet for the souls of those whose struggles we will never fully understand.