Music Thanatology video and a Vigil.

I am delighted to have added an excellent video to the blog about Music Thanatology, especially since the lovely harper in the video page link is my harp teacher from many years and is a dear friend with whom I still meet and discuss harp, music, and more mundane matter. 

Speaking of music and dying,  I was asked by a chaplain on Thursday to play for someone who was dying in the ED and had no family or friends to keep the patient company during the transitus (movement/change) from this life to the next.

I arrived at the ED and was directed to a small room where a nurse was monitoring the patient's vitals. I introduced myself and sat so I could be near the end of the gurney so I could observe both the patient and the monitors.

The patient was restless and breathing with a mask, the head moving from side to side.
I began to play softly, choosing some celtic slow laments and lullabies while keeping a watch for where the patient would take me next. After about 15 minutes of playing, the nurse and I noted the vitals beginning to drop and the patient was less restless. I slowed my playing even more and began to find notes that I believed would allow more rest and comfort for the patient....not tunes per se, but notes of peace. 

After 30 minutes or so, the vitals were near to 0, and the patient gave a deep sigh. The nurse checked her pulse and heart, then noted the time of death in her log.
I continued to play for another few minutes for the soul's journey and then thanked the staff for having me be with her.

Looking back, I now know I was in two places at the same time. One was the "real" world of the ED,  the sounds of the hustle and bustle of  nurses and doctors, bells and pings of monitors, x-ray machines being moved about and anxious relatives watching and pacing.

However, I also went to a deeper and sacred place with the patient as I kept vigil where time was both immediate and forever. Keeping watch when transitus is close, is truly in a different place than when I play by the bedside of someone who will usually be up and about in some day's time. 

All I can say is that for me, this is "holy" work and I am humbled to be asked to bring what comfort the music and harp can provide. They provide the true comfort, I am but an assistant to the real grace of the power of music. 

Blessings and peace to you this first of December.

Working through difficulty.

Since I last posted on October 6th, life has taken an interesting turn.
I went to the hospital to play the harp as usual on October 15th and had a good day bringing music to the floors.
The next day I came down with what I thought was the flu (headache, body aches, etc.). but by the weekend when there was no fever, but increased fatigue and pain in the joints, hands and so forth, I figured something else was going on.
To make a long story shorter, I probably have some sort of auto-immune disorder and/or arthritis. Could be lupus, CFS, fibromyalgia, etc. Waiting for an appointment with a specialist for more testing.

What is the most "painful" is having so much less energy to do anything--including practicing/playing the harp--and not finding the strength to go back to the hospital.
For me, at least, using the harp to help heal/comfort patients and staff is a "calling" to a form of service and not being able to do this is very discouraging.

I know the circle will turn and in the words of Julian of Norwich: "And all shall be well...".

I will try and post more often, just to keep my blog alive if for no other reason!

By the way, the time of the Winter Solstice is GMT as the widget site does not include Pacific Standard time.

Blessings to all.

Blogging problems.

I have had to download a new browser (Opera) in order to have the Blog allow me to post. Both Firefox and PaleMoon (which is otherwise great) no long open the Blog with the header bar and options to modify, etc.

It's been a busy 6 weeks, a new harp and a presentation about Harp Therapy to the top administrators and managers of our local hospital (where we play) on the 30th of September.

We met in the bottom floor of a new community center on a camp near Bellingham and Gail and I had about 15 attendees. 

Good response from all the folks who were there and I hope there will be more chances to share with the top management the magic of the harp.

Luna, and another Harp Therapy Program listing.

I have just added a link for Bedside Harp. If you are in the East Coast area, do take a look.

And here is Luna exploring the Coral Honeysuckle planter, I couldn't resist taking a picture.

Happy First day of September, here in the Pacific Northwest it is a lovely and sunny day.

Another Great Harp Therapy Training Program.

Dear Fellow Harpers and Lovers of Music,
I just added a link for the Therapy Harp Training Program, LLC to the Harp and Music Therapy Links section.
Classes are taught via Skype and do contact Lynda Kuckenbrod, Director for more information. 
As far as I am concerned, if you can't have too many harps (or cats!), we need excellent training programs so that by 2020, there will be a harp in every hospital. I hold this as a goal with thanks to Tina Tourin who has made it her life work to bring to fruition. 

Harp on! And on, and on. 

Blessings,

Duncan

The new harp!

This is the lovely new Blevins harp I purchased from my dear friend who has been a therapeutic harper for many years and had, with sorrow, to pass it along so that it could continue this therapy of which harps know and share with us when we allow the music to flow through us.

More to share in days to come.

Sacred Harmonies.

I have added, with permission, a video about Claudia Walker and Jeri Howe playing music to soothe and calm the soul. Their primary service of harping is as Music Thanatologists who bring comfort and ease to the those near death and at the time of transitus.
This video, for me, so captures what it means to be a harper in the very best sense of providing music for both heart and soul.
If anyone is interested in more information about them and their work, their website is here: Sacred Harmonies.

Blessings to your day,
Duncan