{"id":28104,"date":"2020-12-17T11:53:44","date_gmt":"2020-12-17T16:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/?p=28104"},"modified":"2020-12-17T14:43:55","modified_gmt":"2020-12-17T19:43:55","slug":"music-share-addresses-senior-social-isolation-with-the-power-of-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/music-share-addresses-senior-social-isolation-with-the-power-of-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Music Share addresses senior social isolation with the power of music"},"content":{"rendered":"

Music Share<\/a>\u00a0is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing senior social isolation through individualized, music-based programming. Their initial model had volunteers entering long term care facilities, spending time with residents and listening to curated playlists together. Now they're leveraging the musical element of their program to reach similar outcomes during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Music Share founder Julian Powell tells CJRU the impact they are making in the community, how the program got started and what\u2019s in store for 2021.<\/p>\n

Powell,\u00a0a musician himself<\/a>, began building Music Share as a Ryerson student in the 2016-2017 academic year. In his Community Psychology class, he had the choice of writing an essay or completing volunteer hours, so he began volunteering with Meals on Wheels<\/a>\u00a0(MOW). MOW delivers nutritious and affordable hot meals to a variety of groups including seniors, people with physical disabilities and cognitive impairments. This volunteer experience is what sparked the initial idea for Music Share.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot

Music Share founder, Julian Powell. Photo courtesy of Music Share.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWhile I noticed that peoples\u2019 physical needs were being met, their emotional and spiritual needs weren\u2019t 100 percent being fulfilled\u2026 There were a good number of people that were really looking to learn a bit more about who was dropping off their meals and have a quick chat. And that\u2019s really hard to do for people when you\u2019re trying to get hot food to everyone on your list. And that really struck a chord with me,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

Those encounters, along with the $10,000 RECODE at Ryerson grant, allowed Powell to test pilot the Music Share program throughout 2017 and 2018. He also received support from Ryerson\u2019s\u00a0Social Ventures Zone (SVZ)<\/a>, a campus incubator focused on social innovation. Powell says that insights from the SVZ team and learning from his peers have shaped Music Share into the program it is today.<\/p>\n

Even before the pandemic, bringing volunteers into the facility was not always possible because influenza outbreaks and lockdowns are common occurrences in long term care facilities during flu season. With the COVID-19 pandemic, it extended those protocols and feelings of social isolation with no return date in sight for programming and volunteers. Powell adjusted the Music Share model in the spring and has spent the majority of 2020 bringing monthly, curated playlists to residents. Powell drops off the Music Share iPads and Bose speakers at the participating long term care homes and, from there, staff will deliver it to residents\u2019 rooms and simply click play.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile we\u2019re not able to give people exactly what we want to give them for safety\u2019s sake, music is a fantastic way to connect people back to memories, friends, special moments in their life. We\u2019ve seen first hand a lot of special moments coming out of the program already with residents singing along to songs, clapping along\u2026\u201d Powell says.<\/p>\n