News & Interest

 

 

IHTP NEWS

I’m pleased to announce a new exciting book by Don Campbell and Alex Doman – Healing at the Speed of Sound! I feel very honored that Don chose my music and Buvana’s (IHTP) sweet beautiful voice to open and end this new e-book!  It is also available as hard copy.

View the trailer for Don’s new book Healing At The Speed of Sound ™   HERE

The release date for the book is September 29th. This will be a new required reading book for IHTP students. It is filled with the most recent research and of course – available as an electronic book with links to music, videos and pertinent websites! You may pre-order your book at this address:  HATSOS.com

Don and I recently joined up in Berlin, Germany for 3 days to tour the city after my Netherlands teaching and his Wagner Opera tour!  For those who have heard Don at our conferences you can imagine it was one amazing fun and funny trip! We send you our greetings!

Don Campbell - great German beer! He says one of 10 beers a year! Wonder where all the other countries are he has tried!	Christina Tourin - skip the beer - go for the Mohito! Fascinting trip to Berlin seeing the remains of the Berlin wall and lots of history
Angel - Bode Museum - Berlin	Don decked out for the Opera!

 

Upcoming Events

We had a series of fantastic Conferences this summer. Please take a look at the individual BLOG sites for pictures. Click on BLOG For an overview of the Conferences please check out our Convergence page and see how we are bringing together all the various modalities of using music and sound for therapeutic purposes.  Click here CONVERGENCE

 

IHTP Family News

We have a some synchronicity happening here! On the first conference call for the new 2011-2012 class, I was reading some exerpts from Sarajane William’s book, the Mythic Harp.  We were discussing historical aspects of harp music for healing.  There was a story of David Owen of Wales born in 1712.  He was a harper and composer (composing Lark in the Morning). At the age of 29 he was on his deathbed and had a very profound dream where two white doves escorted him to heaven. He asked his mother to bring him his harp and he composed the beautiful air – David of the White Rock. At his funeral when the family was singing the song in procession, they were followed by two white doves.

I would now like to have you read this amazing story that Kathryn Kuba-Dandurand sent to me.  She thanks everyone for playing for her mother during her passing.

To all fellow IHTP Anam Caras,  Last Thursday, my Mom was no longer able to speak.  I called her in FL (I’m back in VT) and my sister put the speakerphone on, and I told her that all my fellow IHTP’ers, from all over the world were asked to play “Over the Rainbow” for her on Saturday at 7:00 pm EST ( I randomly picked that day and time).    I asked her to squeeze my sister’s hand if she understood, and she squeezed.  Then, when Tina didn’t email me back by Friday night (actually she had, but there was a glitch in the internet), I emailed Tina and said maybe we would need to make it Sunday night… So, she changed it to Sunday. However, my Mom knew that my sister’s birthday was on Friday, June 10, and that my son, Kai was graduating from High School on Saturday morning, and that you all were playing for her Saturday night at 7:00 pm EST. On Saturday afternoon, we had arrived home from my son Kai’s graduation… She died at 5:15.  She loved harp music and I know she was looking forward to us supporting her at 7:00. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me that I sat down and played at 7:00 with the intention of all IHTP to play for her.  Actually, Joan Bowker, of VT, had just emailed me on Saturday, and she was able to play at 7:00, as well as Margie Beckoff of VT. Her spirit is free now, suffering is done, and she is at peace in God’s love. All of IHTP sent her spirit off on Sunday at 7:00 pm as well… I can’t tell you what wonderful soul friends you are to me, Blessings, Kathryn

After you have a chance to read the story on this link, Kathryn leaves us with this post script.

Kathryn’s Newspaper Article

P.S.  I have to share the best part, which wasn’t in the article.  As my Mom was failing, i asked for a sign of when I should go to Florida as I had so much going on for the kids with graduation, etc.  One evening I looked out my window and a white dove was sitting on my windowsill.  It sat there all night just looking in at me.  Kai got on the computer-“Mom, there are no white doves in VT!.”  The dove sat in the pouring rain staring at me. I stared back a long time.  I couldn’t sleep all night.  I got up at 4am and the moon was out and its white feathers were all illuminated.  In the morning it was gone.  Louis said it was a homing pigeon-of course (they are white doves or brown speckled).  Of course-when my Mom’s mother died , I’d asked for a sign then–my favorite poster was “The angel of Death”- i didn’t know its name-a girl meditating in such peace with white light around her face…a dove flying into her open hands.  The painter Dante(my grandmother’s last name which as a painter she signed her paintings hung all over my house, and the girl was the painter’s wife who died-and her name;Elizabeth-both my Mom and grandmother are —Elizabeth.)   And at Louis’ Mom’s gravesite, he let homing pigeons free to fly back to the farm—was this dove outside my window Jeaninne his Mom , my Grandmother, a mix of spirit? Whatever, I got the message that my Mom was going and i needed to get my butt down to Florida soon!   THEN, after the funeral was over, we went to the hotel to change.  We had spent a long time at the gravesites as my Dad is buried there as well as grandparents.  My sister came running into the hotel with her camera-she had taken a picture of two doves-a white one and a brown speckled one that she saw as she entered the hotel-they fly up and circled around her head (my Mom was most worried about my youngest sister, that she would have the hardest time letting go) and then sat on a post looking at her.  The next 6 or 7 times we came or left from the hotel there was never a sign of any doves or birds of any kind.  Thanks Mom-we know you made it over okay and are in good company!

For those who would like to have a copy of the song, please click here for David of the White Rock. This song along with many other simple arrangements of Welsh tunes appears in the Yellow #4 Rainbow of Sound book.

From Sunita Staneslow in Israel Email 

I was on the local news channel. They interviewed me about my work in the NICU.  I thought that we would only be there a few minutes and the rest of the time would be at the Children’s Hospital, so I was a bit unprepared, but it came out OK.  Click the blue arrow on the left side after you scroll down past the first picture.  You have to endure a commercial about safe driving and then you will see the harp.http://www.mako.co.il/news-channel2/Channel-2-Newscast/Article-154e885d36d6031004.htm

Margie Bekoff sends us this link for free music.

amazing amount of free music of many different genres available

www.wilifonia.org

 

Susan Zevenbergen shares this site with us.

This website has developed into a great resource for easy tunes.  The harp section alone has 26 pieces, and there are many easy piano selections that are also playable on the harp.  It covers all the categories except the popular/new stuff (for copyright reasons, no doubt).  There are even opera tunes.  You can easily start building your lists with some simpler but satisfying tunes that can be improvised and embellished from there.  And you can’t beat free.

http://www.makingmusicfun.net/htm/harp_sheet_music_index.htm

In the last Newsletter, Amie Cami told us about her experience embracing cancer. Now we celebrate with her.

Please click on the link below to sponsor a CD for $10 inCelebration of My Last Treatment:      https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=D99GPTHATWGU2 I will keep “My Dream” page updated on my web site with current totals. http://www.amycamie.com/mydream.html Thank you all for being such beautiful lights in my life. My whole family is grateful. Loving life…all of it, Amy

From Laurence Marie

I did my first Healing Harp Circle (just over one hour) on May 12. I had 5 women who are living with abusive partners. They were given a couple of questions as part of the evaluation for my service and this is what they answered. What did you think of the therapeutic harp session with Laurence Marie? - I really loved it but too short - I found it very relaxing. Afterwards, I felt clear headed. - I really liked that. It gave me new ideas on how to relax. I’m thinking of buying a harp and learning to play. - I really liked my experience with Laurence Marie - It was very interesting to experiment a new approach. I liked it a lot. Would you be interested in participating in this type of therapy on a more long term basis? - Absolutely! - Yes! - Yes, for sure! - Yes, of course! Thank you a thousand times! - Yes, it was very relaxing. I feel pretty proud to have been able to touch these women to such an extent. When I first arrived, they were pretty nervous, one even said she wouldn’t be able to stay for the whole session. By the time the session ended, they all had a smile from ear to ear and were taking for ever to leave! The director of the center came to see me today and said she was going to move mountains to get financing to have sessions on a regular basis. Thanks Tina and Love! Laurence   lym@nbnet.nb.ca www.harpsylon.ca

From Beatrice Rose       email

Speaking of being an ambassador, I have had a lot of fun taking my harp on our long train rides.  Here is picture of me and my new friends I  met on the train returning from Texas.  I can’t even remember how many people I’ve sent to your website to look into the program and buying a harp.Dr. Johnice Joyner , pastor of COJC in Geary Indiana, and her daughter, Vertis, famous gospel singers who attended the O’Bama inauguration, now inspired to play the harp!  This picture was taken on Vertis’ 50th birthday.

 

 

 

 

Beatrice with Dr. Johnice Joyner and Vertis	Finding the harp on a train!

 

From Doron Peisic – Class of 2010-2011

We had my first internship session yesterday with a patient/client. It was AMAZING. I was informed that she in blind, and has schizophrenia. I came there and stood next to her with the harp, just being with her. I found her resonance in E, and I played in A mixolydian mode emphasizing E and with its triads. It was at once amazing results that the nurse never saw her like this in the past. She communicated so clearly, and was so calm, she allowed Tauna ( the person from lightbridge) to pat her, in which she never allowed any one to touch her. I also played in C key Ionian mode, and I noticed how she lost her calmness, and her attention,  Than I moved to A key Mixolydian, and she moved to her calmness space. It was so moving, touching and an amazing experience. In one point she start to sing song, very clear and beautifully I played along in the key with her while she sang. I THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT THAT YOU GAVE ME TO GIVE TO OTHERS. Doron

From Judy Byron who lives in Vermont where some of the worst flooding took place.  Judy Byron lives in the house where I (Christina) lived and I knew the potential of the flooding from the 1972 floods. In fact the house she is living in had the little bridge washed away during that flood.  Judy also took over for me at the Trapp family lodge. Therefore, you will see that at least one of her harps was at Trapps.   Judy Byron email

I did not experience any flooding, thank God.  Now, that I know the devastation, in retrospect, I too should have evacuated, but I don’t think any of us thought the storm would take the toll that it did.  One of my harps is at Trapps, but three still here along with a piano, hammered dulcimer, guitar etc, etc. etc. and like any good musician, don’t you want to save your instruments first?   I mentioned I started school.  I am tutoring a senior and for his senior project he wants to volunteer and help the flood victims.  Right now we are getting a sense of where we are needed.  There has been such an outpouring of help it is truly humbling.  1000 people on Randall Street alone for one day.  They are turning away clothing, there has been so much donated.  Waterbury is rallying with true Vermont spirit. I have had some reactions to the toxic dust that has hung over Waterbury this last week.    It was quite depressing there last week to drive through and see everyone’s life out on the lawn or in the dumpster.  Dumpster after dumpster lined the streets.  It has all been picked up for the most part.  Now the work of rebuilding is happening. Weekends I am going down to my dad’s to clean out his place (thankfully, he was not flooded, but the next town over- Jamaica got creamed.  Lost whole roads and houses.  Gone.)  My heart is just so sad for all of the loss, but I know from our work- cymatics, vibration, physics on the physical level, and on the spiritual level- that out of chaos comes reorganization at a higher level.  But wow what chaos across our state and so many others.  And now with Hurricane Lee, the mid-Atlantic and Pennsylvania getting flooded.

 

From Jan Hirsch email

I bought a weed wacker yesterday.   It was the strangest thing–I stopped by Home Depot on my way home from working with Gladys (the composer who is dedicating a flute and piano composition to me).  As I was looking at the assortment of devices for cutting weeds, a sweet mother came into the aisle accompanied by her teenage son who was assessing the qualities of the various products in an angry, impatient tone.  I couldn’t decide which model to choose and I turned around to the mother and asked her if she had any experience with weed wackers.   She replied that her son was the expert but that he was very opinionated.  She called him over and he proceeded to explain all the qualities of the different models in a very intelligent and helpful way.  He picked out a Homelite gas model for me because it was light enough for me to hold, wouldn’t be encumbered by a trailing electrical cord, and wouldn’t stop working because of a spent battery.  He lifted down a model from the shelf and then picked out the correct fuel setup for me.   As if that were not kind enough, he then carried the merchandise to the check out, helped me use the self check out, and then carried it all to the car.  I then noticed that he was wearing a yellow “Live Strong” wrist band like I have.  I asked him if someone he loved had cancer and he replied that his grandfather had died last July from cancer.  I told him how sorry I was and thanked him for his wonderful help.   He asked me how I liked the my Jeep.   I told him that I would prefer a smaller vehicle that used less gas, but that I played the harp and needed this large jeep to carry it around and not worry about getting stuck in bad weather.  He stared at my “ANGLHARP” license plate a moment and then said how glad he was to help me.  Did God use my presence to comfort this young person and allow him an opportunity to express his sorrow at losing his grandfather?  I do know that his anger and impatience vanished from the moment he began to speak to me.

 

 

 

 

 

NSBTM Site Offers Helpful Information to Certified Therapeutic Musicians

By Stella Benson, Chair, NSBTM

Many certified therapeutic musicians are in the throws of collecting continuing education units (CEU’s). The National Standards Board for Therapeutic Musicians (NSBTM) has regular updates on its Events page that hosts NSBTM-accredited- program-approved onsite workshops and online webinars for CEU’s. The Events page is the one-stop place to come to when looking for events that offer CEU’s to those graduates of accredited programs; International Harp Therapy Program, Music for Healing and Transition Program, Clinical Musician Home Study Program and any one else wishing to augment their practice.

The NSBTM site also offers a page titled News, Research & Articles for those wishing to keep up with the therapeutic music industry. This is a great place to find research papers, and news articles of practitioners in the US and around the world.

Please go to http://www.therapeuticmusician.com/index.html to access these very helpful sites.

 

Triplett Harps just notified me that they have a new Christina harp with Truitt levers available. FREE SHIPPING!  Let me know if you are interested.
ALSO, CHECK OUT OUR USED HARPS (at the bottom of the page)

Prayers and Intentions

On Sundays we gather together to play “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. If you would like to be held in special prayer and intention, please submit a posting on the Caring and Prayers site and we will access these requests and play for you on Sundays.
Caring and Well Wishes

Our condolences reach out to Denise Llewellyn and Carol Johnson for the passing of their mothers and to Judy Byron for the passing of her father. We held you in our playing circles this summer.

 

Recent Graduates

Our recent Graduates from the IHTP. You have persevered and worked hard over the past couple of years. May your journey be blessed as you go forth and serve!
CONGRATULATIONS!

Heidi Smith Utah	Sunita Staneslow Israel
Irene Rieser Switzerland	Simone Houtman Netherlands

Interesting Articles

Traditional Musical Cures

Istanbul hospital revives complementary therapy for a range of illnesses by playing ancient Arabesque scales and patterns.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/28/turkish-doctors-traditional-music-therapy

 

Music and Cancer – NY Times – Research Study

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/health/research/16regimens.html?ref=health

 

Sleepy Kitten Plays Invisible Harp: Cute/Ridiculous Animal Thing Of The Day (VIDEO)

 

This was sent from Don Campbell – Amazing – Mozart played on water filled glasses.

N.Y. / REGION | July 04, 2011 Relaxing, Touching the Memory, Music Helps With the Final Transition By SUZANNE DeCHILLO Three music therapists from MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care crisscross the city and suburbs to sing songs to the dying.

 

How to Listen:

http://www.ted.com/talks/evelyn_glennie_shows_how_to_listen.html

Here are some new books by Laurie Riley. You can order them from:   www.LaurieRiley.com

Two new booklets available from Laurie Riley! These will soon be available from her online store (on her website); meanwhile you can order directly from Laurie by e-mailing her at laurie.riley@live.com. Payment can be made by check or through PayPal. Techniques for Expressive Playing $8.50 In good instrumental music there is much more going on than just the notes and the rhythm; the musician creates an image through music, letting it tell a story that affects the emotions of the listener. This is musical expression. Subjects in this book include: Making the Most of Your Skill Level Endorphins, Resonance, and Intention Tone Manipulation Expressive Imagery Expression Without Fear … and much more! Harping with a Handicap $8.50 Includes ideas for: Harping with a Tremor Harping with Double Vision Harping with Dyslexia Harping With Impaired Depth Perception Harping Without Sight Harping with Chronic Pain Harping with Arthritis Harping with Scoliosis Harping with Fewer Fingers Harping with Weak Arms Harping with One Hand Harping with a Prosthesis Harping in a Wheelchair Harping in Bed Harping with Hearing Loss Harping with Tone Deafness Harping When You Can’t Keep a Beat Harping with Memory Loss Harping with Cerebral Palsy or MS

Letters of Hope, August 26, 2011 Bob Giuliano “How much music can you make with what is left?” That line struck me. The author was referring to a violinist who broke a string during a concert, you have heard the story, and the violinist was able to transpose all the rest of the Beethoven Sonata in such a way as to finish with beauty and skill on the three strings he had left. What he had left was an injured instrument. What he did with it was a miracle. But the question that was put to the readers was more about life than about a music. How much music can you make with what is left? Learning to live with handicaps, limitations, sickness, ageing is about making music with what is left. We may wish that we had all the energy and skill and insight of our earlier years or healthier times, but life is more often learning to make music with what is left. Robbed of our earlier capacities we are tempted to despair of making any significant contribution. Once we were musicians making songs and melodies of hope and faith, celebrating with our friends and loved ones, joining in the dance and singing with joy and gusto. Then comes the deafness, or the blindness, or the sickness and the question is put to us, can you make music now? Can you sing the songs of life and hope in this new voice? How much music can you make with what is left? Moreover, what kind of music can you make now with what is left? One might hope that there is still a gentle melody coming from us that gives others courage and hope when they hear our tunes. The tunes may be the blues, that music born out of the suffering of poor, mostly black folks, that tells about life as it is, yet with a whimsical richness that speaks of gratitude and joy. Those blues tunes are often sung best by old men whose voices haven’t got much left, but in those voices is expressed the anguish and laughter of human living. Behind those aging voices there is a rhythm that may sound coarse and angry, but which strums out the heart beat and heartache of living. It is wonderful stuff.   Is that the kind of music we can make when the limitations and burdens are heavy? The blues? Some folks make music under heavy circumstances that inspire the rest of us. People living with cancer know that Jack Layton must have worked hard in those latter days feeling punk and struggling to provide strength and optimism to his followers while carrying the exhaustion and worry that goes with illness. He was making music of a grand kind with what he had left. Hope instead of fear, optimism instead of despair, and the promise that working together could truly make a better world for everyone. You can’t beat that. Another side to this came to me last week from a friend in Toronto. She found these words in a church bulletin: “To love a person is to learn the song that is in their heart and sing it to them when they have forgotten”. Maybe the best music we can make ‘with what is left’, is to call out the songs in the hearts of those we love and remind them of their own melodies that inspired faith and gave energy to their lives. It would be hard to find a better way to make music with what is left than to sing the songs to our friends that would start them singing again, the songs that grounded and motivated their lives. We need not be creating new music. We may not have much left that will inspire and challenge. But we may be able to remember the songs that filled the hearts of those we love and may have been forgotten. Through husky, breathless, voices, we can look our fellows in the eye and invite them to remember the songs of their youth, to sing them again, to be lifted up by their promise. It may be best at this time to invite the songs of other human hearts to surface again and to provide the marching orders for a new day. “What kind of music can we make with what is left?” To not try to make music of our own, but to bring forth the chorus of song that lives in the souls of those around us. It may be the most we can do, love those around us and call out their songs. What a beautiful moment that would be, the slow gathering of souls singing their tunes to one another and with each other.