Sage Living sat down with Hilary Camino, MT-BC for a Q&A about our music therapy program for residents. In this interview with Hilary, she gives additional insight to her meaningful work in its many forms and functions.
Hilary, tell us who you are and why you chose to become a music therapist?
I’ve been the music therapist at Sage Living for the past 8 years now. I wanted to become a music therapist because I experienced the healing qualities of the arts early on in my life and wanted to provide that for others. I went to school for music therapy and learned evidence-based approaches on how to use music to help people accomplish their health goals.
What is music therapy and why does it work?
Music therapy is kind of like occupational therapy or speech therapy, but I use music to accomplish health goals. This could be learning how to breathe more effectively through singing exercises, how to recall memories through musical reminiscence, connecting with others in a drum group or working through emotional challenges in songwriting. Music is a useful tool to accomplish so many different goals.
We’ve witnessed you teaching an intro class on how to play the harmonica and we hear the resident choir singing at events… What group music therapy opportunities are you offering right now?
Our group offerings fluctuate depending on the residents’ needs and interests, right now we have the following groups that all are welcome to attend!
Classical Music Listening and Discussion Group – Each week we collectively choose a composer or piece of music to listen to and discuss. We learn a lot in this group about music history and how mindfully listening to music can broaden our understanding of ourselves and our relationship to music.
Therapeutic Songwriting – In this group, there’s no experience needed, in fact, no musical experience is needed in any of our music therapy groups! When we are “songwriting” we choose a topic to discuss and share memories. Our latest song was called, “The Ballad of the Tetons” where we talked about our experiences in the Tetons and what being in nature means for us. Once we’ve shared our thoughts, then we put our words together into phrases making them rhyme and eventually we put the lyrics to music. As the music therapist, I provide musical ideas, and the group responds with their preference. We’ve written so many beautiful songs in this group we are thinking we need to make an album and share with family and friends!
Music for Memory – This group is offered in Wildflower Way, our memory care neighborhood. This group is designed to aid in memory recall and strengthen cognition. Did you know music engages the whole brain? So, when part of the brain doesn’t function as well as it once did, you can still access those other parts of the brain where music is held. That’s why we can sing along to our favorite songs even when we have memory loss. Music is a unique tool that can be used to make our brains stronger.
Tunes w/ Tots – This is one of our favorite groups where we get to spend time with toddlers making music. Spending time with children provides many social benefits and it brings us so much joy! When we make music together, it helps us actively engage with little ones rather than just observing them. We play drums and other instruments, sing, dance, and even help the kids jump under a parachute. While we are having fun with the kids, we are teaching them social skills like how to take turns, share, and spend quality time with their “grandmas and grandpas”. We want to create a positive environment, so kids love coming to spend time in places like Sage Living for the rest of their lives.
Sage Choir – This is our community choir where we collectively choose the theme and songs we’d like to sing each quarter. Right now, we are singing Peter, Paul, and Mary songs which we’ll sing for family and friends soon. This group is for ANYONE, regardless of whether you think you can sing. Music making is for everyone and singing provides so many health benefits, including increased lung capacity, strengthens diaphragmatic breathing, and releases feel-good chemicals into your body. Come sing with us!
Music and Movement – I’ve teamed up with our therapists for this fun group where we have developed a group that works on stamina, strengthening, and range of motion all while PLAYING INSTRUMENTS! Moving your body to music is highly motivating and distracting because it’s fun, so fun, that you can forget you’re even exercising. Win – win!
Bring us through the process of how a resident goes about getting set up with a one-on-one session with you.
I provide individual music therapy sessions to residents who cannot meet their health goals in the group music therapy setting. There are times a resident has higher individualized needs that can only be met in the individual setting. Sometimes, residents are having a hard time engaging in other therapies so speech, OT or PT will refer them to music therapy. Depending on the circumstances, a resident, family member, or staff member can always ask for an individual music therapy assessment to see if they are a good candidate for individual music therapy. Just let me know!
Your music therapy program was recently featured in a short film that won awards, (see how to watch the film on the next page!) what are your goals for this film?
I hope more people understand how powerful and effective music therapy is for people in a senior living community. I hope this film inspires more communities to have their own music therapist and that music therapy eventually becomes a service accessible to all.
What else do you want to add?
“I love my job. Each resident I have the privilege of working with teaches me in so many ways. I’ve learned that life doesn’t cease to surprise you, and you don’t cease to surprise yourself with what you are capable of. I’m grateful to the residents for being open, trying new things, and pushing themselves beyond their comfort zone. Through adversity, health challenges, and trials, the human spirit is inexhaustible, and I’m continually inspired and motivated by the residents here at Sage Living.”