Blog #8

 


This project has been an amazing experience. Jamie and I have been able to meet so many new people in different communities and better understand the impact of music on people. I never expected to make new friends during this experience, yet, this project hasn't failed to surprise me and allow me to learn new things. In the beginning of Hawken Project, Jamie and I decided to continue our music therapy project from Integrated Service Learning. This time around, though, we wanted to focus on our interaction and personal connections with patients. During our ISL project, the most impactful moments were our conversations with the people in these communities, and we wanted this to be one of our focus points in the last couple weeks. Some of my main objectives within Hawken Projects were to learn how to interact with patients experiencing memory issues as it is one of the main departments in hospice settings. In addition, I wanted to be able to continue to learn from the patients as I did during the summer. Lastly, my main objective was to learn how to organize repertoire and performances for assisted living facility settings. I have learned so much more about each of my objectives going into this project. I was able to talk one-on-one with one of the patients and learn more about each of their individual stories. I learned about their careers, lessons, and family, and I am so grateful that these patients were willing to share their valuable memories with Jamie and I. Throughout this project, I am incredibly appreciative of Ms. Turner, who was able to organize all of these locations for Jamie and I to perform. She also taught us how to interact with patients in memory care one-on-one, which helped me so much moving forward. Ms. Turner also introduced new activites to us that I never thought I would be doing. Jamie and I learned how to teach basic Tai Chi movements at the Avenue at Lyndhurst, which was a completely new and unique experience. My most important takeaway throughout this project is that these patients have a lifetime of stories and advice to share. Oftentimes in our society, we can overlook these people. I’m really glad I was able to join these various communities during the course of this project, and I hope that I’m able to apply what I’ve learned in healthcare in the future. 

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