7/29/2019 Making The Music Connection
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TRI- ITTRI-CITYARTCONTACT
anis Warrenemail: [email protected]
hone: 604-472-3034 fax: 604-944-0703
JANIS WARREN/THE TRI-CITY NEWS
Top left, music therapist Cristine Bostrom leads the adult Glee
choir in song at MewsicMoves in Maillardville. Above, Chase and
Manuel belt out You Are My Sunshine, withcaregivers watching from
behind them. Below, Roxanne and Manuel have fun while
Rebecca sways to the beat with a musical instrument in hand.
Violet
aims or
ogueBy Janis Warren
THE TRI-CITY NEWS
Fou rt h inst al-ment n t e Br g t Y oung T hi ng ss e r e s , w
c highlights recentgraduates who arepursuing careers inthe per
orming orv sua arts.
Violet Patrich ischoked with SFU.
T e Dr. aresBest secondarygraduate was ac-cepte nto t eBurnaby
schoolscontemporary artsprogram but didnt
ave t e mar s toget into the insti-tution itself.
I t r e a l l ysucked, the 18ye a r o s aplainly, with her
ea own. T eywere like, Wewant you but you
ave to get intoF first.Patrich took the
news in stride andinstead signed upfor psychology and
wo me ns st u e scourses this fall atDoug as Co ege nNew
Westminster,where she lives.
You know, itsokay, because itsmportant or me
to focus on contentas well for my art.It all ties in to-get
er.
And P atr i c hoes spend a lot of
time thinking and dreaming a out er cra t an
ow it provokest oug t.
Earlier this year,she entered three
photographs intoEmerging Talent
V, an annual festi-val at CoquitlamsE v e r g r e e n
see PATRICH page 1
Making the music connectionBy Jan s Warren
HE TRI- ITY NEW
r om e r e e ct r c p a no n t e c or n erof the room, Cristine
Bostrom startst e c ass w t a ser es o stretc es
efore launching into vocal warm-ups.From there, she leads the
four adults and their
aregivers in a round of song over the next hour, be-nning with
You Are My Sunshine and The Muppet
ong. A Kelly Clarkson tune soon follows.Some read from their
song sheets; others sway to
he beat, or gesture.Its all good fun for the Glee choir but,
most im-
ortantly, its he lping the four developmentallysa e a u ts w t t
e r menta , p ys ca an
mot ona unct on ng.Registered clinical counsellor John Mews,
the
xecutive director of Mewsic Moves, a private prac-ce in
Maillardville, said music therapy is espe-ally beneficial for
people with special needs as itds with their language cognition a
point rein-rced by Coquitlams Shelley Balachanoff, who has
een her 28-year-old autistic son, Chase, blossomnce starting
lessons.He is very inspired by music, she said. He has
een absorbing different types of music, too. Heears the radio in
the car and he can follow along
t t e wor s ecause e remem ers t e yr csom t e song s eets n t e
c ass. Now, e oo s ate newspaper an recogn zes t ose wor s.Its ust
been phenomenal, she said.
ews Glee choir is also unique as its one of thew programs
available to adults with developmen-l disabilities (most activities
are streamlined to
eople under 18).As well, the adult Glee choir is endorsed by
ommunity Living BC and was featured in its Aprilewsletter, he
itizen.
ews said the first adult Glee choir, whicharted in the spring,
wrapped up in May with
five participants recording a CD with eight tracks.T ey p c e t
e songs t ey wante to s ng an aof them had good messages. It was
very personalan eaut u , e sa .
And this fall, Mews plans to expand his musictherapy programs by
offering Glee Club for chil-
ren, Korean choir, drumming for teens, early tod-ler
intervention with music, and music for parents
of children with special needs.Speaking of the latter program,
Mews said, Not
only will it give the parents a short break duringweek, but it
will teach them how to play.... Music isun t ng. Its on ng. My goa
s to ma e am esfeel empowered.
ews mus c a ac g roun star te at t e ageof three at church. Over
the years, his mother a singer encouraged him to study music;
hewanted to practice medicine.
uring his third year of his bachelors degree,
ma oring in piano, at Memorial University inNew oun an , a pro
essor as e Mews e woucarry on with his masters in music.
I sa , No way. Im go ng to app y or meschool, the Vancouver
resident remembered tell-ing her. I didnt want to perform.
he suggested music therapy, a stream she hadwanted to pursue.
Mews looked around and foundCapilano University had a bachelor of
music ther-apy degree. He completed that program and, in 2004,he
opened a private practice in Port Moody.
Now, Mews has 40 clients ranging in age fromt ree to 35, w t un
ng n part rom t e prov nc agovernment and the Autism Funding Unit
of BC.
Mus c t erapy s a e ne. It can o so muc ,he said. Theres a lot
of research about music andthe brain in terms of motivation,
stimulation andcommunication, and wI think were ust on the cuspof
learning how much it has to offer.
www.tricitynews.com16Wednesday, August 1, 2012, Tri-City
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