For the second year in a row, the National Endowment for the Arts has awarded the MSO's HeartStrings Program an Access to Artistic Excellence Grant.
HeartStrings is the Symphony's newest community
engagement initiative. Built on the foundation of the nationally recognized
Up Close & Musical® Program, this new program will reach beyond traditional learning environments to bring live, interactive musical performances to children and adults with special needs.
The MSO has partnered with music therapists, staff and residents at various state institutions and community centers in southern Wisconsin. The
2007-2008
HeartStrings partners are: American Family Children's Hospital, Attic
Angels Bayview Foundation, Belmont Nursing Home, Central Wisconsin Center,
Madison Area Rehabilitation Centers (MARC), Meriter Retirement Community, Oak
Park Place Oakwood Village Retirement Communities and St. Mary's Adult Day
Health Center. Each of these facilities already uses music as a component of
their life-enhancing activities for residents, but HeartStrings offers further
engagement through live, interactive performances by the Rhapsodie Quartet. The
performances engage residents in active music-making and movement activities
that are grounded in the philosophy of music therapy.
Astonishing Results
Our first session
demonstrated astonishing results for participants, staff and musicians alike. A
report from a music therapist detailed extraordinary physical, emotional,
cognitive and social changes in residents and a much-needed, and unexpected,
respite for the staff.
In its pilot season in 2005-2006, HeartStrings
served more than 300 individuals. The program continues to experience dramatic
growth, with 2,000 participants served in the 2006-2007 season and an estimated
3,000 to be served in 2007-2008.
For more information about
HeartStrings, please contact the MSO Education Director Michelle Kaebisch at
608.257.3734 x225.
