SOHL Music is a Dementia Friendly Business. The presenter, Mary Shapiro, has over 20 years of professional experience including training in Music & Memory®, Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care®, and as a volunteer facilitator for The Stress-Busting Program for Family Caregivers™ presented by George Mason University. Mary has toured as a performing songwriter, is a licensed teacher, and is a proud graduate of the Music for Healing and Transition Program as a Certified Music Practitioner (CMP).
SOHL Music is a part of Stillwaters Foundation, located on 12 acres on Lake Athalon near Marshall, Virginia. It includes Stillwaters-Studios, a residential recording studio and professional sound support service for local theaters, community venues, and outdoor special events (public concerts and private weddings). Stillwaters Supper and Songs (and Snacks and Songs) is a live outdoor house concert series that brings in both local and touring musicians to create connections and peace through music.
SOHL's thoughts on the power of music...
I really saw the power of music when my mom had dementia. Her hospice sent a musician to play every week, and even though she couldn’t remember anything or barely speak, she could sing with us! After my mom died, my dad had a really hard time… I connected with him by playing music at his bedside. We even wrote a song together.
Music helps us learn new things and recall the old, like a child learning the alphabet through the ABC song for the first time.
I love it when I’m playing and singing an “oldie” and everyone starts singing along! Singing is great brain training; it benefits our hearts and lowers our blood pressure. Listening to our favorite songs can inspire us to workout longer, slow down, and eat less.
Mary Shapiro has traveled to 30 countries, and she believes that music is a language understood in every land. Her favorite part of playing music is making connections with people.
“I don’t do the work, the music does.
It's a total joy for me to bring healing and peace through music to you."
- Mary Shapiro, CMP, SOHL Music