Harps for Healing

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Harps for Healing

Harps for Healing provides harpists to play for patients and carers in clinical care settings. The

Harpists who volunteer their time and skill to provide harp music for the wellbeing of the sick and their carers. This is also a training project for harpists wishing to enhance their skills to provide music for wellness and relaxation.

05/10/2019

Quietly entertaining dinner guests in the Dolphin Hotel on Inishbofin, a young woman approached and said how much she loved the music: .."it's emotional and moving". Another couple came to say how much they enjoyed the harp and asked about it, seeing it was so different to other harps they have seen. I told them about some of its special properties, developed to make it suitable for playing to people in trauma, with acquired brain injury etc. Later, the woman came to me to say her partner has acquired brain injury and he really enjoyed the music. He can't handle a lot of sound, but the therapy harp worked. Little do we know how our small therapy harps are affecting people.

04/10/2019

The sea is wild this morning but thankfully we survived Lorenzo unscathed

10/06/2019

Playing for a patient with dementia, I noticed that even though they no longer have verbal skills and most of the time lack interest in their surroundings; when I play rhythmic music, they immediately begin to tap the rhythm out with their hands and feet. Then they begin to pay attention to the harp, watching the movement of fingers on strings.

11/04/2019

Three of our regular venues are benefitting from the reports we generate about the sessions. The information helps clinical staff in their work, and provides much needed patient satisfaction information. According to the listeners, the impact of the music of the little therapy harp on all who hear it is heartwarming and uplifting.

22/01/2019

For the last six months we have been playing for the well-being and health of residents and carers in Dalkey Community Care, in addition to our regular centres. There are also weekly visits to Alzheimer’s patients. It is amazing how music and rhythm continue to evoke positive responses long after language and body awareness declines. It’s a privilege to witness the happy singing and the marking of rhythm using hands and feet. Recently a client was heard saying: “The music makes us feel young”. The smiles of the listeners say it best.

28/07/2018

Spent two full days playing in hospitals where the therapy harp was loved and enjoyed by patients and carers. The special joy was playing for premature babies who particularly benefitted from the soothing notes. Nurses said it was clear their tiny charges were relaxing as they heard the therapy harp: "Just look at their stats". A patient being wheeled to XRay commented: "That music just makes me forget all my pain, it's so lovely".

12/07/2018

The last while has been a busy time for Harps for Healing. Dalkey Community Care and St Clare's in Glasnevin are some of the places we have been playing therapeutically. There has also been some one-to-one sessions with individuals. It's a privilege to be a part of a positive modality that benefits patients and carers in such wonderful ways. To see the smiles, to see the alertness increase when someone hears the harp, and then to share the joy of the music, with people singing along and tapping the rhythms. What an honour.

12/03/2018

For the last while, we've been making weekly visits to a care facility in Dublin. The response to the therapy harp has been amazing for the staff to see. Residents whom they've never heard sing or participate, have been soothed by the tones of the harp into joining in with the singing and foot tapping. Such a gift to see the delight on the faces of staff and their welcoming smiles when we walk the corridors playing the little therapy harp.

31/12/2017

Celebrating holiday wishes with residents of Dalkey Community Care on Thursday was such fun. Walking the floors with the therapy harp, bringing harp music to those confined to bed was a privilege. It's always great to hear people sing spontaneously when they recognise a song.

19/12/2017

On Wednesday, Harps for Healing played for the residents in St Clare's in Glasnevin. It is a real privilege to be able to play by the bedside for those unable to make it down to the sittingroom where a large group of residents were making lots of noise singing and tapping hands and feet along to the music. A great start to the festive season.

06/10/2017

What a privilege to bring the therapeutic harp to the Aran Islands. Some wonderful experiences with young and old alike. It was a treat to play alongside the youngsters as they sang and played as Gaeilge, showing their prowess with the feadog and our traditional tunes. And the gift of hearing one of our oldest songs being sung in our native tongue by someone whom, I was assured, by the staff, had never been known to sing before. The faces of the carers said it all - amazed and astounded. Now we know we're doing our job right, as I was given a sweet smile by the aged singer who had made my day. 🎶🎼🎵

29/09/2017

Looking forward to bringing healing harp music to the Aran Islands....weather permitting, of course😀

Address

Dublin

Website

http://www.madeleinedoherty.ie/

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