Nature serves as an inspiration to release our creativity, guide our improvisation and free our expression while serving to relieve patients' stress, anxiety, boredom and isolation. Learn how to create a cradle of comfort exploring the beautiful sonorities of the harp to transport our imaginations. 

Kathleen Blackwell-Plank explores the unique tone qualities of the harp to enhance therapeutic music.  You will learn special techniques and simple patterns to suggest the sounds of nature or to paint a soundscape.  Participants will discover ways to utilize these ideas with improvisation or lead sheets. Kathleen identifies several of her pieces that are especially appropriate for bedside playing.  In addition she highlights pieces by composers such as Frank Voltz, Kathryn Cater, and Anne Crosby Gaudet (who makes a cameo appearance) to be added to your therapeutic music repertoire. 

The physical demands of playing music (and transporting harps) can put musicians at risk for hand or arm injuries.  This hands-on session will explore stretching techniques, warm-up routines and equipment that can help avoid injury.  In addition, participants are introduced to arrangements for one hand alone, which can be played while recovering from hand or arm injuries.  Ideas for creating a simple, spacious sound for use in therapeutic music are explored.  The Manx folk song, Farewell, Little Katie, My Love provides an example of an arrangement for one hand alone.  Participants then work from a lead sheet for the Breton Lullaby, Toutouig to build improvisation skills. 

Folk songs have been handed down for generations and are deeply rooted in every culture. Songs drawn from a person’s heritage can be deeply comforting in times of stress and change. Participants will gain an understanding of the therapeutic power of cultural sensitivity and expand repertoire to better serve diverse populations. 

In this workshop harpists, singers and instrumentalists expand their repertoire of comforting music drawing on the wealth of folk songs from different traditions. Kathleen Blackwell-Plank, MSW, ACCM is a former member of the Charlotte Symphony. She has over 25 years of experience as a social worker in hospice care and is credentialed through the Harp for Healing Program as as Advanced Certified Clinical Musician.  She founded the Interlude Music Program of Hospice & Palliative Care of Cabarrus County more than 20 years ago and is a prolific arranger of music for harp, choir and instruments. 

Labyrinths have been a part of meditative experience for thousands of years. In this workshop learn how to create a music guided labyrinth experience for walking a labyrinth or for using a hand-held finger labyrinth.  Learn about relaxation breathing, centering, exploring appropriate repertoire, the use of modes and improvisation.