Montreal is climaxing culture these days. The loudest shout-out of the moment is the star-studded Festival International de Jazz de Montreal that scorches the already red-hot streets of our downtown core with its worldbeat blowouts. Teeming with tourists, you can yell out my name in the crowd, but you won’t find me.
I – am swinging my hips at the air-conditioned Montreal Jewish General Hospital, at the in-house JGH JAZZ; a yearly jazzbo hat-tip to the mother of all fests. Run by irrepressible music therapist Bryan Highbloom (who invites both Montreal and international artists to play), the festival banner reads: music is healing. It sure is. Two years ago, my husband and in-house music composer spent the duration of our big-city blowout at the hospital- horizontal- save for the joy of Bryan’s concerts in the cafeteria. In a time of need, these musical moments brought us such comfort and inspiration, words cannot express. If I was a musician, then I would play, and send you soaring through the wilds of your limitless soul, with the symphony of my gratitude.
Ned and Bryan have since cooked up the ace pilot project ‘Hospital Soundscapes’- using ‘original ambient music and soundscapes’ to help reduce the noise and stress of hospital life. Indeed. Check it out, and help heal what ails you.
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FAN THE FLAMES
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GOOD NEWS FLASH: My friend (and yours, if you met him on the dance floor) Rawi Hage has recently won the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (the world’s richest literary prize), for his beautiful, incendiary novel: De Niro’s Game. Mazel tov, Rawi!
6 Responses to Music is healing
Nice article say hello to all and thanks for thinking of me see you soon Steven
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Brenda the blog seems like one more extension of your
many armed dialogues, on film, web, and best of all in person.
Always love what Ned is doing, and the hospital piece is no
different, boy is that ever needed. Thats what I call a versatile
musician.
Reminds me of a composer/producer that worked with
Laurie Anderson, made a hypothetical sound piece, with
soothing sounds for everything from the auto-ticket taker
to the trains horns.
Keep engaging us! Michael from San Francisco
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Brenda, fantastic post! You and the Nedster continue to weave your magic.
Hope to see you soon.
Vincent
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Great news always great to hear from you especially in your wonderful poetic way of expressing yourself Keep the news coming
Love “Auntie Freda”
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Thanks for all the encouragement! Keep it coming and help spread the word. I have just enough time to write a couple of posts a week, and not enough time to publicize.
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[…] For more Burns the Fire on music: Feel the Love and Music is Healing. […]
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