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What is Resounding Joy?Resounding Joy—affectionately known as RJoy—is a public-benefit, California non-profit 501c3 corporation, dedicated to providing a supportive and healing music environment to adults and children who are homebound or have special needs. RJoy accepts referrals from individuals and from faith-based and community-based organizations who want to offer recreational music-making programs to older adult individuals and groups. Resounding Joy trains volunteer Joy Givers to bring words of hope and encouragement and appreciation for the joy and consolation brought by music . . . God’s gift to humankind.
Who originated the Resounding Joy concept?Barbara Reuer, PhD, NMT, MT–BC. Between 1994 and 1995, Dr. Reuer was part of a team that received a $100,000 grant from the federal Administration on Aging. The purpose of the award was to develop programs to train older adults in good health to share recreational music-making activities with their peers. While the program accomplished its goals, it failed to sustain an all-volunteer program.
A decade later, still seeking to meet the needs of homebound and shut-in populations, Dr. Reuer borrowed the basic tenets of the original project and applied them to Resounding Joy. A model that brings faith-based and community-based organizations together, Resounding Joy has far greater potential to reach into and serve communities. And the RJoy model works not only with adults but with children, both individually and in groups.
How qualified is the Resounding Joy executive director?Dr. Reuer has been a practicing music therapist for more than 30 years. In 1987, she founded and continues to direct MusicWorx of California, a music therapy contracting and consulting agency. The MusicWorx clinical training team serves a variety of clientele, including older adults, across San Diego County. Additionally, Dr. Reuer directs an international internship program whose participants have worked with thousands of patients in hospice, medical facilities, older adult facilities, wellness programs, and special-education settings.
What started Resounding Joy?In 2004, RJoy resulted from a $38,000 two-year funded grant by Wheat Ridge Ministries, an independent Lutheran charitable organization that supports innovative health and hope ministries. A partnership formed between Dr. Reuer, who served as Project Coordinator, and Calvary Lutheran Church, which served as the fiscal sponsor. The grant was complete December 2005.
What are the Resounding Joy primary objectives?RJoy provides high-quality training and resources to equip, strengthen, and expand supportive music and music therapy services through partnerships with community-based and faith-based organizations. RJoy started in San Diego, California, but intends to duplicate its model in cities across the United States.
What's the difference between music therapy and supportive music?Music therapy uses music provided by a qualified music therapist to address specific non-musical goals, such as physical, psychological, cognitive, and / or social functioning clients of all ages and populations. Music therapists are highly skilled, trained musicians who hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, have completed a six-month internship, and have passed the national board certification examination.
Supportive music uses principles and approaches from music therapy practice that have been adapted in ways that enable non-musician volunteers to utilize the recreational music-making component. Professional music therapists supervise Resounding Joy volunteer Joy Givers at least once each month.
Does Resounding Joy train volunteers to be music therapists?No. Music therapists are credentialed as described in the previous paragraph. Volunteer Joy Givers learn, first of all, to be good listeners and be present with Joy Receivers in one-on-one settings and in group environments. Resounding Joy structures Joy Giver training to be supportive and non-musician proof—meaning Joy Givers can't fail even if they've never learned to read music or play a musical instrument.
What does Resounding Joy require of volunteer Joy Givers?Volunteer Joy Givers need not be musicians to share their time in this creative outreach program. Joy Givers, however, must love spending time with and sharing the comfort and joy of music with others. Resounding Joy asks Joy Givers to volunteer four hours per month for a period of one year.
Read more about Joy Giver requirements.»
What strategies does Resounding Joy use to train volunteer Joy Givers?Joy Givers learn basic group / rhythm facilitation principles, as outlined in the curriculum. Seven evidence-based elements are integrated into this supportive music model, including stress-reduction, physical fitness, self-expression, camaraderie / support, nurturing, spirituality, and music-making.
Read more about Joy Giver training.» See some Joy Givers in training.»
Describe a typical joy-giving session with older adults in group settings.During a typical 45-to-60-minute session, Joy Givers divide percussion / rhythm sessions into four components in order to offer all participants a wide variety of experiences and to establish session boundaries.
The four components
include the following:
Joy Givers employ recreational music-making. The primary purpose is not to inspire great music but, rather, to share the joy of making one's own music, regardless the sound to discriminating ears. Music-making techniques, including singing, drumming, and other percussion / melodic instrument playing. Joy Givers engage older-adult residents at their own particular levels of functioning in warm, compassionate, and caring environments.
Read more
about Joy
Receivers.»
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