2008 ACSW Annual Conference, Edmonton, 2008 ACSW Annual Conference, Edmonton, Workshop 39Workshop 39

Presenter: Peter Chan, M.A., R.S.W.Presenter: Peter Chan, M.A., R.S.W.Date: March 15, 2008Date: March 15, 2008

Time: 8.30 – 11.30 a.m.Time: 8.30 – 11.30 a.m.

Old Melodies, Old Old Melodies, Old MemoriesMemories

Introduction

• A social and support group for Chinese seniors in Calgary

• A new approach to work with people

• Use of songs, music and group dynamics

• Members to talk about the past associated with a melody

• Emotional satisfaction

Introduction (cont’d.)

• Social and developmental purposes

• Not therapy

• Music therapy?

Music Therapy

• Definition by Canadian Association for Music Therapy:

“The skilful use of music and musical elements by an accredited music therapist to promote, maintain, and restore mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health.”

Music Therapy (cont’d.)

• Definition by Sandra Cornies, Music Therapist:

“The structured use of music experiences to facilitate positive changes in human behaviour.”

Cornies’ Definition (cont’d.)

• Positive Changes in human behaviour:

“music therapy aims to help people develop skills that have to do with overall development and personal growth.”

Workshop Time Management

• 1st hour: information on the approach

• 2nd hour: report on groups

• 3rd hour: practice session and discussion on the application of the approach

Participants’ Reactionto Melodies Played

• What was in your mind when hearing those melodies?

Assumptions

• One or a few melodies may have special meaning to a person

• Such melodies, usually old melodies, are associated with some special life events, life situations of a person and exist with the memory of that situation

• The power of such melodies in triggering and bringing back those memories

Memories

• Different with individuals

• Special meaning for each person

• Happy ones, interesting ones

• Sad ones , traumatic experience, losses

• Sweet ones

• Feelings associated with such memories

Memories (cont’d.)

• Memories trigger emotional responses

• Memories bring back associated feelings

• Emotional satisfaction through reminiscence

Assumptions (cont’d.)

• Given the opportunity, people are willing to share their stories and experience, to look back, to “evaluate”

• Satisfaction through expressing feelings

• Making meaning of emotions through articulating and sharing

Assumptions (cont’d.)

• Mutual support through sharing

• Mutual support in a group setting through its dynamics

• Mutual support has positive effect on the individual

Purposes

• To encourage seniors to share their stories and express their feelings

• To help seniors make meaning of their life events through memory integration (Daniel Siegel)

• To facilitate seniors achieve ego integrity (Erikson)

• To promote mutual support among seniors• To promote social networking

Memory Integration

• Daniel Siegel• Implicit puzzle pieces of memory taking

the form of perception, feelings , bodily sensations, and behavioural impulses

• Woven through mental process to produce new clusters of explicit factual and episodic memory

• Creating a coherent narrative of one’s own life through bilateral integration of brain

Bilateral Integration of Brain

Siegel

• Left hemisphere – narrator function (linguistically articulate the on-going story of one’s life), factual memory

Bilateral Integration of Brain (cont’d.)

• Right hemisphere – utilizes imagery, emotion and references to the self, storing “the goods” of own autobiographical memories

• Memory integration - integrating the left and right helps to make sense of our lives

Making Meaning of Life

• These explicit forms now have a sense when recalled, that something is coming from the past.

• Making meaning of their life

• Source: Siegel, D.J. (2007). The Mindful Brain. New York: W.W. Norton & Company

Ego-integrity

Developmental task for seniors in Erik Erikson’s ‘Eight Ages of Man’

Developmental Tasks Re-cap

Basic Trust vs. Mistrust

Autonomy vs. Shame, Doubt

Initiative vs. Guilt

Industry vs. Inferiority

Developmental Tasks Re-cap (cont’d.)

Identity vs. Identity confusion

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Generativity vs. Stagnation

Ego Integrity vs. Despair

The Approach

• Small group of less than 15 people

• 8 weekly sessions each of one and a half hours duration

• In each session, 5 group members will each introduce one chosen melody for the group to listen to

The Approach (cont’d.)

• The chosen melody (song or music) should be of special meaning to that member

• 5 members pre-arranged before meeting for presentation

• Members can read the lyrics while listening to the songs introduced

The Approach (cont’d.)

• The member will then share his/her story, experience and feelings associated with the melody

The Approach (cont’d.)

• Contents of sharing:– what makes the melody special and

impressive to him/her– Time and social background of the experience– Events and people – Related thoughts and feelings

The Approach (cont’d.)

• Can show related photos or objects at the same time

• Other members will respond to the presentation

• Group facilitator will make remarks

The Groups

• A joint project between Calgary Family Services and the Calgary Chinese Elderly Citizens’ Association (CCECA)

• Co-facilitated by a worker from both agencies

The Groups (cont’d.)

• Recruitment through CCECA

• Technical and preparation work, e.g., arranging presenters, preparing lyrics sheets and slides, operation of audio-visual systems

The Groups (cont’d)

• 2 groups- in Cantonese ( meeting weekly from

August 10, 2006 for 8 consecutive weeks)- in Mandarin ( meeting weekly from May 17, 2007 for 8 consecutive weeks)

• Venue – audio-visual room, CCECA• Meeting time – 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.• Nature - Social and support group

The 1st Session

• Ice-breaking

• Explaining group purposes

• Setting up guidelines and rules

• Demonstration by facilitators: e.g., study in England; Christmas in Calgary

• Arranging presenting members for ensuing sessions

The Groups (cont’d.)

• Activities

- listening to the melodies and stories introduced by members, sharing and comments by other members and

facilitators

- Singing together

- dancing, changing partners

Group Compostion

• Group composition

- 12 members in each group

- male and female

- age range: 65 to over 80

Group Composition (cont’d.)

- Cantonese group members mostly from Hong Kong

- Mandarin group members mostly from China and Taiwan

The Groups (cont’d.)

• Attendance: average 10 per session for both groups

The Last Session

• Evaluation

• Lunch together

• Extended to the afternoon for karaoke singing

Melodies Introduced

• Chinese songs in the 20s, 30s and 40s

• Popular songs from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan after the 50s

• Chinese folk songs

Melodies Introduced (cont’d.)

• Cantonese opera songs

• Chinese ballad accompanied by three Chinese musical instruments

• English songs

Stories Shared

• Big and important life events, e.g., escaping from the war zone; immigration

• Happy moments, e.g., dancing party in Hong Kong

Stories Shared (cont’d.)

• Unhappy times, e.g., death of husband, separation

• Regrets, e.g., receiving no education; loss from immigration

Stories shared (cont’d.)

• Achievements, glorious past, success through hardship

• Relationships : with spouse, lover, parents, children, grandparents, teachers, friends

Stories Shared (cont’d.)

• Maternal love and life without mother

• Influence of mother and father

• Own life stages esp. childhood experience

• School life

Stories Shared (cont’d.)

• Patriotic thinking and behaviour

• Traumatic life experience, e.g., fleeing from persecution during war and political movements

• Coping with predicament

• Beauty of homeland

Achievement Through Group

• Expression of feelings, emotional release

• Opportunity to tell and share own story

• Expression of view on life– Life philosophy e.g., peaceful life, no fights– Importance of family– Importance of friends– Importance of education

Achievement Through Group (cont’d.)

• Getting support and inspiration

• Increased self-understanding, self awareness

• Reframing, changing attitude

• Confirmation and recognition

Achievement Through Group (cont’d.)

• Enhancement of sense of worth, positive self-image

• Making sense of life

• Ego integrity, confirming contribution, no despair

• Becoming happier

Achievement Through Group (cont’d.)

• Mutual sharing: echoing of experience; sharing of joy and happiness

• Opportunity to show concern and support to others

• Treasuring mutual support

• Friendship, closer relationship among members

Achievement Through Group (cont’d.)

• Getting some knowledge of the society, people and events of certain periods in history in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Canada, U.S.A. and Europe

Evaluation By Members

• All were satisfied with the arrangement, group format, facilitators’ work and the entire group experience

• Suggested to have more group members

• To run such groups again

• The group experience has provided them with a memorable good time

Evaluation Of The Approach

• Purposes achieved

• Increased communication and friendship among members

• Effective in working with Chinese seniors

Role of Facilitator

• Group planning, recruitment, facilitating meetings and evaluation

• Preparation

Role of Facilitator (cont’d.)

• During the group session- encouraging participation- promoting mutual support- promoting interaction- provision of related knowledge and information- reframing- providing support

Summing up

• New approach, new attempt

• Use of old melodies to bring back memories

• Meeting emotional needs

• Use of group dynamics to provide support to and effect changes in individuals indirectly and ‘spontaneously’

• An effective approach

Discussion

• On the approach

• Comments

• Suggestions

• Questions

Workshop Practice Session

• 14 volunteers from the participants to form into 2 groups of 7 members each

• 1 group will demonstrate a short meeting of 15 minutes while the rest will be observers

Workshop Practice Session (cont’d.)

• 1 member from each group will be the presenter and 1 member will act as the facilitator

• The presenting member can choose the song to introduce his/her stories associated with the song from the songs played

Workshop Practice Session (cont’d.)

• Songs will be played

• The presenting member will choose a song and introduce his/her stories for 5 minutes max.

• The facilitator and other group members can respond together for 10 min.

• The entire audience will discuss for 5 min.

Workshop Practice Session (cont’d.)

• Then demonstration by the 2nd group to repeat the above process

• Discussions on the demonstrations and practice difficulties

Application of the Approach

• To other age groups

• To other ethnic groups

• Cultural background of facilitator

• Training background of facilitator

• Questions and suggestions