Steel City ParkinSingers

What:

SteelCity ParkinSingers is a therapeutic group singing program for people with Parkinson’s disease facilitated by board-certified music therapist, Alysha Suley, MM, MT-BC, whose passion for helping people with Parkinson’s regain and maintain their best voice previously led to a successful three-year run of the Singercise program at the Miller Center in Lewisburg, PA. Participants can expect to enjoy practicing crucial speaking skills using structured musical warm-ups and familiar songs in a fun and relaxed atmosphere while enjoying the camaraderie of others. The program is sponsored by Parkinson Foundation Western Pennsylvania, and will run weekly at the JCC in Squirrel Hill (5738 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217) for 12-weeks beginning Thursday, February 6 from 6:30p-7:30p. Pre-register here to receive intake materials and pre-assessment.  Registration is $25, program sessions are offered free of charge thanks to the Parkinson Foundation Western Pennsylvania.  

Why:

Music is medicine for people with Parkinson’s disease. The rhythm and melody of song provide a musical scaffold for speech while regulating the velocity of verbalizations and promoting mindfulness and intentionality.

Singing songs you enjoy increases the availability of dopamine, a key neurotransmitter involved in mood, learning & reward systems, the initiation of movement, motivation, and sleep cycles. The act of singing recruits additional neural networks not involved in speaking alone, so people who are not able to speak clearly may find they are able to produce louder, more understandable phrases while singing.

During our warmups,  participants will practice evidence-based techniques to increase speech intelligibility and strengthen muscles involved in speaking, singing, and breathing. All participants have a voice in choosing repertoire, and songs are chosen based on ease of learning, skills required in performing them, how easy they are to learn and remember, and preferences of the group; you have more to gain from a song you enjoy singing, than from a song that feels like “work.”

While Parkinson’s is a degenerative condition, there is hope for maintaining and even improving mood, quality of life, and your ability to speak more clearly and confidnetly.

What past participants have said:

“I would recommend the program to anyone who has Parkinson’s, as I have found it to be enjoyable and it has proved to help improve my speech and my outlook on life in general.”

“Especially during the pandemic, programs like online Singercise bring fun interaction to me. The focus on breathing and enunciation are keeping my communication skills in practice.“

Singercise has contributed to my ability to speak in a fun and informative format. I appreciate that it is on Zoom.”

“A friend recently commented on how much better I was speaking and sounding.”

“The biggest improvement is with the volume and projection of my voice.”

“My husband and I find the program to be enjoyable, and both of us have seen some positive results.”

“I enjoyed the camaraderie of the group, especially Alysha. She is dynamic and makes a good leader.”