PODCAST [12] Bev Foster of Room 217, on using music to change the culture of care
In this episode, I’m talking with Bev Foster, Founding Director of Room 217, a Canadian social enterprise that uses music to change the culture of care. Bev started the organisation with her husband Rob, after experiencing first-hand the power of music for her dying father. It now provides music training for care staff as well as research-informed products like conversation cards, music books, and CDs, so that music can become an integral part of the day-to-day life of the home.
You can listen now below, or on Spotify (search for the name) and iTunes.
What’s in this episode?
We talk about:
- Bev’s personal experience of music and end of life care
- The two questions that inspired her to start Room 217
- The initial creation of music tools for carers
- The importance of relationships and the move into training for care workers
- The three-pronged training model: from building confidence to realising an initiative and becoming a music care advocate
- Working in the UK with Derby-based Opus Music
- Evaluating impact: anecdotes, statistically validation, standardised care assessments and cost benefit analysis
- 217 resources for musicians and carers: free Music in Care webinars, training programme and online studio
And we finish with three tips to help carers begin to use music to support wellbeing and care.
Links for this episode
Room 217 webinars – past Room 217 webinars – future
Power of Music in Health and Social Care, Nottingham University
Justine Schneider, Professor of Mental Health and Social Care
Organisations in the UK that support music in care:
About the music for education & wellbeing podcast
Listen in each month to get ideas, inspiration and practical advice from people involved in music education, community music, music therapy and more. Learn how you can break down barriers to music, through communications, advocacy and inclusive practice.
The music for the podcast was created by Otis Hynds, a young person working with Noise Solution.
- Contact me if you’d like to be on the podcast.
- Subscribe to my enews to hear about future episodes (and get free downloads – see below).
- Visit Music Education Works to read and search for research evidence of the impact of music education.
- Listen to another great music education-related podcast – the Youth Music podcastfrom UK music charity Youth Music.
Transcript
Music for Education and Wellbeing podcast [12] TRANSCRIPT: Bev Foster
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