Touching Lives, One Song at a Time

By Jennifer Jonas

This book will transform you through its moving stories about reaching into the world of an Alzheimers patient, about helping someone die a more peaceful death, and about inspiring a child with a special need to sing and dance. These compassionate stories captivate the human spirit and may bring a tear to your eye.

Jennifers appearance at the entrance to the kitchen would bring instant delight to moms eyes and a huge beautiful smile to her face. It was the highlight of her week. Jennifer has a way of bringing joy, clarity and awareness back by drawing from the memories she discovers, tirelessly, patiently and with heartfelt kindness and then sharing them again and again and again. I also loved her sessions since mom was such a happy camper by the time she finished! Kathleen Sweeney

Jennys therapy touched the lives of each member of our family. She taught my special needs daughter essential developmental skills, helped my father remember some dear memories that were lost, comforted my aging mother and sang at the funerals of all three. Her gift of music brought tears of joy and comfort to all of us. Valerie Jones

Jennifers music therapy reached my mom deep down in her soul. We thought we were giving mom a gift, but it turned out to be a gift to all of us! Michelle Buchanan

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Mar 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781504376778

Jennifer Jonas

Jennifer Jonas is an accredited music therapist with over twenty-five years of experience working with young children and seniors. She began her music studies in her home country of Canada and then pursued her graduate studies at Michigan State University. Jennifer returned to Toronto, where she set up her first private practice. It was there she made her professional recording Reminiscence featuring songs from her work in palliative care at St. Michael’s hospital. In Toronto she was interviewed by Peter Downie, long time host of CBC TV and radio, and featured in his book called Healers at Work. In 1998 Jennifer’s family moved to Huntsville, Alabama, where she continued her music therapy work with children and seniors. In 2013 she began sharing her music therapy stories on her local classical radio station, WLRH. She is a regular contributor to the Sundial Writers program. Sharing her stories on the radio inspired her to fulfill a dream of writing her own book, Touching Lives One Song at a Time.

Book preview

Touching Lives,

One Song

at a Time

Jennifer Jonas

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Copyright © 2017 Jennifer Jonas.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Balboa Press

A Division of Hay House

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.balboapress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

ISBN: 978-1-5043-7676-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-7678-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-7677-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017903985

Balboa Press rev. date: 03/18/2017

Contents

Preface

Healing Tears

A Waltz Remembered

Catharsis

The Wedding Song

Memories

The Universal Language

I Love You, You Love Me

When Words Fail Us

Calming Jackson

At Peace

Ben and Me

I’ll Fly Away

Child of Light

Musical Midwife

Take My Hand, Precious Lord

Transformation

Mi-chael!

The Power of Music to Reach Within

Doris Gives Hope

Hope with a Musical Sound

A Musical Redirection

Extra Special

Edith’s World

Unmissed Opportunities

Pure Joy!

In Closing

About the Author

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my wonderful clients and their families, who have inspired me to be a better therapist and a better person. In touching their lives, they have touched mine.

Acknowledgments

A few years ago, I sat down with Dottie Coan to discuss an idea I had of writing a book about my therapy stories. I had been singing to Dottie’s mother, Edna, at the time. She had seen firsthand the magical effect music had on her mom, so she agreed wholeheartedly that a book like this would be wonderful and beneficial. Her belief in me gave me the courage to begin writing.

Along the way, I asked for help from my literary friends: Marikay Tillet, Rosalind Fellwock, Mary Williamson, and Courtney Potts. They were there to check my grammar, cross my t’s and dot my i’s. I am extremely grateful to each of them.

I also want to thank my photographers for the touching photos of their loved ones that I used in this book. The pictures brought their stories to life! For their editing and touch ups, I thank Joe Matus and Ashley Justice.

The precious hands on the front cover of this book belong to Rosalind Fellwock and Cailey Moak, and the talented hands that took this touching photograph belong to my son, Jesse Akozbek.

Lastly, I need to thank all the family members of the clients I have sung to these twenty-five years. Your mother, your daughter, your husband, or your