Enhancing well-being for older adults by digital music theater

Digital programming and digital interactions, initially thought-about to be stop-gap measures throughout the first few waves of the pandemic, could now be an necessary a part of supporting many individuals’s well being and well-being—together with the well-being of older adults.

In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, group musical actions moved on-line, prompting a wave of digital choir experiments and digital orchestra choices.

These and different on-line communities weren’t restricted to college students. A Statistics Canada survey discovered that greater than half of Canadians between the ages of 64 and 74 elevated their participation in on-line actions throughout the pandemic by connecting with household and buddies by video conferencing, or accessing leisure on-line.

Digital alternatives within the performing arts are ripe with potential for older adults to foster abilities and creativity, and to enhance well-being.

Social connection

Going digital serves many functions, crucial of which can be social connection.

Since connecting with others stays necessary for older adults, this may be achieved by, or along with, digital leisure or leisure alternatives.

Our analysis has revealed that digital music theater—music theater on-line—permits for a extra accessible and a much less unique method to have interaction with this artwork kind with many advantages for individuals.

On-line performing arts

The performing arts enable performers and audiences to really feel, be inventive in neighborhood, specific themselves and talk or play by track, motion or storytelling.

Advantages related to participation within the arts embody improved temper and well-being and sense of belonging.

Analysis has additionally documented associations between seniors’ participation within the arts and improved mobility and vocal well being.

Earlier than the pandemic erupted, we had began main a program, Rise, Shine, Sing!, that created alternatives for native residents sometimes excluded from the creation of music theater on account of age, capacity and entry. This system was largely attended by older adults, some with Parkinson’s Illness or different continual circumstances.

We held three weekly face-to-face classes from the tip of February 2020, till mid-March, after which moved this system on-line (through Zoom) for 12 classes from April till June 2020. This system continues to be supplied, with many individuals indicating a desire to proceed nearly.

Considerably to our shock, when this system moved on-line, the truth that individuals might solely hear the facilitator and themselves singing was not a deterrent to taking part. Individuals loved singing, dancing and creating characters utilizing costumes and props primarily based on cues and suggestions from facilitators.

Paradigm shift for music theater

Digital music theater presents a severe paradigm shift for the style. More often than not when individuals consider music theater, they consider stay our bodies shifting in excellent synchrony to choreographed motion, and voices singing in excellent concord whereas performers are bodily current collectively.

Researchers have examined how group singing and motion fosters togetherness, neighborhood and social bonding.

Music theater has made strides to turn into extra inclusive over the course of the twenty first century. Los-Angeles primarily based Deaf West Theater, for instance, creates works of music theater that may be skilled and carried out by members of the Deaf and listening to communities.

A large number of recent works, stagings and casting practices are highlighting and supporting the experiences of marginalized teams, by diversifying and queering the sector, for instance.

Such works supply resistance and new tales to an business that has historically been ableist, white and ageist.

However regardless of a wholesome neighborhood music theater scene in North America, most alternatives nonetheless pass over many individuals on account of points associated to social anxiousness, expertise, mobility, household life and/or funds.

Music theater meets common design

We drew on the intersection of music theater efficiency and common design for studying to develop a mannequin the place success might look completely different from individual to individual.

By way of the motion, individuals might synchronize with the facilitator and/or different members of the group. They have been equally welcome and inspired to customise or adapt their actions to swimsuit their very own wants and pursuits.

We embraced dancing from each a seated and standing place, to discover completely different ranges and to accommodate completely different mobility capabilities. Individuals managed how a lot they shared by deciding how seen they needed to be on digicam.

Classics and newer numbers

We drew on musical classics or requirements from “Singin’ within the Rain,” “The Sound of Music,” “Joseph and The Wonderful Technicolour Dreamcoat“—in addition to newer numbers from Depraved and different fashionable songs.

We additionally co-created our personal songs by combining our shared reminiscences or inspirations by picture, lyrics and actions to discover themes of pleasure and resilience in troublesome instances.

Whereas this system was led nearly, earlier than classes, leaders dropped off or mailed prop bins to all individuals. These have been full of costumes together with small scarves and ribbons that could possibly be used for choreography.

Promise of digital musical theater

Digital music theater has proven unbelievable promise, even within the brief time we now have been exploring it. Digital connections reframe being collectively on the similar time and in the identical area. This provides new surprising dimensions to making music in a bunch.

First, targets and expectations of uniformity are changed with targets of particular person empowerment and artistic exploration.

Second, individuals stay dedicated to the neighborhood and group endeavor, however are additionally free to tailor and adapt the methods they have interaction with the fabric and with each other. If group members invite buddies or household in different cities to take part nearly, as some in our group did, the digital neighborhood additionally expands in significant methods.

Lastly, individuals may modify their private consolation by sharing as a lot or little of themselves with the group with out feeling like they’re letting the group down.

Our hybrid future

The pandemic catalyzed the necessity for digital interplay. Whereas we all know that Zoom fatigue is pervasive, digital alternatives for music theater participation and creation supply a brand new paradigm of inventive expertise.

These alternatives additionally supply hanging promise for bringing performers among the similar advantages as in-person music theater experiences.

In some instances, in addition they facilitate new entry to music in neighborhood, and permit individuals to interact with the artwork kind and each other in ways in which assist private company and independence, whereas additionally sustaining social connection and interactivity. Who might ask for something extra?

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