Jacob Dorfman is our Community Arts Coordinator and Music Therapist at Wesley Enhanced Living at Stapeley in Germantown. He visits seniors at Stapeley every week, singing and playing songs to help bring back fond memories.
Jacob has introduced an innovative new project to Stapeley called Heartbeat Songs. The project involves a resident choosing personal songs that are either recorded live along with their heartbeat by the music therapist, or their heartbeat is matched to the original recordings, to create a very special personal keepsake.
One of our residents, Dick Taylor, sat down with Jacob to create a musical time capsule for him and his wife of songs that hold great meaning to them. Dick and Phyllis were both very involved in the Civil Rights Movement. The recording features several of their favorite songs that gave them strength and support throughout their lives, like We Shall Overcome.
Says Stapeley’s Director of Therapeutic Recreation Amy Van Burg, “Music therapy plays an important role in our community, as we work hard to keep residents active and engaged in the things that matter to them and their loved ones.”
Thank you, Jacob, for bringing this project to our Stapeley community!
Click here to read the whole article and to enjoy a video clip on Channel 6abc about the Heartbeat Songs with Jacob Dorfman and Stapeley residents Dick and Phyllis Taylor.