Oro Valley Youth Advisory Committee Volunteers Partner with SAACA to Bridge the Generations with MUSIC & MEMORY

Local media partners are invited to share in the MUSIC & MEMORY experience this Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. at Catalina Spring Memory Care in Oro Valley.  

(TUCSON, Ariz.) - Thanks to generous support from fundraising efforts of the Oro Valley Youth Advisory Committee, patients facing life-limiting illnesses at the Oro Valley Catalina Spring Memory Care residence will find renewed joy and pleasure in rediscovering the music that matters to them through MUSIC & MEMORY. 
 
On Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 10:30am, more than 20 residents at the Catalina Springs Memory Care residence (9685 N. Oracle Road) will be presented with individualized headsets and an iPod Shuffle with customized music play lists. The MUSIC & MEMORY project is a culmination of nearly six months of fundraising efforts by the Oro Valley Youth Advisory Council, as well as three months of planning, research and preparation to provide the most customized music experience for each participating resident.

Founded in 2010, MUSIC & MEMORY is a non-profit organization that brings personalized music into the lives of people with cognitive or physical challenges through digital music technology, vastly improving quality of life.  In 2015, the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA) partnered with MUSIC & MEMORY to acquire the training and certification to implement the program locally in Southern Arizona.
 
The idea is simple, but the difference that MUSIC & MEMORY is making in the quality of lives of seriously ill people and their families is nothing short of remarkable. According to research, the therapeutic benefits of music can provide not only comfort and enjoyment, but also reduce isolation, anxiety and agitation. Music also can help pain medication work more effectively and stimulate movement.
 
Since July 2016, the Oro Valley Youth Advisory Council has raised more than $4,000 to support the program, and underwrite individual iPod Shuffles and customized playlists for each participating resident. In addition, the students have spent many hours learning about the lives of each of the participating Catalina Spring Memory Care residents. Students have spent time reaching out to family members, and interviewing each resident in an effort to provide the most comprehensive and relevant collection of music for each individual participant. 
​
Amanda Osborne, marketing director for Catalina Springs Memory Care said, "Music is a powerful tool in connecting any person to place and time. The young men and women of the Oro Valley Youth Advisory Council have given our residents a gift of connection that cannot be duplicated by conversation. We are all grateful for their generosity, time and attention they all put into this project. We look forward to working with Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance to grow this program at Catalina Springs Memory Care so that all current and future residents have Music and Memory as a part of their daily programming."
 
"The goal of this Creative Arts Therapy program is to improve quality of life, provide life-long learning opportunities and to utilize the arts with therapeutic and healing impact," said Kate Marquez, executive director of SAACA. "The MUSIC & MEMORY program provides no better compliment to the Creative Arts Therapy program, when connecting the arts with individualized therapies. Often in aging populations, fears of the future go unexpressed, causing stress. Through creative arts therapies, we work to give people an outlet to communicate their feelings while also encouraging them to discover joy in the present," said Marquez.
 
For more information about MUSIC & MEMORY, please visit www.musicandmemory.org.
 
To learn more about the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance Creative Arts Therapy program, visit www.saaca.org
 
About the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance
The Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA) is a not-for-profit organization that exists to ensure that, through engagement in arts and culture, our communities produce strong, inspired citizens. SAACA enlists artists, businesses, governments, and individuals to expand artistic and cultural opportunities in their respective communities. To enhance access to the arts and to promote cultural awareness in the communities it serves, SAACA presents large-scale festivals, events and other programs. The Alliance also promotes educational opportunities in the arts and culture for individuals of all ages. www.saaca.org.
 
About the Oro Valley Youth Advisory Council
The Oro Valley Youth Advisory Council is a diverse group of youth advocates from high schools throughout Oro Valley. Established in 2012, the Council was built on opinions from local youth with one common goal: to improve Oro Valley.  Students from all over town came together to found this organization with the intent to create a long-lasting establishment with roots in the community. Our mission is to develop the voices of Oro Valley's youth and channel our passions to enhance our community.  We aim to bridge gaps in our community, create and participate in public service projects, and serve as a voice for youth in the Oro Valley town government. Learn more at www.orovalleyyouth.com.