Arts For The Health Of It

"They were allowed to say no to me and that’s ok. That was an empowering moment and one of the most important things I’ve learned." - Diane Mifsud How do you engage pediatric cancer patients? There is a lot of data around the impact of the arts on this population from reducing anxiety, depression and improving quality of life. It’s also important to note that these programs are just as important f...

I’m just a little songbird trying to fly my way homeward. Musician Natalie Layne wrote the theme song for the podcast and now you get to hear it in its entirety! We found her on TikTok and she has such a sweet story about creativity and music in her life but she's also passionate about mental health in the music industry. Natalie Layne is a songwriter, recording artist, and pianist from Colorado S...

Project: Music Heals Us was not founded in a musical moment. It was founded in a moment of silence and human connection. They have performed 1000 free concerts in hospitals, hospices, prisons, homeless shelters, nursing homes, and refugee camps. Project: Music Heals Us is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide encouragement, education, and healing through bringing high-quality live...

EVERY VOICE MATTERS What are the tactics we can employ on a regular basis to make our voices heard and to help speak up on behalf of those who may not be heard? If you’re listening to this podcast you’re at least interested, if not passionate, about arts accessibility and promoting the arts. It can be overwhelming and intimidating to be an advocate, but Ann S Graham breaks down the ways in which y...

Musical Bridges Around the World is a multicultural arts organization focused on education and creating one-of-a-kind performances by internationally renown artists for the benefit of the general public and underserved youth and elderly communities, while fostering San Antonio’s reputation as a cosmopolitan cultural center. ALL of our public performances are free! What makes our programming unique...

What have the last 16 months been like for Broadway?  Bradley Dean plays Monsieur Andre in the Broadway production of Phantom of the Opera and he's here talking not only talk about the exciting return of Broadway but the emotional toll COVID-19 has had on him, how he kept creative, and his love of pancakes.   What was the first show he ever saw? How do he and Constanza know each other? W...

The pursuit of the best health outcomes for all is the passion of Diana Lee and the common thread that runs through her life and career. As an expert in research-based wellness and health promotion, she complements her skills with seasoned public speaking and facilitation.  She is also the Co-Chair of the annual Music & Medicine Symposium at B-CU.   Rose Grace is a Russian-born perfo...

You don't have to be great at art, you just have to create what comes to you - Gloria Mara & Gloria met in Milwaukee while working in the service industry. Gloria grew up in Mexico City and Mara grew up in Chicago. They bonded over art, food, and travel and became partners in life and soon to be in business. They've now been together for almost 12 years and married for 1 and a half. Art, food,...

"If you have curiosity and playfulness, fear can’t exist with that." - Cathy Malchiodi, PhD Cathy A. Malchiodi, PhD, holds a doctorate in Psychology with a specialization in research and health psychology and is a clinical mental health counselor, expressive arts therapist, and art therapist who has spent over 30 years working with individuals with traumatic stress and studying how the arts suppor...

Dr. Alice Vestergaard is a pioneer in the integration of expressive arts into interdisciplinary health professions training. She created the required humanities course in the RN to BSN program at Samuel Merritt University and also the HEARTS (Health, Education, and the ARTS university-wide initiative. She is currently working on a narrative medicine workbook that can be integrated across all healt...

Our guest this week is Girl Stance Founder, Roe Anderson. Undefined, yet a warrior of many skills and talents, Roe identifies herself as the divine paradox of existence. Although Roe is trained in many skills and certified as an advanced yoga teacher, she chooses not to identify with her roles but instead show up as needed and inspire through the art of being authentically her.   Girl Stance...

Born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, a degenerative eye condition left Ginny completely blind by the tender age of three. As her vision diminished, her love of music and the piano expanded, and Ginny discovered songwriting as a window into her unseen world. The unique perspectives inspired by her vision impairment have resulted in inspirational lyrics paired with her diverse musicianship to af...

Frankie Armstrong has sung professionally in the folk scene and the women's and the peace movements since the 1960s.  She pioneered community voice workshops in 1975. She continued her previous trade as a trainer in social and youth work alongside the voice workshops for a decade, before focusing exclusively on the voice workshops and singing.    Frankie has made 12 solo albums...

Sergio Navarretta is an internationally recognized award-winning director who is fiercely passionate about bringing meaningful content to the screen. He draws inspiration from Italian  neorealism and considers his work an exploration of the human condition. Navarretta’s projects are touching, relevant, inclusive, often humorous, and most importantly, entertaining. He is  currently hard a...

Jennifer Bassage Bonfil is a Southern California-based modern dancer and dance educator. She earned her MA in Dance Education through the University of Northern Colorado, her BFA in Dance Performance from Chapman University, and her comprehensive Pilates certification at Body Arts & Science International. Driven by her passion for dance education, Jenn serves as the Dance Education & Curri...

EXPLICIT CONTENT:  SWEARING Jeff Leisawitz is a life coach for heart-centered creative types. Jeff burns with a mission— to inspire and teach writers, artists, songwriters, musicians, filmmakers, solopreneurs, arts organizations (and every other human with a heartbeat) to amp up their vision, tap into their potential and shine in the world. Register for the "Getting Your Creative Dreams Off T...

Curtis Romjue is co-founder and president of First Aid Arts - based in Seattle, Washington. First Aid Arts' mission is to equip trauma care providers with arts-based tools and training for "a world where wounded hearts heal beautifully." Curtis is a professional musician, a surfer, sailor, husband, and father. His motto is "do what you love to fight what you hate." We talk about the holistic impac...

"Yadi at Artvango was one of those therapists who did a phenomenal job and my kids were able to make a couple of breakthroughs with her and through art therapy." - Lauren   Yadira Puente is a board certified art therapist and founder of Artvango Therapeutic Services, Inc. a nonprofit organization in San Antonio, which offers expressive forms of therapy to children affected by abuse, neglect,...

Andrea Wilson Woods is a writer who loves to tell stories, and a patient advocate who founded the nonprofit Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association. Andrea is the CEO and co-founder of Cancer University, a for-profit, social-benefit, digital health company. With Cancer U, Andrea synergizes her talents of coaching, writing, teaching, and advocacy. Her best-selling and award-winning...

Dr. Alan Siegel is a Family Physician in Northern California. He has run an arts in health program, Art of Health and Healing, for the last 10 years for his county health system. He has also been working nationally to bring the arts to health care workers to address burnout, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. His ARC Program (Arts for Resilience in Clinicians) will be releasing a website soon to make...

Nick Fagan is a visual artist working in Richmond, VA. His work deals with a wide range of issues such as mental health, spiritualism, and self-identity. He explores these issues using different mediums as a way to amplify them.  We also talk to Carol, who is an artist, musician and care-giver to her husband. Carol and her husband received services from Hearts Need Art while he was in the hos...

Ever wondered what a hospital would look like if it fully integrated the arts into patient care? Guest Shay Thornton Kulha is the manager of operations for the Center for Performing Arts Medicine, one of the most comprehensive arts in healthcare organizations in the country. She is also a professor of Arts in Health in the Master of Arts Leadership program at University of Houston. Listen, learn,...

In this episode, we talk to Corry MacDonald, a transpersonal art therapist, HeartSpeaker, energy healer, and advanced cognitive coach. As a Canadian-born world traveler, she shares what it’s like to adapt Art Therapy to different cultures. Follow along as she leads us through a powerful exercise from her new book Life in Full Colors: Unlock your Childlike Curiosity to Uncover the Creative Intellig...

What would it look like if doctors could prescribe cultural, arts, and social engagement? Our guest on this episode, Jill Sonke, is the director of the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida and the co-principal investigator for the EpiARTS Lab, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Her team explores the impact of arts and cultural engagement on population health outcome...

In this episode, you will hear the inspiring story of how Rob Shaver and Constanza Roeder used the arts to foster resilience as Adolescent and Young Adult cancer survivors. Rob Shaver is a Sixteen year three-time (stage 4 at initial diagnosis) cancer survivor.  He has a deep love for the outdoors and music and believes the role they played in his treatment cannot be overstated. Rob is one of...