Carveth logoCarveth Care Centre has been providing quality Long term Care and Assisted Living Services in Gananoque, Ontario since 1965.

Learn more

Helen Henderson logoHelen Henderson Care Centre offers seniors and Long Term Care residents quality care and services in Amherstview, Ontario.

Learn more

24
Jul
15
The healing power of music
News Room Read 1652 times

The healing power of music Featured

Rate this item
(1 Vote)

It has been said music is the poetry of the air.

But it may be even more than that for a young Kingston woman who makes her living playing music to revive memories and feelings in people who have lost a small part of themselves to age, disability or disease.

For her, music is medicine.

"I had a natural inclination to care for people," says Mackenzie Costron, reflecting on her earliest childhood memories of caring for a beloved grandmother affected by dementia.

Guided by her compassion for others and armed with a natural musical talent, Mackenzie began a quest to heal through the power of music.

"Music has been a big part of my life," the 25-year-old concedes.

Nestled in her repertoire is the ability to sing, play the piano and guitar. Percussion instruments are also part of her toolkit.

"Connecting with people is one of my main goals," she says about her group sessions offered at Helen Henderson Care Centre and Carveth Care Centre, retirement and long-term-care homes located in the heart of Amherstview and Gananoque.

Leveraging the power of human connection, Mackenzie focuses on self-identity in every private and group session she conducts as a Music Therapist.

Her goal is to connect with people to help them promote, maintain and restore physical, emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual health.

"When I first meet someone, I determine what type of music they like. What kind of music makes them tick," she says.

"One of the most important questions I ask is 'What do you want to accomplish from music therapy?'"

Health problems such as confusion, agitation, aggression, anxiety and depression are often present in her sessions.

Using the soothing sound of music and human connection, Mackenzie works to heal people who can appear lost.

"They experience loss on so many levels from moving away from home, to losing their cognitive abilities, to losing connection with loved one. I think it’s important, when working with seniors to provide quality time of connection and give them an opportunity to tell their life story," she says.

"We want them to feel loved, validated and supported."

Grateful for the opportunity to help others, Mackenzie notes, "It feels like I'm getting to know each of these people’s stories through music. I feel very privileged to be invited into their lives. They have so much wisdom and I have so much to learn from them. As much as I'm guiding them, they’re teaching me quite a lot about life and what they’ve been through. It’s pretty amazing to hear someone's life story."

Owner of Find Your Voice Music Therapy, Mackenzie leverages music to engage and stimulate cognitive ability in seniors, children & adults with developmental delays, youth at risk, victims of acquired brain injury, and people suffering from grief and bereavement.

Music therapy has been offered to residents of Helen Henderson Care Centre and Carveth Care Centre since 2014. Both homes are owned and operated by Gibson Family Health Care; a third-generation family business.

For more information about this service, contact 613-929-7751 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

More in this category: Previous Next