As planners we have pondered for hours on how to tell stories to our event attendees. How can we place our attendees in the shoes of the people an event benefits, while still offering our guests a fabulous time? The December 2011 Women & Philanthropy Holiday Luncheon in Scottsdale, AZ did a marvelous job doing just that.
The Dec. 13 Women & Philanthropy Holiday Luncheon featured the music therapy program in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts School of Music. The theme was Celebrate the Joy of Community. The reception featured student musicians playing original works, many of which are used in real-world music therapy settings.
Co-chair Sybil Francis welcomed members and guests, and co-chair Cindy Watts introduced the music therapy program. Barbara Crowe, director of the program for the past 30 years, shared some of its history at ASU, information about current brain research that supports the efficacy of music therapy and insights into the diverse education that music therapy students receive at ASU. Julie Murillo, a music therapist and graduate of ASU’s program, followed with two examples of how she used blues music in two recent clinical interventions. Robin Rio, director of the ASU Music Therapy Clinic, then gave a virtual tour of the clinic.
The capstone experience of the luncheon was a guided drum circle led by Barbara Crowe. Every guest at the luncheon stood up and selected an instrument. Barbara instructed guests to follow the mother drumbeat and make their own music. The room filled with the joyful sound of drums, tambourines, shakers and bells.
- C. Miller.
Article and photograph courtesy of AZRedBook. Click here for more pictures of the luncheon.
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