February
2023
Hello!
In the month of February, there’s a lot of talk about the heart. Whether it is American Heart Month - where the CDC encourages people to take small steps to address key risk factors like hypertension, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar - or making someone’s heart swell with love on Valentine’s day. What’s one thing that connect all of these? MUSIC of course!
When it comes to cardiovascular health, music is medicine for your heart. A study in the International Journal of Cardiology found that listening to music for just 30 minutes a day can significantly lower blood pressure in individuals with hypertension. Another study in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing found that music therapy can significantly reduce symptoms of heart failure, including shortness of breath, fatigue, and depression.
When it comes to love, music can also play a vital role in getting the blood pumping! Implicit memory is a form of classical conditioning. An event, an emotion, and a song can be connected through implicit memory. When a piece of music is paired with a very emotional event, listening to it later be an effective cue to bring back those strong emotions. So this Valentine’s Day, dust off those vinyl records that you and your sweetheart first fell in love to and let your implicit memories do the rest! Valentine’s Day can also be a challenging time for those feeling lonely or going through heartbreak. So if you’re not feeling the ooeey gooey love songs, there’s also music for that (check out these 75 Divorce Songs to Scream-Sing While You Heal). No matter where life finds you this February, I wish you a happy and healthy heart!
Manal Toppozada, Founder and Executive Director
Switching Roles
I am so excited to announce that I will be pivoting my roles here at Note-Able Music Therapy Services from Marketing Coordinator to Adaptive Music Instructor. I have been part of NMTS for 12 years, and I can truly say it’s been one of the best things to have ever happened to me. It has been a blessing to be able to grow with an organization, to feel rooted in it’s core, and to watch it flourish! With the countless impactful relationships, hundreds of hours of music played, and so many smiles and memories, I am looking forward to even more through the lens of my new role. This role change will help us expand our services, allow our music therapists to serve more people needing therapy, and help make sure no one gets put on the wait-list. With this transition, I still will be helping tell the amazing and empowering stories of our participants, through taking photos and videos, and I will still be coordinating and playing with The Note-Ables. I am looking forward to doing all of these things in our newly renovated home of dedicated sound-proofed session rooms, a band room, and a recording studio!
-Nate
It’s Our 20th Anniversary Year! We’d like to hear from you!
Can you believe it’s been 20 years?!
Whether you’ve been with us since 2003 or just heard of us, we’d love to hear from you about your unique connection to NMTS.
Please fill out our 20th Anniversary Questionnaire and help us celebrate 20 years of addressing physical, social, and mental health needs in our community!
The Note-Ables Play for High Desert Montessori School kids
The mission of The Note-Ables band is to change the face of disability through music. Recently, The Note-Ables have been playing school assemblies for The High Desert Montessori School kids. At the assemblies, the kids not only get to enjoy and rock out to The Note-Ables’ wide repertoire of music but they also get to learn about what people with disabilities can do! They have an opportunity to ask questions to the band members directly like, “how do you play guitar if you can’t see?” It’s important to have this direct communication because it’s how we learn, it’s how we become compassionate towards others, and it’s how we create a more inclusive future.
If you’d like the to book The Note-Ables please visit our website here: https://www.nmtsreno.org/the-note-ables
New Electronic Music Class & Music + Wellness Workshop
Electronic Music Class 1 | Thursdays, 5:15-6:00 pm, $50/month
Intro. Learn the basics of creating electronic music in a hands-on environment. The class fosters both technology and social skills and is geared toward teens and young adults of all abilities.
Electronic Music Class 2 | Thursdays, 6:00-6:45 pm, $50/month
Advanced. An in-depth, interactive music class fostering technology and social skills through producing and DJing. Class is geared toward teens and young adults all abilities.
For more info or to register, please contact us at 775.324.5521 | mail@nmtsreno.org or fill out our ONLINE FORM here: www.nmtsreno.org/start-services
Upcoming Events
Electronic Music Class 1 | Thursdays | 5:15-6:00pm | $50/month
Intro. Learn the basics of creating electronic music in a hands-on environment. The class fosters both technology and social skills and is geared toward teens of all abilities.
Electronic Music Class 2 Thursdays | 6:00-6:45pm | $50/month
Advanced. An in-depth, interactive music class fostering technology and social skills through producing and DJing. Class is geared toward teens of all abilities.
For more info or to register, please contact us at 775.324.5521 | mail@nmtsreno.org or fill out our ONLINE FORM here: www.nmtsreno.org/start-services
January Thank Yous
Thank you to our January donors: Guy & Mary Archer, Maria Birdsall, James Cavanaugh & Julia Ratti, Shayne Del Cohen, Frankie Sue Del Papa, Mark Dinsdale and The CartBarn, Rob Egashira, Joyce Fisher, Jackie Hogan, Kathy Imboden, Kay Kephart, Virginia Kersey, Kim Lanning, Barbara McMeen, Patti Meals, Sophie Moeller, Judith Monson, Scott and Donna Munson, Daniel O'Bryan, Lewis Osborn, Kimberly Philips, Pam Pinjuv, Pamela M. Ponsart, Chuck Reider, Bill Roach, Meri Shadley, Jake and Rachel Steinman, Dave Stockman, Walt Tjong, Sue Wagner, Kimberly Welsh, Donald & Ruth Williams, Elizabeth Zbinden
Extra thanks to our monthly giving crew: Barb Anderson, Kendra Bertschy, Susan Boskoff, Dodie Bryant, Skyler Dillon, Leslie Doukas, Tiffany Dunseath, Wendy and John Firestone, Mary Lee Fulkerson, Rachel Gattuso, Mary Jo Gieseke, Karen Golonka, Sharon Hickox, Andy Hughes, Dina Hunsberger, Sandy Jacob, Ana Johnson, Lucille Knight, Michael Lahnala, Brad Lund, Deanna Lyons, Patti Meals, Pauline Mooers, Lisa Rizzoli, Pam Russell, Alia Salem, Jake Steinman, Judith Stewart, Jennifer Tibben and Sharon Hickox, Ken and Doreen Vogel, Jonathan Wilson, Sandra Young, Tim Young
Thank you volunteers: Andy Hughes, Angie Fischer, Becca Shipley, Char Choate, Cheryl Eckert, Chris Keenan, Cindy Prescott, Dave Stockman, Greg McNie, India Rain, Jake Steinman, Jeanine Mooers, Jeff Bloyd, Jon Wilson, Jonathan Hickox-Young, Jordan Nakao, Jordan Rios, Judith Stewart, Ken Vogel, Kendra Bertschy, Laura Matushek, Mark Geeson, Michael Lahnala, Mike Hix, NNTH 01, NNTH 02, NNTH 03, NNTH 04, Pat Ragains, Patti Meals, Patti Rodriguez, Sally Duffy, Tembra, Tony Martin, Walt, and Tjong