Studies show that singing can help maintain strength in muscles of speech and voice in people living with Parkinson’s disease. JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute and the Parkinson’s Foundation have collaborated to provide the Parkinson’s community with a fun way to exercise voice, speech and swallowing muscles through singing. As of August 2019, this choir for people with Parkinson’s disease and Parkinson-Plus syndromes meets weekly to rehearse songs from a variety of genres, artists and decades. Rehearsals promote the use of cognitive and language skills as well as exercise of the muscles used for speaking, swallowing, and singing. Some ParkinSINGS members interested even perform at local community events and concerts.
No prior musical experience is required. In fact, the majority of the ParkinSINGS members had no musical experience before joining the group. However, through rehearsing with the choir, members are noticing positive changes.
If you or someone you know has Parkinson’s disease or Parkinsonism, please join us for a rehearsal. For more information, call the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute’s Speech and Audiology Department at 732-321-7063.