The Brainwave Singers Celebrate Parkinson's Awareness Week & Their 7th Birthday

Brainwave Singers is an initiative out of the BOPDHB was launched 7 years ago and has helped many people. The staff member who initiated the Brainwave Singers is Speech and Language Therapist Robin Matthews who is now completing his PhD into the effect of singing therapy on Parkinson’s.

Robin’s research is internationally ground breaking, as there has been only a few studies into singing to improve speech and language and none have been a random control study.

In his research Robin has measured a number of things including voice volume, quality and overall wellbeing. He said the volume of the singers has increased on average by 6.1 decibels, which is 2 decibels greater than anticipated. The efficiency of the vocal chords has also improved for both groups and the singing group showed significant improvement in perturbation while the control group's perturbation worsened. Perturbation is the amount of disturbance in the voice (i.e. croaky or hoarse, etc).

Last year the Brainwave Singers recorded Never Say Never Again a song gifted them by UK-based songwriter Charlie Stubbings and this year he has written another song for them which they are yet to record titled, Life’s a Gig Not a Rehearsal. Robin said the Brainwave Singers sound has got so much better that they are going to re-record Never Say Never.

On 1 November, at 9.30am the Brainwave Singers will be at their usual rehearsal in Tauranga, and to mark their 7th birthday and Parkinson's Awareness Week they will present the Parkinson’s Society with a $1000.00 cheque from their fundraising.

Wednesday 1 November, 10.00am Wednesday

Greerton Citizens Hall, 33 Maitland Street, Greerton, Tauranga.

ENDS

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