Album Notes

NOW AVAILABLE AS TWO SEPARATE CDs: "RESPITE AND "RECOVERY"
Please see these CDs under James Schaller

BY REQUEST WE HAVE RELEASED THE BLESSINGS OF MUSIC AS 2 SEPARATE CDs. EACH CD CONTAINS VAULABLE INFO AND TIPS ON HOW TO USE MUSIC TO COMFORT SOMEONE WHO IS SERIOUSLY ILL.

Contains a book and 2 CDs in a clamshell case.

"The book teaches how music affects our physiology, how to choose and use therapeutic music, and how to be in the presence of someone who is suffering."

"...the music is non-familiar, instrumental, with specific tempos chosen to induce deep rest, and often relieves pain and anxiety while it promotes deep comfort and rest." J.S.

Visit with Music That Heals

If you're like me, the thought of facing a visit with a friend or family member who is sick or maybe nearing the end of their life is frightful. The worst part of it is my feelings of utter helplessness. As our population grows older, many of us will soon be facing more of these challenges and you'll be happy to have with you a copy of The Blessings of Music.

The Blessings of Music, by James Schaller C.M.P., is a book with two music CDs that equips and encourages the reader to visit and take therapeutic music to someone who is sick, recovering from injury, suffering from dementia or near the end of life. The reader will learn visitation skills, ideas for conversation and readings, and discover how music affects our physiology. In several minutes they will understand how to share the gift of therapeutic music that can help to relieve pain and anxiety. The book comes packaged in an attractive, durable vinyl case along with the two CDs

The booklet is divided into three sections. Section One presents interesting information on how music affects our bodies and emotions. We learn about the nature of sound and music, and how certain types of music can bring therapeutic benefits to different types of patients.

If we have an immediate need to visit someone, the author advises us to go immediately to Section Two. Here we learn solid visitation skills, what to talk about, cliches to avoid, and how to introduce music to the person with whom we are visiting. Included in this section is also an essay on how we can remain 'present' when visiting with someone who is suffering.

Section Three provides the reader with ideas on how to play an instrument or sing at the bed side, and ideas for reading poetry, Scripture or other materials along with music. Also included are resources for additional research and study.

The Blessings of Music includes two music CDs that feature beautiful, restful, therapeutic music for use during your visit. The Respite CD (solo acoustic guitar) was created for deep rest and is especially useful for people who are in the end stages of life. The Recovery CD (solo Celtic harp) is suited for people who are sick or injured and are in recovery. The recordings were chosen, arranged and performed to provide healing benefits, and often reduce pain and anxiety.

Author, James Schaller C.M.P., is a composer, lecturer, guitarist and founder of Sound Covenant. He has mentored thousands of volunteers in hospices, hospitals, churches, nursing homes and community service organizations in the use of therapeutic recorded and live music. As a Certified Music Practitioner Mr. Schaller is trained to play music at the bedside in medical situation. - Reviewd by V.Y.

J.A. is a music recording engineer who records 30 to 50 CDs per year featuring the world's leading jazz musicians. When J.A.'s mother's health failed, James sent a pre-release CD of The Blessings of Music.. Here are J.A.'s comments:
"As soon as the CD arrived my sister, who is a nurse, put on the music. It played continuously for the last three days of my mother's life. It dramatically eased her pain, comforted family and staff, and brought dignity and calm to those last days. I can't thank you enough." James Anderson, Recording Engineer and Music Producer

.....it seems like a kind of music that really doesn't exist and fills a real need in working with the hospice patient. Carol Wadsworth, Director of Volunteer Services, Camarillo Hospice

Our patients and families have found James' music to be beautiful and serene. Our staff also found his music to be soothing and relaxing for the entire atmosphere at the Residence. His music has been a welcomed addition to our scope of hospice care we are able to provide to our patients and their families.
Susan Resavy, MSW, Director of Family Services, Hospice of Central PA

"Thank you for opening our eyes to the uses of music in our clinical applications." We look forward to continuing our work with you."
Dr. Valentins Krecko Child Psychiatric Unit, Hershey Medical Center

James Schaller C.M.P. Author and Composer
Author and composer James Schaller is a Certified Music Practitioner trained to play therapeutic music in medical situations. Together with his wife, Maria Del Rey-Schaller, they are Grammy-nominated producers of bilingual children's music and have received numerous awards including a Carnegie grant, The Parent's Choice Gold and Silver Awards, Amazon.com's Top Ten Children's Music Award and the Parenting Publication's Gold Award.

Mr. Schaller founded Sound Covenant, a not-for-profit organization, to train volunteers in hospices, hospitals, churches, nursing homes and community service organizations to use therapeutic recorded and live music to relieve pain and suffering.
Nationally, Sound Covenant conducts workshops that equip and encourage attendees to serve three patient populations: the sick, the elderly and the dying. Thousands of volunteers, clinicians and care givers have been mentored in the use of therapeutic recorded and live music to augment their visitation work.