December 2024
Hello –
We’ve got so much great content in this month’s newsletter, so I’m going to keep my message short! I just want to express my gratitude to everyone who has helped NMTS grow over the past year. Donors, volunteers, participants, families, community partners, and of course our amazing staff, board, and advisory board. I hope that everyone finds joy in the coming holidays. And if you need some help, check out Eric’s suggestions below for how to use music to cope with the inevitable stress of the season, and make sure to watch the videos our participants put together for Giving Tuesday. And feel free to check out our Amazon Wish List if you’d like to share some holiday cheer with our participants :).
With gratitude,
Manal Toppozada, Executive Director and Founder
Music Is the Key to Beating the Holiday Blues
The holidays can be a stressful time for many people. Almost nine out of ten people say they have concerns about the upcoming holiday season that cause them stress (American Psychological Association, 2023).
Everyone feels stress, and a little bit of it can actually help us stay motivated. But too much stress can worsen our mental and physical health (World Health Organization, 2023). Luckily, most people have some healthy ways to deal with stress. These ways of managing stress are called coping skills (American Psychological Association, 2023). Some examples of coping skills include talking to friends and family about your stress, eating healthy, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, making arts and crafts, and, of course, engaging with music!
Music has been shown to be a great way to manage stress. Here are a few ways to use music as a coping skill:
Listening to music can help reduce stress and increase relaxation. Studies have shown that using familiar and preferred music with specific tempos, rhythms, and melodies is the best way to increase relaxation (Clark & Tamplin, 2016; Smith & Joyce 2004)
Singing is a great way to actively engage with music that has been proven to reduce levels of stress hormones in the body, like cortisol (Clark and Tamplin, 2016). It also encourages consciously controlled breathing, which is another activity proven to reduce stress (LeWine, 2024)
Songwriting can also be helpful in expressing complex emotions and reducing stress. Parents of hospitalized children who participated in a songwriting group led by board-certified music therapists saw a significant reduction in self-reported stress levels after sessions (Marcovitz et al., 2024).
This is just the beginning. Working with a licensed music therapist you could enhance any one of these coping skills and even add a few more! If you or someone you know deals with chronic stress that causes difficulties in daily life and you feel like music could help, please reach out and schedule some sessions with our licensed music therapists here at NMTS.
- Eric Gieseke, MT-BC, LPMT
Giving Tuesday
Our staff and classes display some serious talent in this year’s campaign.
If you haven’t watched these videos from NMTS’ 2024 Giving Tuesday drive, you’re really missing out!
There’s one more video, but to see it you’ll have to make a donation here.
Out and About
In November, NTMS had a lot to be thankful for, and plenty going on!
We welcomed Truckee Meadows Tomorrow and the United Way of Northern Nevada & the Sierra to NMTS for their “Community Progress Report” event, where a house full of civic leaders learned the latest information on education, safety, health, economics, and other topics to bring awareness to the many needs of the Truckee Meadows community.
The Jerry Smith Auditorium was the place to be in November, with another Country Dance Party, a Friday Fun Night Movie Sing-Along, a Sound Bath, and our first Community Drum Circle of the year.
The Note-Ables performed at Dementia Friendly Nevada’s “Open Door Cafe” at the Sparks Library and took a trip to Dayton Valley Elementary School to perform as part of the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts Youth Program.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
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Open Jam Session
Every Monday | 10:00 - 11:00 am at NMTS - FREE
Join a group of like-minded singers and instrumentalists in a jam session. Bring your instrument or borrow one of ours. The point is to just have fun and connect with other music lovers.
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Caregiver Support Group
Tuesdays through December 17th | 5:30 - 6:30 pm at NMTS - FREE
All caregivers welcome at this music therapy group. And you can bring your loved one. NMTS will provide fun music activities for them, while you focus on YOU for an hour. We hope to see you there!
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Local Vocals at Reno - Tahoe international Airport
Thu Dec 12 | 12:30 pm - 1:15 pm
Join NMTS as we spread holiday cheer!
Local Vocals will perform at Reno - Tahoe International Airport on Thursday, December 12th, bringing the sounds of the season to pre-holiday travelers.
All are welcome!
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The NMTS Holiday Party
Tue, Dec 17 | 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Get in the spirit of the season with music from the Note-Ables, dancing, caroling, and a visit from St. Nick!
Come one, come all!
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INMTS Winter Break
Mon, Dec 23 - Mon, Jan 6
No NMTS classes, sessions and lessons for two weeks, 12/23-1/3. Classes, sessions and lessons resume January 6th, 2025
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Drum Circle
Sat, Dec 28 | 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm at NMTS - Suggested $5 donation
Join NMTS and the Reno Drum Tribe for a Drum Circle from 4pm - 7pm in the Jerry Smith Auditorium.
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"Produce on Wheels"
Tue, Dec 31 | 10:15 - 11:00 am at NMTS on the east side of the building
The Food Bank of Northern Nevada brings its “Produce on Wheels” program to NMTS from 10:15 - 11:00 am on the fourth Wednesday of each month (unless it's a holiday). If you’re age 60 or older, come by and get some free produce! This month’s distribution will be held in the front roundabout of our building.
Staff Playlist December 2024
December is the peak of the holiday season, so we asked the staff to choose a favorite holiday song.
Jon’s Song - Elvis Presley - “Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me”
When I was a kid, we had two family holiday traditions:
1. The Christmas decorations didn’t go up until we saw the Norelco Santa on our TV screen (to this day, I have no idea why that was the case).
2. When we decorated the tree, mom and I would drink hot chocolate and listen to “Elvis’ Christmas Album”.
Mom’s been gone for a few years now, but I recently found our copy of the record - on red vinyl, even - so I think it’s time to bring the tradition back.
Sam’s Song - Ella Fitzgerald - “What Are you Doing New Year’s Eve?”
One of my favorite holiday songs is “What are you doing New Year's Eve". I love Ella Fitzgerald. She always puts me in the holiday spirit.
Elizabeth’s Song - Harry Connick, Jr. - “Ave Maria”
My favorite Christmas song is probably Harry Connick Jr.’s “Ave Maria.” I mean, the Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown trio is the best for sure.
Manal’s Song - Miriam Makeba - “Ring Bell”
This song was just shared in Sharon's Music and Wellness group, and listening to it brought back so many memories! It's not technically a holiday song, but it encapsulates the joy and hope of the season.
Cony’s Song - Luis Miguel - “Blanca Navidad”
This song is one of my favorites in Spanish, as is the Mexican sun! Yes, that is why Luis Miguel is called the “Sun of Mexico”. LOL
Eric’s Song - Mariah Carey - “All I Want for Christmas is You”
All I want for Christmas is Mariah Carey here at NMTS. Anyone have those kinds of connections?
Wendy’s Song - Nat “King” Cole - “The Christmas Song”
Mel Torme's lyrics and Nate King Cole's voice blend to make this a song that I love. The Christmas Song is uncomplicated, nostalgic and simply beautiful.
Nate’s Song - Fleet Foxes - “White Winter Hymnal”
This song always reminds me of the holidays and is a great song to listen to while driving through the snow!
Dena’s Song - The Ramones - “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Wanna Fight Tonight)”
This is a fun one!
Sharon’s Song - Indigo Girls - “There is Still My Joy”
The world needs to remember there is joy still. I normally think of this as personal loss and yet still remembering/finding happiness in the Holidays despite missing those we have lost. This year I think it can be applied more globally as well with our national disappointments.
The NMTS offices will be closed
December 23rd through January 3rd
November Thank Yous
Thank you to our November donors:
Bob Alessandrelli, Clark Associates Charitable Foundation, DEW Foundation, Wendy Firestone, Dennice Hammill-Saad, Michael and Stephanie Hix, Kim Lanning, Mary Ann McCauley, Whitney Pomi, Robert Z Hawkins Foundation, Savage and Son, Meggan Shahmirza, Jake Steinman, Sarah Toney, Manal Toppozada, Lindsey Tromerhauser, Sue Wagner, Sue Young
The NMTS monthly Music Makers giving crew:
Susan Boner, Dodie Bryant, Michelle Burke, Jody Call, Skyler Dillon, Leslie Doukas, Tiffany Dunseath, Cheryl Eckert, MaryLee Fulkerson, CeCelia Gable, Heather Gage, Rachel Gattuso, Mary Jo Gieseke, Karen Golonka, Carrie Harding, Beverly Hennen, Sharon Hickox and Jennie Tibben, Daniel Hickox-Young, Jonathan Hickox-Young, Andy Hughes, Dina Hunsberger, Sandy Jacob, Ana Johnson, Nadia Khan, Lucille Knight, Michael Lahnala, Brad Lund and Trudy Miller, Deanna Lyons, Pam Macy, Lynda Mahorter, Olga Mesina, LuAnn Miller, Mary Miller, Sophie Moeller, Pauline Mooers, Lee Moran, Meghan Ochs, Lisa A Rizzoli, Pam Miller Russell, Cindy Sabatini, Jake Steinman, Jeannie Steinman, Judith Stewart, Julie Sulahria, Sarah Toney, Ken and Doreen Vogel, Lori and Don Welsh, Gina Wertz, Jonathan Wilson, Sandra Young Tim and Jodie Young
Thank you volunteers:
Kendra Bertschy, Jeff Bloyd, Mica Cabitac, Christi Cakiroglu, Jacob Cruz, Sandra Cruz, Jacob Davis, Cheryl Eckert, Scott Faulkner, Mark Geeson, Karen Golonka, Mike Hix, Kate Kirkpatrick, Michael Lahnala, Tony Martin, Brian Diez Martinez, Mary Ann McCauley, Greg McNie, Olga Mesina, Sophia Montgomery, Sydney Peralta, Lizabeth Perez, Chloe Pham, Whitney Pomi, Pat Ragains, Patti Rodriguez, Veruka Saiki, Rebecca Shipley, Jake Steinman, Dave Stockman, Lindsey Tromerhauser, Ken Vogel
