New "Music Making and Wellness Kit" Debuts at Winter NAMM Show

Since it appeared in 1999, the Music Education Advocate's Toolkit has been a hit with parents and educators around the country. Now, another resource-packed toolkit from NAMM and AMC addresses another segment of the population: seniors who can benefit from the increased wellness music making brings.

The Music Making and Wellness Kit details the recent groundbreaking research regarding the effects of music making on the health of seniors. One recent study supported by NAMM found that senior adults who participated in wellness-enhanced group keyboard lessons reported significantly decreased feelings of depression, anxiety and loneliness. Another showed a 92 percent increase in Human Growth Hormone (HGH).

In addition, the kit includes tips for retailers on how to bring this important message to the senior segment of their local markets. There are now more than 65 million Americans age 55 and older, with 10 million more expected in the next few years.

Built around a six-minute module, a teacher's guidebook and video, the kit includes a series of wellness-enhanced activities that can be incorporated into any adult group keyboard class. There's also a CD-ROM and a quick start guide, as well as promotional consumer brochures and posters for display.

The Music Making and Wellness Kit will be available to NAMM members free of charge in May 2001. For more information, contact NAMM's Market Development Department at (760) 438-8001.