Accorda Music-Thanatology Institute- Celtic harp and voice

Music-thanatology is a professional field within the broader subspecialty of palliative care. It is a musical/clinical modality that unites music and medicine in end-of-life care. The music-thanatologist utilizes harp and voice at the bedside to lovingly serve the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of people who are terminally ill or dying (and their loved ones), with the prescriptive delivery of music. 

Prescriptive Delivery of Music can help ease physical symptoms such as pain, restlessness, agitation, sleeplessness, and labored breathing. It creates an atmosphere of serenity and comfort that can be profoundly soothing for those present. Difficult emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, and grief can be relieved as those present are invited to rest into a musical atmosphere of beauty, intimacy, and compassion.

Kate Davis and Lesley Segal will perform, and answer questions about Music-thanatology, and have materials on hand about the training program at Accorda Music Thanatology Institute.

Lesley Segal loves the Pacific Northwest and truly enjoyed working there as a busy physician for 32 years. 2020 brought the emergence of the Covid pandemic and a calling to a different kind of practice. Her interest in end-of-life care brought her to music-thanatology and the powerful medicine of music, which is transforming the way she serves patients and families. Lesley feels fortunate to be part of the first cohort of the AccordaMusic-Thanatology Institute.

 Kate Davis is a lifelong musician, songwriter, and Accordastudent. She grew up in West Linn, Oregon before spending 15 years in NYC, where she attended the Manhattan School of Music, and freelanced as a bassist and singer. Last year she returned to Portland for Music-Thanatology training, and in doing so, came home to her formative and meaningful roots in the Pacific Northwest. 

Laura Moya, CM-Th serves as Program Director to the Accorda Music Thanatology Institute, a 501c3 organization. She has been a practicing music-thanatologist for over 25 years, using a musical and clinical modality that unites music and medicine in end-of-life care through prescriptive delivery of harp and voice. She is a 1996 graduate of the Chalice of Repose Project in Missoula, Montana and is certified through the Music-Thanatology Association International (MTAI). Laura served as the inaugural President of the MTAI (2002-2006). Laura has been a full-time staff music-thanatologist at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center since 2001, and is actively involved with the development and coordination of the Art, Healing and Wellness Program at St. Vincent’s Hospital which promotes the Arts in Healthcare. Laura was a core faculty member, clinical mentor, and voice instructor for the Music-Thanatology Training Program through Lane Community College from its inception in 2007 to 2015. https://accordaschool.org/

This workshop is part of a series offered for free as part of the exhibition 'Bardo Project: Oregon' Legacy Collaborations by Marne Lucas, at the Portland Arts Collective. The exhibition and workshops were funded in part by a 2024 RACC Arts C3 Grant.