Hospice Choirs: Creating Space For Vulnerability, Connection, and Comfort
Session Abstract: The hospice choir JourneySongs shares choral music to create an open, unintrusive setting for all of those involved in the death of a loved one or patient to explore and process emotion. This practice is both deeply challenging and intensely rewarding, and it is guided by the concept of “holding sacred space,” various breathing and mindfulness practices, and unique repertoire selected to facilitate emotional openness and personal connection. This participatory session engages participants in each of these practices and provides accessible free sheet music, rehearsal strategies, and group exercises to encourage the creation of this space in any choral ensemble.
Nathan Reiff
Harvard University/Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Nathan Reiff is music director of JourneySongs, a hospice choir based in Newton, Massachusetts. A practitioner of choral music as a means for drawing connection between people, he is also a founding member and organizer for Cambridge Common Voices, a neurodiverse ensemble in the Boston area. Additionally, Reiff holds teaching appointments at Harvard University and Boston Conservatory at Berklee. He holds degrees from Yale University and the University of Michigan.
