The Crisis of Connection

The Gift of Music by Anna Nguyen

Hi everyone, my name is Anna Nguyen, and you’re listening to Episode 1 of “the Crisis of Connection” where I’ll be talking to experts about strategies for bridging the gaps and strengthening the connections between us in an increasingly digital world. The crisis of connection is a widespread, systemic rise in loneliness, social isolation, and declining empathy, driven by the digital world, individualism, and the astronomical rise in inequality. In this episode I would like to share with you my own experience of the transformative power of music and how it has affected me.

The Magic of Storytelling as a Way to Build Connections Within and Across Communities by Dr. Warren Holleman, a Former Faculty Member at Baylor College of Medicine & Program Director at MD Anderson's Faculty Health & Well-Being Program.

Dr. Warren Holleman has experienced a number of achievements during his career- Harvard graduate, ethic fellowship and faculty member at Baylor College of Medicine, where he taught behavioral science, medical humanities, and medical ethics and developed two community health centers for Houston’s homeless. He was also a professor and program director at MD Anderson’s Faculty Health & Well-Being Program, which became a national leader in addressing job burnout among physicians and scientists. Dr. Holleman’s seminar, “Nurturing the Spirit of the Healer,” has been presented in 26 cities throughout the United States. Dr. Holleman has been lead author of articles in JAMA, Lancet, Nature, Academic Medicine and numerous other journals. Yet the highlight of his career revolves around storytelling. Dr. Holleman is living out his dream by being retired currently, but he continues to do what he loves most-storytelling which earned him a spot at TEDxUH called “The Power of Personal Stories.” Dr. Holleman is also a co-editor and author of an online magazine called “Pulse: Voices from the heart of medicine.” https://warrenholleman.com/ [https://warrenholleman.com/]

Music in Medicine by Dr. Mei Rui, Director, Music-in-Medicine and Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center

Dr. Mei Rui is Director, Music-in-Medicine and Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. A Yale-trained molecular biochemist and internationally award-winning concert pianist, Dr. Rui is a pioneer in Music Medicine. She spearheads MD Anderson's Music-in-Medicine Initiative and serves as Artist Collaborator at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Other academic appointments include Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the Sophie Davis Biomedical School at the City University of New York, at Yale University, and Yale School of Music. Dr. Rui was previously Assistant Professor of Music Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and in the Department of Surgery at Houston Methodist. She founded the MUSICARE Initiative, which brought over 400 live bedside concerts performed by Yo-Yo Ma and eminent musicians from the Houston Symphony to ICU patients, their families and providers. Dr. Rui studies the neurophysiological mechanisms and impact of defined music intervention in clinical cohorts. Her research uses evidence-based repertoire-selection methodologies to mitigate intra- and peri-operative stress, alleviate pain, reduce anxiety, diminish sedative and analgesic needs, and improve sleep in cancer patients. Her investigations also harness music—a powerful modulator of the human stress response—to mitigate burnout and enhance empathy in healthcare providers.

Music as a Bridge to Comfort and Connection at the End of Life by Mr. Nathan Williams, the Principal Clarinetist of River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO) in Houston, TX.

Mr. Williams is an internationally celebrated soloist and chamber musician. He is also the principal clarinetist of River Oaks Chamber Orchestra or ROCO in Houston. ROCO is Houston’s globally impactful 40- piece professional chamber orchestra with musicians and guest artists from around the world. Most recently, Mr. Williams was chosen by ROCO to launch a first-of-its-kind, innovative community outreach initiative called Musicians with a Mission. In this role, he is developing close relationships within the hospice and palliative care communities, sharing music with hospice patients and their family, as well as performing in independent, assisted living, and skilled nursing communities. A graduate of the University of Music and Fine Arts in Vienna, Austria (Artist’s Diploma), the Eastman School of Music (MM), and the Juilliard School (DMA), Williams is an artist/clinician for Vandoren and a Buffet Group USA Performing Artist. He performs exclusively on Buffet clarinets, Vandoren V12 reeds, and uses mouthpieces made by Ramon Wodkowski and Vandoren. For further information about Nathan and his activities, visit his website. www.nathanwilliamsclarinet.com [http://www.nathanwilliamsclarinet.com].

The role of Poetry Therapy in the Crisis of Connection by Ms. Laura Santner, President of the National Association of Poetry Therapy (NAPT)

In order to understand how poetry (either by actively composing or passively listening) can help combat the human connection crisis, I would like to speak with Ms. Laura Santner. Ms. Santner is a licensed clinical social worker, a registered poetry therapist, a certified mentor and also a certified clinical anxiety treatment professional. She is licensed in both New York and New Jersey. Ms. Santner is currently the President of the National Association of Poetry Therapy (NAPT).