Date: Thursday, June 3rd, 2021
Time: 7 PM CAT

Background

One of the objectives of WHO’s plan (2013) was “to strengthen information systems, evidence, and research for mental health” using a multi-sectoral approach. In line with this, the In Tune podcast is a public engagement effort to highlight existing research on the role of music in supporting mental health. It reflects Hamwe Festival’s mission of strengthening collaboration between the arts and health sectors as well as the University of Global Health Equity’s ethos of reimagining health education.

Join us for a dynamic discussion! 

The In Tune podcast launch will bring together experts and practitioners in the field of music and mental health to discuss what music means across different contexts, unpack current practices and potential applications in music therapy, explore music as a tool for healing and, more widely, how the arts can support mental health and wellbeing.

REGISTER HERE

Speakers:

Deforia Lane

Musician, Retired Director of Art & Music Therapy at the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center 

Dr Deforia Lane has 40-years of experience as a music therapy clinician, an administrator with acute, chronically ill medical/urgical and mood disorder patients; twelve years clinical experience with developmentally delayed adults and children; consultant with hospitals, corporations, hospices and
universities; designed and implemented Music Therapy programs for diverse populations; numerous publications, radio and television broadcasts, national/international presenter, and spokesperson for the American Cancer Society.

Nirere Shanel

Musician, Director of Ndaho Initiative 

Nirere Shanel is an artist who believes in the transformational power of music. She began to convey her beliefs in songs at a very age of thirteen. In 1998, she released her first compositions to pay tribute to the victims of the Genocide against Tutsi of Rwanda, with hope of bringing some comfort to the survivors. Self-taught, she recorded her first album in 2009, “Ndarota” (I am dreaming), a mixture of modern music and tradition rhythms. With her enchanting voice, she carries us on adventure to discover her culture through the lines of her songs that talk about love, the beauty of her country, the unity and reconciliation of its people. The success of this record made her a recognized and respected voice in Rwanda. Nirere Shanel continues to expand her musical horizon and using her songs as way to contribute to the healing and rebuilding of the Rwandan society. 

AZA Allsop

Co-founder at Renaissance Entertainment LLC

AZA Allsop is a first-generation American who grew up in Trinidad. He studied at North Carolina Central University before carrying out his research training in the Tye lab at MIT as part of the Harvard Medical School-MIT MD PhD program. He studies how social information is computed, integrated, and biased in the brain. His research is guided by the belief that deconstructing these mechanisms will provide a better understanding of how social groups function and offer insights into enhancing the evolution of society at large. He also studies music and mindfulness as tools that help enhance wellness and pro-social behavior and is the co-founder of Renaissance Entertainment LLC, a company that uses music, science, and community building to promote a culture of wellness. He does neuroscience research and provides clinical care as a resident in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University.