Texas Woman's University music professor leads a different kind of grief support group
DENTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – Every Thursday afternoon for the next few months, a special kind of therapy is taking place within one of the choir rooms at Texas Woman's University in Denton.
Led by Dr. Lauren DiMaio, an Assistant Professor of Music Therapy at TWU, the "Grief Choir" as she calls it aims to help any grieving person overcome their emotions through singing and music.
Dr. DiMaio said, "Grievers are lonely…you need to find a community and a voice – a choir just makes sense to me. We have a choir where people are grieving and they can bring a song to honor the person that died, and that we sing it together."
The idea behind the program comes from DiMaio's long standing work studying the intersection of grief and music as a coping mechanism.
She says the current TWU Grief Choir is the fourth she has spearheaded.
Every Thursday, they open their doors to anyone who wants to come share the grief and work on overcoming feelings of depression and sadness one song at a time.
Leah Pritchett recently lost her grandmother Patsy, and decided to participate in the program.
She added, "There is something really special about being able to do it with other people who are in the space."
Gabby Carr, a music student herself joined the group after recently losing her cousin Joe.
She said, "My cousin Joe passed away really early in his life. He was only 35. Yeah, he is with me here today."
Carr spoke about the benefit of therapy through the grief choir saying, "The collective experience and the very understanding nature of everybody in the room coupled with music and singing together was really powerful I felt."
The connection for everyone who joins the choir is always loss according to Dr. DiMaio.
She adds grief is the obstacle they are trying to overcome, and it's music according to her serves as the vehicle to arrive at the peace they are all seeking.
Dr. DiMaio said, "Anybody can be grieving. It's really common but we don't know who is grieving and people can come to a grief choir and participate by listening."
The "Grief Choir" sessions are open to anyone who feels like they need help in dealing with the loss of a loved one.
Program administrators just ask you call the music department ahead of time so they know to expect you.