Nancy Farber

Discipline: 
Researcher
Music Practitioner
Musician/artist
Healthcare Provider
Health-related organization
Educator
Organization/Affiliation (no abbreviation): 
Dickinson College & Centre for Music and Mental Health
Location: 
Carlisle, PA 17013
United States
Short biography and a description of your interest(s) in music and health: 
I am a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Visiting Associate Professor of Psychology at Dickinson College. In addition to my training in Psychology, I have a degree in Music. I began integrating music into my work when working on a dementia unit in a state psychiatric hospital where I started a choir for residents and engaged dementia patients in learning music theory. In 2021, I formally combined my passions by creating the Centre for Music and Mental Health. I currently teach a seminar in Music and Mental Health at Dickinson College and supervise interns and research assistants who accompany me to nursing homes where we engage the residents in singing. I am a firm believer in the power of music to heal hearts and minds!
Collaboration Interests: 
I will be interested in possible collaborations with others who are doing applied research in the area of music and mental health, specifically using singing as an intervention to help people with dementia. My current work focuses on improving loneliness, cognitive functioning and spirituality among individuals with dementia residents through group singing.
Keywords: 
dementia, singing, choir, cognitive functioning, loneliness, spirituality