This is a series of lectures and workshops designed to equip healthcare professionals, volunteers, and community members in palliative care with practical and reflective tools to use music meaningfully. Through experiential learning, participants will explore music’s potential in healing, connection, and spiritual care in palliative care.
This programme is supported by Community Care Manpower Development Awards (CCMDA). This series of symposium and workshops is offered at no cost to participants.
This workshop is designed for non-music therapists and introduces receptive music-based tools to support the diverse needs of individuals and client groups in healthcare settings. Participants will be introduced to key concepts such as receptive and active music, as well as the structural and psychological elements of music. They will engage in experiential activities and discussions on various receptive techniques, including music and relaxation, focused music listening, and music and art media. The workshop also aims to develop participants’ ability to apply these approaches effectively, including both verbal and nonverbal processing skills, within their specific clinical environments. Recommended recorded music selections will also be shared to support practical application.
Speaker: Dr. Nicki Cohen
Date: 10 Sep 2025, 9am to 12pm OR 11 Sep 2025, 1pm to 4pm
Venue: Assisi Hospice, 832 Thomson Road (Level 6, Essery Hall)
Who Should Attend?
It is for healthcare professionals and decision-makers who are actively practising in clinical settings and are interested in incorporating music in their clinical practice to enhance patient outcome. No prior music knowledge is required.
Light refreshments will be provided
The workshop will focus on the four main music methods: receptive, recreative, improvisational, and compositional. The facilitators, who are music therapists from different organisations, will demonstrate the music strategies of each method and explain how these music strategies can be effectively used to enhance the physical and emotional well-being of patients. It does not intend to replace the role of music therapy in palliative care setting, but to affirm the therapeutic use of music which can be utilised in the care of patients.
Facilitators: Music Therapists (from local Healthcare Institutions)
Date: 10 Sep 2025, 9am to 5pm OR 11 Sep 2025, 9am to 5pm
Venue: Assisi Hospice, 832 Thomson Road (Level 5, Education Centre Training Lab 1&2)
Who Should Attend?
It is for healthcare professionals and decision-makers who are actively practicing in clinical settings and are interested in incorporating music in their clinical practice to enhance patient outcome. No prior music knowledge is required.
At the end of the session, participants will be able to:
• Differentiate between music therapy and therapeutic use of music
• Demonstrate the appropriate use of each music method and its procedure
• Explain how music can be used to complement their existing practice
• Integrate at least two music strategies that can be used in their care for patients
Lunch will be provided
This half-day program offers an in-depth exploration of how music supports the spiritual needs of individuals receiving palliative care. In Lecture 1, participants will learn how music can foster transcendence, meaning and connection within palliative care settings. Lecture 2 invites deeper reflection on the relationship between music and the soul, introducing six stages of this connection through theory, musical experiences, and guided meditation. This program combines clinical insights with experiential learning to support holistic, person-centered care.
Speaker: Dr. Nicki Cohen and Tammy Lim
Date: 12 Sep 2025, 9am to 12pm
Venue: Assisi Hospice, 832 Thomson Road (Level 6, Essery Hall)
Who Should Attend?
This series is for healthcare professionals, allied care professionals, volunteers, social workers, counsellors, faith-based communities who support families at end-of-life care.
PROGRAM SYNOPSIS
8.30am – 9.00am
Registration
9.00am – 10.00am
Lecture 1: The Roles of Music in Spirituality
Presenter: Tammy Lim, MA, MT-BC, FAMI (Senior Music Therapist, Assisi Hospice)
Synopsis: This presentation examines the multifaceted roles of music in addressing spiritual dimensions within palliative care. Drawing on Lauzon’s (2020) framework, spirituality is contextualized through three core aspects: awareness of transcendence, the search for meaning and purpose, and connection with others. The presenter will discuss how music can meaningfully support each of these dimensions, illustrated through case examples from her clinical practice. The session aims to deepen understanding of music as a therapeutic modality that nurtures spiritual well-being in individuals facing end-of-life experiences.
10.00am – 10.20am
Tea Break
10.30am – 12.00pm
Lecture 2: The Soul’s Song
Presenter: Dr Nicki Cohen, PhD, MT-BC, FAMI (Primary Trainer, Atlantis Institute for Consciousness and Music, Emeritus Professor of Music Therapy, Texas Woman’s University, US)
Synopsis: Discover the profound connection between music and the soul during life’s final stages. This session introduces key concepts—spirit, soul, music, and song—before exploring Cohen’s Six Stages of the Relationship Between the Soul and Music in the Presence of Death. Through musical examples and a guided meditation, participants will reflect on the question: “How do I experience the soul?”, followed by engaging in personal reflection through writing, drawing, or deep listening.
Light refreshments will be provided
Registration closes 30 August 2025.
For enquiries, please contact Joanne at music2025@assisihospice.org.sg