silk road project harvard residency

The Rhythms of Life: Arts and Healing
December 5 – 8, 2016

Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

What is the current landscape in the arts and healing field? How is healing defined? What role does music, specifically, play within the field?

TaraMarie Perri was invited as the guest teacher/researcher for a three-day residency dedicated to explore the role of arts in healing with the goal of forming a task force towards future research and application. The residency was created in collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble and Harvard University. The task force for this new initiative included a hand-selected and intimate circle of musicians, doctors, therapists, and educators.

The residency included several roundtable discussions, an introduction to MedRhythms research and clinic, a tour of the facilities at Spaulding Rehab, classes, presentations, performances, and an information-sharing dinner for the visiting artists with the Harvard Mind/Brain/Behavior/Music/Science Group comprised of PhD candidates in the field of neuroscience.

While in residence, TaraMarie and Shane Shanahan (Silk Road Ensemble musician) also offered their signature live music morning yoga practice collaboration to Harvard University Arts in Education music students and residency attendees. They were joined by Wu Tong (Silk Road Ensemble musician) playing the traditional Chinese sheng for one of the classes. Additionally, Shane and TaraMarie co-presented Rhythms of Life: Rhythms of Body and Sound, a Harvard Ed Portal experience offered to the public which connected live soundscape and a guided meditation.