Against the Noise

,Dear Friends,
 
We've found a new way to bring music to medicine - and we need your support to bring it to hospital patients who need it.
 
Hospitals are stressful places for patients. Doctors now know that one significant cause of that stress is all the beeping medical machinery noise around a patient's bedside.
 
Listen for Life is a 501c3 nonprofit foundation that for twenty years has been creating musical programs for social benefit. Some neurologists recently asked us if music could somehow help reduce that hospital stress, especially for COVID and ICU patients. So we engaged some world class artists who created music specifically for hospital use.
And then we found a tiny MP3 player that nurses can put on a patient's pillow to replace all that chaotic beeping noise with soft, peaceful music.
 
In early hospital trials, nurses have already told us they can see real change in their patients. Their breathing calms down. They are more peaceful.
Here's a short video about what we do: https://youtu.be/Eeux2p9twjw
 
We're ready to send these devices and this music out to a lot more hospitals.
They cost about $50 each to buy, load with music, and deliver to hospitals across the country, and we need a beginning inventory of 100 of these by July 1st.
 
And here's the most important thing. We're not selling anything. We want these to be a gift. We want the patient to know that an artist they will never know made and gave this music to them. For free. And that this device too is a gift from someone they will never know, who just wants them to be well.
 
Will you be one of those anonymous donors? Will you help us raise the $10,000 we need to bring this music to someone who needs it?
 
We'll be posting regular monthly updates on this website about the results we're seeing.
Many thanks in advance for your support.

​Purchase, stream or download, and you will donate players to ICUs!

LISTEN, STREAM, & DOWNLOAD

​ATN PROJECT:  (The short version of the story!)

First it was a simple LFL collection of stress-relieving audio tracks -  live improvisations performed by Erin Nolan and Donna Stoering, shared with friends who in turn passed it on to others. The feedback (see testimonials below) was tremendous so eventually an official CD entitled "Against the Noise" was released in early summer 2020 on the Acis label.

​​The CD unexpectedly was considered for the 2021  GRAMMY AWARDS® but the more exciting part was that these specific tracks were found to be neurologically beneficial for Covid-19 patients and others in ICU situations or noisy hospital rooms!

Listen For Life is now partnering with major research hospitals in USA and 5 other countries thus far, and your continued support will enable us to donate special mp3 players, preloaded with these beneficially proven music tracks, to ICUs, hospice centers and hospital medical staff throughout the world.... 

But meanwhile, these CDs and downloads are useful in a wide variety of daily life scenarios, and they make great gifts! 

​More info (lots of it) is below, about the benefits of this music for personal use and for medical purposes. ​

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​ATN Project: It all began with the live recording....

In this ever-busy world, most all of us need to create more opportunities for going “into the stillness” ….And since we can’t always take ourselves to a physical “retreat” location of choice, it made sense to try and create that place, and space, through improvised (but intentional) music. Neurologists have proven time and again that our human bodies and brains are “wired” to respond (positively or negatively) to musical sound. Even if we are personally unaware of the physiological changes happening within us, specific combinations of harmonies and rhythms can immediately lower (or raise!) our blood pressure and heart rate, or create changes in our mood and behaviors. So, for this particular CD, while it is all improvised “live”, we kept the tempos and rhythms within a specific relaxing parameter while choosing a range of harmonies that would hopefully be peace-giving and meditative. We decided, ahead of time, the melodies that we’d be using in our improvisational performance, but when those melodies would appear, disappear, be woven together with another one, or return again in another song – that was all “unplanned” (at least, not by us!).

We have therefore been really pleased and excited to hear that these tracks (whether used as downloads or on CD) have already proven to be very beneficial for bringing a sense of calm, presence and healing to individuals using this music in a variety of ways:

• in the background for yoga, prayer or meditation, both for individuals and groups
• while driving (great antidote to rush-hour commutes, but also lovely for road trips)
• while receiving physical therapy, massages, acupuncture
• enhancing creativity in art studios and craft workshops
• restful naptimes (children or adults)
• treating PTSD and other stress-related conditions
• during hospital stays or convalescing at home
• in treatment of anxiety and depression 
• used by counselors and therapists during sessions
• played in the background while reading/studying – or just to “chill” while doing the dishes!
• and (quite notably) in hospice care, for creating a calm, spiritually reassuring atmosphere to ease the transition journey for the patient, family, and caregivers alike

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Testimonials/Early Feedback

“Our bookstore has completely run out, because customers hear it playing and ask if they can purchase a copy – how many more can you send us immediately?”

​S.M. 3/25/20

“Love it SO much….the peace it gives me is palpable and I play it in the background while quilting or reading, but especially love it for car journeys in stressful traffic. Thank you for sharing your gifts in this way..”
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M.C. 1/26/20

“The string sound is absolutely gorgeous, and it is fun for me, as a professional musician, to follow the unique synergy of both performers, blending one melody into the next, sometimes quite unexpectedly but very beautifully.”
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B.T. 12/4/19

“I am a therapist and had trouble finding something to soothe a particular patient until a friend loaned me your CD. Immediate success, and I now use my own copy repeatedly – it helps me, as well!”
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A.J. 7/15/19

“…wonderful instrumental CD…do you have enough left in stock for us to make another bulk order?”
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J.L. 2/3/18

“This particular CD was a healing and peace-giving presence for us both, and a strong part of my husband’s final days and weeks on earth. We would therefore like to use it during his memorial service as well.”
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K.S. 2/1/18

“….just had to write and let you know how much we appreciate this CD – it is SO lovely!”
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S.P. 1/16/18

“…a lovely musical offering that sounds absolutely wonderful in the car!”
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L.B. 1/4/18

“My friend gave me a copy of your CD as a Christmas gift – what can I say? The music itself IS a prayer – it lifted me up today at a time when I needed it. And it has all my favorites (melodies) on it! Thank you thank you thank you for making this….. PS – I want more copies – where can I get them?”
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L.P. 1/2/18

“I’ve been listening to this CD in the evenings when I feel like being quiet, especially before bed. The two performers compliment each other beautifully and even though I do not know any of these melodies or songs used, the loving gentleness of the pieces leaves me with a warm feeling of well-being.Thank you so much for doing it!”

​J.W. 12/30/17

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And the story continues: PART 2 of the ATN Journey: from personal use to public need

It happens that Donna Stoering and Erin Nolan, the performers on Against the Noise, are two internationally-renowned classical musicians with additional experience in working with neurologists and other specialists in medical fields. As part of Listen for Life, Donna has also been asked by hospitals such as Kaiser to carry out "sound healing" treatments at their Cancer Survivor Wellness Days: (at its simplest level, sound healing is the intentional use of harmony, rhythm, and melodic intervals to create beneficial neurological changes, allow patients to entrain their breathing with a steady pulse, and bring a calm to those nearby). ​

When Covid-19 hit, a range of medical issues became more frequently discussed in the media and press  -

• ​the potential neurological effects from the constant but necessary noise of ICU monitors on long-term patients,
• the increase of internal stress in both patients and medical staff caused by constant activity and noise levels 
• the effects of isolation and anxiety on hospital patients and nursing home residents alike....

Meanwhile, Donna heard that a senior neurologist was actively seeking a way to deliver specifically created music close to the ears of his ICU patients, as a way to both slow and entrain their breathing, but more importantly to block out the constant noise of the many beeping monitors and thus prevent unintended neurological damage and stress on the patients who ultimately recovered. 
Friends passed on the early releases of the CD to directors of hospice centers, ICUs, hospitals and famed research hospitals and to Donna and Erin's great joy, it was found that their music tracks have the precise qualities that are needed to address these issues in the most effective way. 

Then it was a question of how to deliver their music into ICUs,

• as close as possible (to create that buffer between the multiple beeping monitors and the patient's ears) 
• on devices that do not require any wires, attachments, or external speakers and do not disrupt machine frequencies
• small enough to be placed on the pillows of patients but large enough not to be swallowed
• unbreakable, able to be sterilized 
• one-button on/off and fully operable through PPE
• with top quality internal speakers so that the healing qualities of the acoustic instruments' overtones are not diminished 

After months of purchasing and testing a wide range of devices, a specific mp3 player was found that matched all of those requirements. 
And thus began the new ATN project under Listen for Life's umbrella: donating these special mp3 players, preloaded with the ATN recording tracks, to all hospitals, ICUs, hospice patients and research center directors who will commit to using them!  

We didn't want anyone to deprive their patients of this potential benefit, just on the basis of financial cost to a facility or family, so we are providing this (copyrighted) music and delivery method free of charge, as a global public service, with the goal of helping as many seriously ill patients, worldwide, as possible in this way. 
We provide the music tracks in whatever format will be most useful at any given facility or situation - 

• CD, 
• downloads,
• or a preloaded mp3 player, where beeping monitors are involved or other types of playing devices are not practical. 

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IF YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL:

Donna and Erin encourage you to order downloads or CDs as gifts for yourselves or others, because
100% of the proceeds from these sales are going to provide preloaded mp3 players to more patients worldwide. 

To purchase CDs or downloads,
go to https://againstthenoise.hearnow.com/ or use the button link above (on this page)

As an individual you can also pay for preloaded mp3 players, to be given:
1) to a stranger in a health care facility of your choice and location, in the name of a loved one (this makes a unique and meaningful holiday gift)
2) to a family member or friend who is alone, isolated during Covid in a nursing home, hospital bed, or ICU.
To purchase mp3 players,  phone LFL  +1 510 540 8136  or email the director of the ATN project: dstoering@gmail.com 

COSTS
It costs Listen For Life $50 US to provide one mp3 player to a facility or patient. 
So for each donation of $500 we can provide 10-12 mp3 players (if several players are going to one destination or facility, our shipping and handling costs are reduced per unit). We recently learned that one very large research hospital would ideally like to provide one player for every bed on every floor and measure the efficacy of this music in the treatment of many different illnesses and ages groups, from premature babies to stroke victims, as well as their many Covid-19 patients. That is extremely exciting to us, but at over 520 beds, that wonderful research opportunity with ATN will cost over $26,000 just in the mp3 devices alone. ​

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So - our hope is to not only sell thousands of CDs and downloads as quickly as possible, and to start a successful fundraising campaign for donations, but to also attract the corporate sponsorship and funding of a major company that wants to partner with us, making a tremendous difference in the lives of seriously ill patients - and their caregiving staff and their families - worldwide.  

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LOGISTICS

There is only one model of  mp3 player currently in existence that meets all of the criteria for optimum use in ICUs. Each time we receive (corporate or individual) donations for this project, we are enabled to order a specific number of mp3s, and they are delivered to our recording label Acis in Washington DC, where they are preloaded with our copyrighted music tracks. Then they are shipped to the specific hospitals, hospice centers, etc that have signed an ATN partnership agreement with Listen for Life, simply committing to use the players with their selected patients on a daily basis, and giving us regular feedback.  

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If you are a health care facility, provider, hospice staff or research director:

Here is a sample of our simple one-page commitment we would share, and ask you to return to us signed:
​
Against the Noise (ATN for short) is a service project of the global nonprofit ListenForLife.org which has a successful 22-year history worldwide, inspiring and empowering musicians of all cultures to use their gifts in the service of others.
Against the Noise offers a recording of 9 melodic improvisations performed by two internationally-renowned classical musicians with additional experience in “sound healing”: the use of harmony and rhythm to create beneficial neurological changes, entrain with steady breathing and bring a calm to all those nearby.
These intentionally-created tracks communicate peace to counter the noise that we all experience….it might be the noise of anxiety in our minds, the noise of city life challenging our sleep, or the noise of bedside monitors in a hospital room.

This new recording has already been proven to be extraordinarily useful in:

• hospice care,
• hospital rooms or at-home recovery
• treatment of PTSD and anxiety issues,
• pastoral care in hospital or counseling sessions,
• nursing homes and convalescent homes
• and perhaps most importantly, in counteracting the noise from necessary health monitors in ICUs.

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Seeing the impact of Covid-19 on health care workers, patients and facilities around the globe, Listen for Life became inspired to establish the ATN project & provide this healing recording FREE OF CHARGE to facilities and staff who are providing any of the health care services listed above, worldwide.

When you become one of our ATN project partners, we can provide this recording to you in 2 formats:

• CDs (multiple copies per facility, if useful) , and/or
• We will pre-load all 9 tracks onto special mp3 players (at a cost to us of $50 US each) that are able to be sterilized/disinfected, operated with a single on-off button, and operable through PPE. One mp3 player can then be placed on the pillow (near the ear) of each patient, and even for those in a coma, the gentle pulse of this music has been shown to create a neurological buffer against the beeping of the monitors (while very necessary, this noise can cause negative changes in brain wave patterns over time).

We are funding this project, and the donation to you of the CDs and mp3 players, through a combination of individual donors, corporate sponsors and grants. So all we ask is your signed commitment to truly use them, and to give us regular feedback about the effects of the music or the ease of the mp3 players, or any issues. We would love any testimonials, photos, and media, if possible, because this will help us to acquire more grants or sponsors, and help yet more health care facilities worldwide with this important gift of healing music which is not only designed to help the patients, but especially you, the health-care providers: We are so inspired by your selfless dedication, bravery and persistence. So we intend to be persistent in sharing this music for you as well! Contact us immediately so we can find out how many CDs or mp3 players you will put to good use! Call us at Listen For Life if you have any questions: +1 510 540 8136  or email Donna Stoering, director of the ATN project: dstoering@gmail.com 

ARTISTS

Donna Stoering

Donna Stoering is an international award-winning recording artist, concert pianist, educator, social entrepreneur, composer, vocal soloist, and church music director/consultant. Donna has been performing public concerts since age five, composing spiritually- based songs for choirs and solo vocalists since age 10, teaching piano professionally since age 11, and conducting musicals and church choirs since her early teens. As a concert pianist and teaching artist, she has served as Artistic Ambassador for both the UK and USA to countries worldwide. A Marshall Scholar, she spent many years in Europe, also serving as Artist in Residence at Oxford University, the University of York, and several music conservatories, while composing/directing the music at numerous cathedrals and churches.

As a classical artist, Donna has performed solo recitals and concerti with major conductors/orchestras in famed concert halls, television/radio networks, and music festivals around the globe. She also enjoys playing chamber music with renowned instrumentalists from all music cultures, and performing duo-recitals with major international opera stars. But in parallel with her classical music career, she has always served as vocal soloist, pianist, organist, liturgical composer and choir director at churches in each location where she has lived, whether in Europe and UK or on both coasts of the USA.

While living in London in 1998 Donna was inspired to found the global organization Listen for Life, now in its 22nd year of projects worldwide that “inspire and empower musicians of all cultures to use their gifts in the service of others” (listenforlife.org). Directing these LFL projects has also led her to become a keynote speaker and TEDx presenter. In recent years Donna has become a sought-after artistic director and producer for music festivals and new performing arts series while hosting podcasts, radio shows and television programs sharing music and musicians of all cultures. She continues to teach piano and voice, give master-classes on “playing from the core” worldwide, release new recordings and perform concerts (solo or with other wonderful musicians like Erin), while leading international retreats for musicians and giving workshops for church choirs, cantors, and instrumentalists. (Contact: Donna Stoering)

Erin Nolan

Erin Nolan currently works at the Gifted Music School in Salt Lake City. She recently moved from Boston where she worked for the past 8 years at NPR’s From the Top, the national radio program featuring incredible young musicians ages 8-18. She worked in a variety of roles at From the Top, but for the final four years she held the role of Music Director and had the opportunity to lead the selection of young artists and repertoire for the national broadcast. 

Erin received the majority of her training as a musician in Europe, having grown up in Italy and England. Although she traveled to the States for university studies, as a performer, Erin worked primarily as a chamber and orchestral musician in London, England, having performed and toured extensively as a violist in the English Chamber Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Erin trained with the Guarneri, Juilliard, and Cleveland String Quartets, and in 2004, performed in four Carnegie Hall performances with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Project.

She continues to perform chamber music and maintain a lifelong love for playing and improvising “prayer music” in a variety of settings. Erin’s love of joining other musicians, whether through classical music, prayer, or traditional music of other cultures, as led to her performing with diverse groups throughout Europe and the USA, as well as in Lebanon, Panama, Bosnia, and Croatia. (Contact: Erin Nolan)