Music and Poetry Workshop with Julie Cook at Woodbury Senior Center

      Julie Cook will facilitate a six-week Music and Poetry workshop at the Woodbury Senior Center on Tuesdays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. from February 9 through March 16. Designed for lovers of music and poetry, the program will explore ways in which these two arts enhance one another.
     Participants will read and compare a variety of poetic styles. They will then have an opportunity to document the beauty in their own lives by writing original poems. These poems will be transformed into song lyrics, and will be read and accompanied by easy-to-play musical instruments.  No prior experience with either poetry or music is required, only a sense of adventure. Participants may bring their own instruments if they wish.
      Each week there will be a different focus:
•  The rhythm connection
•  The healing practice of toning
•  Using words with music, including poetry
•  Expressing emotion through music
•  Creating music together
•  Listening to music for specific purposes.
      Julie Cook studied piano at the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford and has taught for 26 years at her studios in Newtown and Woodbury, Connecticut. She facilitates workshops for musicians and non-musicians for the purpose of health and self-expression. She is a certified facilitator for Music for People, an organization that promotes an improvisational approach to music. Julie has published poems, short stories and articles, and written a novel, Beneath the Music, the story of a frustrated prodigy who finally finds his authentic music.
     The Music and Poetry workshop is open to area residents. There is a small fee, and enrollment is limited. Those wishing to register or to obtain more information are asked to call the Woodbury Senior Center at 203-263-2828.