The Program
The Immunity program will include selections from the following:
- J.S. Bach Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: I. Prélude
- Allison Loggins-Hull Stolen
- Mark Summer Julie-O
- Caroline Shaw in manus tuas
- Krzysztof Penderecki Capriccio per Siegfried Palm
- George Crumb Sonata for Solo Cello
- Joshua Roman Immunity
- Leonard Cohen (arr. Roman) Hallelujah
Resources
Where are the current COVID-19 outbreaks? A lot of the agencies and news outlets we relied on during the early stages of the pandemic have stopped compiling and sharing the data they collect in real time. If you want to know where the current COVID infection hot spots are, and stay abreast of new developments in COVID policy, I recommend:
The simple musical exercises I shared in the Immunity performance come from a program in Austria. It is based on multiple studies that show positive outcomes for Long COVID patients who practice these techniques.
Music For Healing Long COVID (GERMAN ONLY - Hopefully we will have news on this front soon!)
Alexander Technique has helped me learn to better use my body, and been one of the most powerful tools for enabling me to live with presence. I began studying with Lori Schiff a few months after my initial infection, and she has been a remarkable teacher.
Over 40 Long COVID Clinics in the United States are part of the AAPM&R Long COVID Collaborative. Find the Clinic near you to receive specialized care.
The very first thing Mount Sinai’s Long COVID Rehabilitation Program had me do was join a (virtual) program to learn breathing techniques that help balance out the nervous system. The program has developed many more offerings since, and their specific Long COVID protocol has helped me as well as others that I know have gone through it:
Explore Stasis/Meo Health Breathing Programs
From neurologists to heart doctors to neuropsychologists, Mount Sinai’s Long COVID team has helped me every step along the way. I have been so impressed with their response to this enormous new health challenge, and their embrace of anything and everything that helps. I never would have thought that the first thing a western hospital system would prescribe is a breathing program, but here we are. The site below has lots of information and resources for those with Long COVID, so check it out even if you’re not in the NYC area:
Mount Sinai Center for Post-COVID Care
Meditation has been a big help whenever I’ve practiced it, not only during the last few years of Long COVID. I used to practice Vipassana, but had a difficult time making the two hours a day work for me, especially while traveling. I learned Transcendental Meditation, but while the practice was simple and fairly easy to maintain, I wanted something that ties more directly to an explicit philosophy, value system, and community. That has led me to Zen, which in some ways feels like coming full circle, since many of my early thoughts on Buddhist teachings were shaped by Thich Nhat Hanh. Whatever it is for you, I recommend staying grounded in a mindfulness practice that connects you to the earth and to those around you, and that brings you into communion with a larger sense of purpose.
2 short clips with Humming Exercises for Long COVID
(with vagus nerve and nitric oxide benefits explained):
3 clips with opera singers helping Long COVID patients learn to breathe and sing:
A research paper on singing and breathing retraining intervention for respiratory and other common symptoms of long COVID:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35359819/
A WHO article about singing programs for Long Covid: