We started U-Turn Parkinson’s 8 years ago, and we believe that exercise is medicine. We’re thrilled with how our classes are making a difference in the lives of people here in Manitoba and across the country — we have a number of online classes as well — and we see folks from all across the country accessing our programs. U-Tunes is one of the classes that we have online and that has been very positive for us.

I stutter from time to time and my voice isn’t as clear as it should be. And that’s predominantly due to my deep brain stimulation. If you don’t know what that is, I‘ve had two wires put down to the centre of my head and I’ve got a little battery pack that stimulates my brain. Without that, I would probably be at best wheelchair-bound, and possibly bed-bound. That has affected my voice quite considerably. But it continues to get better, and I can manage it better, through singing, when I’m regularly attending U-Tunes. It makes a huge difference.

“Singing does help our voices, but most of us are resistant to joining this kind of class because we’re embarrassed about our singing ability.”

We began U-Tunes back in 2019. Since then, one of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is that singing does help our our voices, but most of us are resistant to joining this kind of class because we’re embarrassed about our singing ability. I’m not a singer. I don’t seek out opportunities to sing in public. I don’t seek out opportunities to sing with other people. It’s just not who I am.

We had lots of resistance to people coming until we started being very clear that this is a voice strengthening class. We work at strengthening our muscles and our voice, and when we we focus on that, and the fact that we we’re coming together to make a joyful noise, not become a choir, then people get it. They see that this is no different than going to one of our fitness classes, or boxing classes, or Tai Chi or dancing. We’re here to strengthen a part of our body, and this specifically focuses on strengthening our voices.

When people hear that message, then it’s an easy transition for them because it’s like, “Well, I’m not very strong physically because I’ve not gone to the gym all my life. So I have to slow down, take my time and work up to what I can do.” It’s no different with singing: I’ve got to slow down, be patient with myself, and give myself permission to come along in this new workout that I’m doing for my voice. 

We’ve heard individuals report that they have less difficulty producing the volume that they need, they have less difficulty forming their words, and they’re asked less frequently to repeat themselves.

Having the right facilitator makes a big difference, too. When you have someone who can bring people out of their shells and into a place where they’re willing to sing and engage, we’ve found that very deep community is formed. People love U-Tunes, they love getting involved, they love the singing.

We’ve heard individuals report that they have less difficulty producing the volume that they need, they have less difficulty forming their words, and they’re asked less frequently to repeat themselves. That’s a huge win for those of us living with this disease, because we are forever being asked to repeat ourselves, and it just drives you crazy. But when when I’m singing regularly, when I’m taking care of my voice regularly, I notice a significant difference in how I’m speaking and the work that goes into speaking.