Having spent more than 25 years in the music industry, Patrick Zulinov knows better then almost anyone how music can have a profoundly positive impact on someone's life.
But while a good tune can brighten your day, in a clinical setting, music has the power to heal.
This weekend Zulinov is leading the 13th annual Music Heals Music Therapy Ride, which will see hundreds of musicians take part in a motorcycle ride from the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam to Whistler, in an effort to raise money for community-based music therapy services in BC.
Music therapy – which can involve creating, listening to, and discussing music – has been clinically proven to improve cognitive functioning, motor skills, and emotional development.
Zulinov helped launch radio station Shore 104.3 FM in Vancouver, as well as the careers of countless artists with Sony Music Canada and Hyvetown Music, and says the Music Therapy Ride was a natural cause to support.
"As a group of people from the music industry who love to motorcycle, this is easy to get behind," says Zulinov, who is also a director of The Music Heals Foundation and co-founder of the annual ride. "Music is the universal language, and sometimes I think we take that for granted. For kids stuck in hospitals, for elderly patients with dementia, there's some fantastic things you can do with [music therapy]."
The event has raised for than $600,000 since it began in 2002, with proceeds administered by the Music Therapy Association of British Columbia, which awards grants to deserving music therapists and care facilities.
The money raised from the Music Therapy Ride is also used to support the building, maintenance and continued use of mobile recording studios designed specifically for music therapists, called Bandwagons. These mobile studios contain recording software, sound processing equipment and a variety of musical instruments.
"It costs between $13,000 and $15,000 to make one of these, and a music therapist costs $15,000 per year for one day a week," says Zulinov.
The Music Therapy Ride has funded the creation of two Bandwagons so far, the first of which arrived at BC Children's Hospital in 2011. The second Bandwagon travels to various institutions around the Lower Mainland and recently made the trip to Vancouver Island for the first time.
The funds from this year’s Music Therapy Ride will be used to build a third Bandwagon 3 and provide continuing financial support for Music Therapists’ services.
The ride takes place this Saturday, Sept. 13, and culminates with a barbecue lunch in Whistler at the Garibaldi Lift Co. with a live auction of autographed music memorabilia from the likes of Jack Johnson, Slash, and Serena Ryder. Joining the ride this year as the celebrity guest will be Canadian country music group The Road Hammers, who will be performing at the Whistler event.
The riders will also have a "presidential" escort from the Vancouver Motorcycle Police Drill Team, meaning the throng of rolling thunder won't be stopping for red lights as they make their way through downtown Vancouver.
To donate or sign up for the ride, visit MusicTherapyRide.org.
