When the Spirit Catches You... delves into the experience of epilepsy, inspired by my daughter’s life-long struggles with the condition. Commissioned and premiered by the Relâche ensemble in 2004, the piece goes beyond a purely musical exploration, incorporating visual art, spoken phrases, and improvisation to create an immersive and multi-faceted portrayal of living with seizures. I drew inspiration from several literary sources, including Anne Fadiman’s book, When the Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, which tells the story about a Hmong family navigating cultural differences while seeking treatment for their daughter’s epilepsy. I also incorporated accounts from Dr. Stephen Schachter’s Brainstorms, which provides first-person perspectives of the experience of seizures. I recorded Lydia (age 12 at the time) speaking select phrases from his book. While writing this composition, Dr. Schachter sent me proofs of another book he was completing, Visions: Artists Living with Epilepsy, and I decided to add a visual dimension. The contributing visual artists from that book are Patricia Bernard, Vincent Buchinsky, Jude Rouslin, and Betsy Zukin. Aleck Brinkman helped me create many of the multimedia effects.

Cynthia Folio is Emeritus Professor and former Chair of Music Studies at Temple University, where she was honored with the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, the Creative Achievement Award, and the Faculty Senate Award for Outstanding Service. Before teaching at Temple, she taught theory and flute at Texas Christian University (1980–1990) and played flute and piccolo in the Fort Worth Symphony. She earned her Ph.D. in music theory and Performers Certificate in flute from the Eastman School of Music.

Composition awards include an NEH grant, composer residencies at Yaddo, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the American Academy in Rome, and grants from Meet the Composer and the American Music Center. Her multimedia composition, When the Spirit Catches You… received the 2019 American Prize in Composition: Special Judges’ Citation for “Raising Awareness and Understanding for those Afflicted with Epilepsy.” Her commissions include Network for New Music, the Relâche Ensemble, the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, Astral Artistic Services, the Women’s Sacred Music Project, Pi Kappa Lambda, the ZAWA! flute duo, and the National Flute Association. As a music theorist, her essays on the topics of jazz, contemporary music, pedagogy, improvisation, and the relationship between analysis and performance, are published in journals and books.

Cynthia’s CD recordings include (2024) New Music for String Orchestra (Centaur), featuring her composition, Pentaprism, a (2014) Inverno Azul, featuring nine compositions (BCM+D); (2007) Press Play, by the Relâche Ensemble (Meyer Music LLC); (2006) Flute Loops: Chamber Music for Flute (Centaur), featuring eight of her compositions; and a jazz flute CD, Portfolio (Centaur). In addition to her musical accomplishments, she is a second-degree black belt and winner of the 2019 Student of the Year Award for Region 8 in Tang Soo Do karate.

The PACT singers is a group of people with aphasia who come together to sing at Phila Aphasia Community at Temple. Aphasia is a communication disorder that impacts speech and can impact understanding both spoken and written language. The PACT singers will discuss what the opportunity to sing together brings and perform some of their recent songs.

The Philadelphia Aphasia Community at Temple (PACT) is a very supportive, engaging, comfortable, and social group at Temple for people who have aphasia. PACT provides us with information about how to participate in various group activities, which then carries over and impacts our daily living within our communities. We promote a safe and accepting environment for people with similar communication needs and styles. We participate in all different groups, including Active Living, spirituality, technology, PACT singers, CHAT (a conversational group), games, Art group, and “Finding the Words” (a book writing group), which are all incredibly fun and exciting. In PACT we have the freedom to choose the groups and activities that we participate in.

This panel offers interdisciplinary perspectives of the role for narratives and storying in dance, film and art to process and enhance the health journey. Discussion will also explore the science for how and why the arts can help.

Jessica C. Warchal-King, MFA
Kinesthetic Storytelling to Support Neuroplasticity 

Dr. Girija Kaimal, ATR-BC
Arts as the Secret Sauce of Health and Well-Being

Rea Tajiri, MFA
Wisdom Gone Wild: Sixteen Years of Dementia Caregiving

Dr. Wendy L. Magee, moderator
Professor of Music Therapy, Boyer College of Music and Dance, Temple University

This panel discussion will explore the role for art, theater and musical improvisation to enhance confidence, trust and relationships throughout the health journey. The panel will examine the science explaining improvisation’s effects.

Bobbi Block, MA
Applied Improvisation for Communication & Connection

Jessica Jane Julius, MFA
What I Say Vanishes: Risk and Resilience in the Ecology of Making

Dr. Gayle DeDe, CCC-SLP
Applications of Improvisation in Rehabilitation of People with Aphasia

Dr. Mike Zanders, moderator
Assistant Professor of Music Therapy, Boyer College of Music and Dance, Temple University

The Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts (CPCA) invites you to participate in a Story Slam experience to take place at the Arts and Quality of Life Conference 2025.

CPCA seeks Storm Slam submissions on the theme Patient Experience, exploring the moments of transformation in healthcare. Please share your unique experiences as a patient or as someone connected to a medical setting. Feel free to interpret this theme as broadly and creatively as you wish. All perspectives from any member of the Temple community are welcome.

You are invited to share your story through any form of art; whether it's songwriting, visual art with a narrative, poetry, dance, drama or any other visual or performing art, we encourage art as a means of expression. A panel of faculty from across the Temple community will review all submissions and select those to be presented in person at the conference from 11:30 AM to 12:15 PM. Selected participants will be notified of their acceptance to present by Friday, December 20, 2024, with a deadline to confirm participation of Monday, December 30, 2024.

Thank you to Temple University's Narrative Medicine Program for the idea of Story Slam and we look forward to hearing your stories and seeing the incredible creativity from across our community.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday, November 15, 2024 - now extended to December 13!

To ensure your submissions can be reviewed smoothly, please make sure they meet the submission guidelines below.

• Video submissions on the theme of patient experience should be five minutes or less, and file size 1GB or less.
• At the beginning of the submission video, please include a brief explanation of your affiliation with Temple University (e.g., student, faculty, nurse, patient, physician, etc.).
• Please name the video file with Last Name.First Name.Art Form formatting.

Submit Your Story

Open to Boyer, TFMA, CPH and MED Students only.

The Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts (CPCA) invites Temple University students to showcase their work and research on the use of arts in healthcare settings through student poster presentations at the Arts and Quality of Life Conference 2025. Please note that this opportunity is open to Temple students studying at the Boyer College of Music and Dance, the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts, the College of Public Health and the Lewis Katz School of Medicine only.

Students across all academic programs within these schools are invited to present their work and research on the application of the arts in medical or community healthcare settings. This event offers a valuable opportunity to share your work with an interdisciplinary audience and engage in meaningful discussions about the role of the arts in health-related fields. Selected submissions will have the chance to present in person during the conference from 4:15-5:15 PM. Selected participants will be notified of their acceptance to present by Friday, December 20, 2024, with a deadline to confirm participation of Monday, December 30, 2024.

Whether you're studying art, healthcare, social sciences or any other discipline, your unique perspective on how the arts intersect with health and healing is invaluable.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday, November 15, 2024 - now extended to December 13!

Abstract Submission Guidelines

To prepare your abstract submission, please include the following, which you can copy and paste into the corresponding form fields at the submission link below. Note: Each form field is limited to 360 characters or approximately 60 words.

• Type of Work: Identify the nature of your presentation (e.g., clinical work, philosophical exploration, research study). This helps clarify whether your poster focuses on hands-on clinical experiences, theoretical discussions or research findings.
  Example: "This poster explores a clinical case study on..."
• Art Modality: Specify the primary art modality or theoretical framework used (e.g., music, dance, visual art, drama or a specified philosophical approach). Highlight its importance in the context of your work.
  Example: "...utilizing dance as a therapeutic tool for trauma recovery..."
• Approach or Design: Briefly describe the method or design of your work. For clinical presentations, describe the intervention of treatment plan. For philosophical ideas, explain the key arguments or frameworks. For research, outline the methodology.
  Example (Clinical): "The intervention involved a series of guided music therapy sessions with a focus on anxiety reduction in adolescents."
  Example (Philosophical): "This presentation examines existential perspectives on the therapeutic use of art."
• Key Insights or Findings: Summarize the main outcomes or insights gained from your work. If presenting clinical work, describe the observed benefits or challenges. For philosophical ideas, highlight the main arguments. If research-based, summarize the key findings.
  Example (Clinical): "The case demonstrated improved emotional regulation and communication skills post-intervention."
  Example (Philosophical): "The discussion reveals how art as a medium can deepen existential meaning in therapy."
• Conclusion and Implications: Conclude with the broader implications of your work. Emphasize its relevance for arts in healthcare settings, philosophical discourse or clinical practice.
  Example: "This work suggests that integrating art therapy into clinical settings can enhance patient care, especially for individuals with trauma histories."

Submit Your Poster Proposal