Igniting the Spark started as a dream of 2 teenagers who discovered the healing power of music when they gifted their Grandfather, living in a nursing home, with an iPod and some noise cancelling headphones. After listening to some old tunes, they saw that Pops’ favorite songs ignited parts of his brain again. All of a sudden, Pops started to sing out loud, remembering all of the words to show tun
es, Christmas melodies, John Denver, hymns, Pavarotti, and patriotic songs. The joy that Pops was experiencing brought the teens so much joy, that it prompted them to inquire about giving more iPods to others with memory loss. KK, one of the teens, asked, “Why can’t everyone here at the nursing home have an iPod and headphones? I use my phone for music now and have 2 extra iPods that I can give to start this project.” At that moment, Igniting the Spark was born! The teens started collecting gently used iPods and headphones through their school. Eventually word spread, and more donations started to flow in from other teenagers and adults. The project’s themes are: RECYCLE * REFRESH * RENEW * RESPECT
The great thing about Igniting the Spark is that there is absolutely no downside to this project. When people are able to donate abandoned iPods, chargers, and headphones, they are sharing a mutual love for music, while bringing great happiness and healing to those who still enjoy listening to their old favorite songs. Concurrent with Igniting the Spark, the founders became aware of the winner of the Sundance Film Festival best Documentary – Alive Inside, “A joyous cinematic exploration of music’s capacity to reawaken our soul and uncover the deepest parts of our humanity.” After contacting Michael Rossato-Bennett, the film’s producer, he encouraged Igniting the Spark to use his film and stand on the shoulders of the Alive Inside. Because of that, Igniting the Spark, now has US and Global Connections. If you’d like to donate your gently used iPod, or other musical equipment to this magnificent cause, gifts can be given at locations in the Roaring Fork Valley as listed below. You can also contact Arleen Ginn at [email protected], as we also accept out of state donations. Go to www.aliveinside.us to view the trailer for the movie.
