Program Description

A 6-8 week music-driven therapeutic program, originally designed to serve the parents of adult children with substance use disorder, though we serve anyone who is struggling.  

Created by musician & parent, Cheryl Cawood & Team in collaboration with: James Johnson, MA / Music Therapy  

Program Overview: Hope Loves Harmony (HLH) is a 1+ hour group music-engagement session, conducted in collaboration with clinical addiction/recovery professionals, held once/week for 6-8 weeks.  HLH’s goal is to help participants share and document their own stories through songwriting, poetry, and musical exchange to facilitate healing and begin to reclaim the self confidence they need to sustain a sense of normalcy on the home front and to help rebuild their lives and the lives of those they love. Longer term, HLH provides a pathway for participants to use their new found voices as advocates against the opioid crisis.  

Participants will be guided through the process of creating music and sharing with the eventual goal of developing their own healing song, poem or creating a group mantra. Surveys administered pre/post.

HLH TEAM BIOS:

CHERYL CAWOOD: CLINICAL LAB SCIENTIST / MUSICIAN / Music Program Director for childcare facility / Co-host of songwriting group / Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI)member.  *My family and I endured 13 years of grief while 2 of my 3 adult daughters succumbed to  substance use disorder. This left myself and 1 daughter to care for a few grandchildren and to try and hold things together..  I’m happy to announce that both girls have been clean for 5+ years! They have started their lives over and are living life to the fullest.   They are back to being the wonderful women that I knew before this epidemic struck.  My youngest daughter is now working at Northern Kentucky University as a counselor helping addicted parents and is working toward a bachelor degree in Social Work.  I couldn’t be more happy! Surviving this horrendous ordeal has inspired me to give back.  I am now a HOPE Dealer!

JANET BELL: MUSIC EDUCATOR / MUSICIAN North Texas State University 1991 / Interdisciplinary Degree in Music and Education. Florida Metropolitan University / Masters of Business Administration 2007. Music in Kinder Instructor to 8th graders for 21 years / Co-host of a songwriters group. *After  24 years of trying to help my son through bipolar depression and him getting old enough to find the heavy drugs and one more overdose, I found my son on life support and the Md.s, not being too positive about him making it through. The ICU nurse said go home and rest. “You can’t do anything here” So I went home and upon returning to the hospital, I found my son sitting up, smiling and talking saying what he always said, “This is the last time Mom”. I told him, “You can’t come home. I am not helping you by allowing you to be at home!’ He said, ”I understand but your timing stinks!” He and his pregnant girlfriend finally got an apartment and I took him cigarettes and food but never allowed him back to the house.. Approximately one month later I got a call at work telling me that he was gone. I can’t say I did everything perfectly but I can say that I did take many of the things I was taught to heart. I want to help people identify the feelings and emotions involved using the gift of music. 

PEGGY CAWOOD BRINKER: Administrative Office Manager/ lYRICIST Being a part of Hope Loves Harmony is so important to me because I have a personal connection to drug addiction and want to make a difference in the lives of others who share the same struggle.  I am a mother and grandmother.  My oldest child is a recovering addict with over 5 years clean. My son struggled with addiction for many years but when it really got out of control he started stealing and deceiving everyone in his path. He spent some time in jail and was then sentenced to a court appointed rehabilitation program.  The transformation took some time but he beat it.  That demon no longer controls his life.  Today, he is a family man with children, a fiance and is a general manager in the restaurant business. I am sure you can imagine the pride and gratitude I feel.   I also have a child who is currently homeless on the streets of Cincinnati and is very active in drug use.  Everyday is a struggle for him and for our family.  I know from experience that this horrible battle over substance use disorder can be overcome.  I am grateful for every good day and rely on God to get us through our tough ones.  It took me a few years of keeping this family nightmare a secret because I felt guilt.  I felt maybe it was my fault somehow. I wanted everyone to see my children as the fine young men they were prior to the drug use. Who wants to be that parent with the drug addicted child right?  Well, I am that parent and I found that sharing my experience with others has been very therapeutic.  Music is a way to the soul and I believe it will make a difference for families who didn’t choose this life but can hold on to hope that they can get through it.  God bless! 

PAMELA MAINE JOHNSON: Social Worker/Licensed Therapist in Huntsville, Texas. Received her Master of Social Work from the University of Houston in 1996.  She has a private psychotherapy practice in Huntsville, TX since 2009.  She has worked with children and families, the MHMR crisis team, and Huntsville Memorial Hospital’s Outpatient Counseling Program.  She is a clinical supervisor and field instructor for SHSU and UH.  Pam has been an adjunct faculty at SHSU, and has taught dozens of CEU workshops at UH, MCYS, HMH, and in private practice.

JAMES JOHNSON: Certified Music Therapist. James completed his B.S. in Secondary Education and Music Education at North Texas State University and received an M.A. in Music Therapy in 1982 from Texas Woman's University, where he taught guitar on the music faculty. After working as a music therapist at San Antonio State Hospital, he became the first Registered Music Therapist to work for the Windham School District in the Texas Department of Corrections, where he piloted the music therapy program with psychiatric inmates. He is retired from the Windham School District faculty where he worked as a music education director, a special education teacher, and an adult literacy teacher from 1982 to 2011.  He was on the SHSU School of Music faculty from 1991-2019, and taught Fundamental of Guitar, Advanced Guitar, and the Psychology of Music. He is the past Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Huntsville Children's Choir, and a former member of the Huntsville Men's Choir.

*James and Pam have produced almost 200 musical events at Thoreau Woods Coffeehouse, Johnson Studio House Concerts, Thoreau Woods Unitarian Universalist Church, and Wine Down, Shop Small. 

CHERI USTIOFF: Licensed Therapist / RETIRED  B.S. from Lamar University. She worked at Region XIII Educational Service Center, Served as guidance counselor at Kingwood High School and Channelview ISD. She is also the manager for her husband’s music/songwriter business.

GLEN BURKE: Owner / The Guitar Lounge Music Store and Recording Studio 2527 Avenue P Galveston, Tx 775501-832-493-8772 Fowlconguitars@gmail.com

JACK SAUNDERS: Owner / White Cat Recording Studio Houston, Texas / Singer-Songwriter / Producer / Engineer

Michael L. Bobbitt: Owner / Rhombus Recording Studio Fort Thomas, Ky / Musician / Producer / Engineer

Music to Life was founded in 2000 by Noel “Paul” Stookey (of the 1960’s folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary).https://www.musictolife.org/about/ https://www.noelpaulstookey.com/