Shifting Relationship of a Mother and Daughter

Through this chronicle of the events leading to the death of a beloved parent, music’s special power is revealed in its ability to both express the poignancy of coming to terms with letting go while at the same time celebrating the vibrancy of a cherished person’s life. Ann Freeman Price’s experience as a musician, songwriter and music therapist gives this work a perspective that is particular to the music maker’s connection to song, to the written word and to the relationships that are fostered by this process. I found their journey together to speak volumes about how people experience profound connection, grief and ultimately, life’s renewal. —Dr. Peter Jampel, Associate Adjunct Professor, Music Therapy Faculty, New York University Writing our stories down is a simple act—an act of hope, an act of healing. It helps us stay in the flow of the NOW and keeps us rooted there when the future washes over us like a tsunami, bringing all sorts of events to our doorstep when we are hardly ready for them. Ann Freeman Price’s story about her mother’s last three years touched me deeply. It brought me to tears and laughter all the way through. This is how we move each other, through the pain, toward the light. This is how we gift each other. We share what we can of the intimacies and heartbreaks of our lives. We turn ourselves inside out. That is art. That is what this book does. And that is why it is a gift. —Jan Phillips, author “No Ordinary Time”

Ann Freeman Price is a music therapist and writer who worked in a nursing home as she simultaneously cared for her mother in her final years. She is the author of “A Trilogy of Cancer” and composer/musician of “Woman Songs/Peace Songs,” music CD. She lives in northwest New Jersey.