For people living with Parkinson’s disease, music is medicine. As founder of the NAU-based choir Mountain Tremors since 2016, Fé Murray has 10 years of proof.
“People with Parkinson’s may experience pain or periods where movement feels ‘stuck’ or difficult to initiate,” Murray said. “With music, that discomfort may become less noticeable.”
Created a decade ago to support northern Arizonans with Parkinson’s in a fun, interactive way, Mountain Tremors has grown to include about two dozen people—including partners, caregivers and NAU student volunteers. The group doesn’t just give those with neurological impairments the opportunity to strengthen their voices, ease their movements and make meaningful connections with others like them. It also enriches the lives of the many NAU students who have conducted, performed and volunteered with the group over the years.
“For both our students and our older singers, there’s not much opportunity to connect with someone from a different generation,” Murray said. “To bond with someone going through something you can’t imagine, to see them as a person who had this whole life, can be incredibly valuable. It’s very rewarding to bring generations together and support people with Parkinson’s in this way.”
Mountain Tremors will celebrate a decade of music, merriment and community with a free concert on April 17. The performance will feature classic favorites like “Here Comes the Sun,” “Isn’t She Lovely?” and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” with an optional singalong portion.
Three’s a choir
When Murray joined the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders 12 years ago, some faculty already knew she sang with the Master Chorale of Flagstaff. Word spread, and soon, the clinic director approached her to ask whether she’d consider starting a choir for local people with Parkinson’s.
That made sense to Murray, who had experience working in speech therapy for people with neurological impairments.
“With Parkinson’s, the brain’s internal feedback system is disrupted,” Murray said. “People may feel like they’re speaking at a normal volume or moving normally, but their voice becomes softer, their movements slower and their steps more shuffling. In speech therapy, we work to recalibrate that system through targeted exercises. For example, we’ll ask them to sustain an ‘ahhh’ sound at a strong, steady volume. That kind of practice becomes much more engaging when it’s built into singing a song they know and love.”
Want to support the next 10 years?
Visit the NAU Giving Day website to learn more about Mountain Tremors and invest in improved health, human connection and a more harmonious future.
With no conducting experience, Murray turned to Edith Copley, then the director of choral studies at NAU, for help. Copley, who had personal experience with Parkinson’s through a close family member, helped Murray connect with students who could conduct the choir and accompany them on piano and guitar.
In its first year, Mountain Tremors had just three singers—two who came from The Peaks, a senior home in Flagstaff, and one from the broader community. But over the years, as word got out, the choir grew to include many more members—including the spouses and caregivers of those with neurological challenges. These days, anywhere from five to 10 students also attend each rehearsal. Some are future clinicians who want to spend time with their patients, while others simply want a fun study break.
Music education major Jake Fagone has been accompanying the group on piano this year. He said the experience has been invaluable—not just musically but also personally.
“Having only played piano for a year and having never worked with an ensemble before, it’s been a really good opportunity for me to grow as a musician,” Fagone said. “Everyone is really welcoming and understanding, which is huge because when I make a mistake, I don’t get laughed at or judged.”
Building community
Mountain Tremors’ judgment-free environment isn’t just helpful for new pianists—it’s also a boon for first-time singers like Bob Fain. The 77-year-old woodworker joined the group three years ago in hopes that it would ease his Parkinson’s symptoms, and it did.
“It helps my voice stay limber,” Fain said. “Some of the techniques they use have been really good for my vocal cords. I also like that it gets me out of the house, talking to other people and having that camaraderie that people develop when they sing together.”
Fain enjoyed singing so much that he invited his wife, retired graphic designer Andi Kleinman, to join Mountain Tremors too. They’ve both stuck with the group ever since, not only singing but also having fun with words: Last year, as part of a Mountain Tremors concert, Fain created Flagstaff-focused lyrics to the John Denver song “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” and this year Kleinman penned new words to “This Land is Your Land” for the choir’s upcoming concert. (“When in the autumn, the Peaks are glowing/with flowers blooming, and aspens showing/and all around me, there is a-choo-oo-ing/this land was made for you and me.”)
“Neither one of us is a lyricist,” Fain said, laughing. “But it’s fun to do something out of the box entirely, something that gets you to take your creativity in a different direction.”
It’s also fun to make new friends from different walks of life, which Fain and Kleinman have certainly done. Last year, when rehearsals wrapped up for the season, they continued meeting up with people from Mountain Tremors over lunch and games of Scrabble.
“I hope we all keep at it, because it’s a really good thing,” Kleinman said. “I hope it continues for 10 more years.”
Uplifting stories like these are exactly what keep Murray motivated, despite the time and challenges she sometimes faces while managing the group.
“It can be a lot of work to find musicians, book a classroom, schedule the rehearsals and organize things every year,” Murray said. “But then everyone arrives for that first rehearsal, and all of the stress goes away. This is just so fun and so meaningful.”
Mountain Tremors’ 10th anniversary concert takes place Friday, April 17 at 1:15 p.m. in the Health Professions Building, room 101. Parking is available for a fee in nearby lot P48.
Jill Kimball | NAU Communications
(928) 523-2282 | jill.kimball@nau.edu