Thursday, April 21, 2016 For immediate release Delegates to the Music Care Conference being held Friday, June 3 in Fredericton, NB will not only learn about the power of music in care, but will hear from social justice advocate, Juno Award winner and member of the Order of Canada, Susan Aglukark. Aglukark is the closing keynote presenter at the conference. A successful Canadian songwriter and singer, she shares her stories about the struggles of the Inuit and Aboriginal communities, as well as its celebrations. Her songs are driven by the stories. Her honest and reflective blog posts tell the story of a young woman who came from the Arctic to work in Ottawa. Though it was the same country, it was a different world, and Aglukark’s posts about learning to ride a bus, write a cheque and budget let us peek into the struggles and fears she faced when she headed south. Aglukark emerged as an independent artist performing in Inuit communities in the early ‘90s. She is known for not only her singing and song writing, but for her commitment to social justice, including a three-year appointment as Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the University of Alberta, creating programs to address school drop-out issues among Aboriginal students. Aglukark refers to her journey, and she’ll be sharing part of that journey with delegates to the Music Care Conference. She will wrap up a day of learning for caregivers with sessions on music across the lifespan, music and mood, Pathways Singing Program for memory care, music and quality of life in older adults, El Sistema New Brunswick and using music in hospice and palliative care. This is the second Music Care Conference being held in the Maritimes. With its partners Atlantic Institute on Aging, Arpeggio Music Therapy, Alzheimer New Brunswick and Laurier Centre for Music in the Community, Room 217 is bringing the expertise of music therapist Jennifer Buchanan and researcher Dr. David Alter to Atlantic Canada as keynote speakers. The conference is fully bilingual, with presentations available with translation. See the full program and register at www.musiccareconference.ca or phone 905-852-2499. -30- For more information: Deb Bartlett, Revenue Development Co-ordinator, Room 217 Foundation, 905-852-2499 Barbara Burnett, Executive Director, Atlantic Institute on Aging, 506-444-3337 .