By, Gary Malicki
They say that laughter is the closest distance between two people. The lesson of that expression was intensified by a chance meeting that became the subject of this story as part of my EVL travels.
While strolling around the Tri-County Arts Council’s Fine Art & Craft Market, I paused to speak to one of the participants. When I asked one of the artists if I can take their picture for The Villager I heard a voice behind me who interjected something positive about the newspaper, that garnered my attention and I began speaking to this person.
It was a lady whose name is Mary Kay Sturdevant and I quickly learned that she was a Certified Music Practitioner & Certified Laugh Leader…and so much more. Based in Olean, her business is called, “HTML”, an acronym for Healing through Music & Laughter.
Instantly intrigued, I invited her to meet over coffee for an interview. She was only in town for a few days and I realized there was something very interesting here.
Healing through music, after experiencing a near fatal accident, was a moment of inspiration for Mary Kay. She comes from a musical family and sang regularly in church.
Spending some time as an addiction counselor was only part of her achievements. Others include a sound journey with 30 people at the Pfeiffer Nature Center combining ocean sounds with that of the mountains. She previously facilitated a laughter day event with the Mayor of Olean at the Cutco Theater. At Jamestown Community College she hosted 100 people hysterically laughing and enjoying the benefits of sound healing.
I did a little homework on the subject and discovered that live music can reduce blood pressure, accelerate physical healing, as well as relieve stress and body tension…and so much more.
Being aware of these benefits, Mary Kay studied sound healing and spent some time comforting hospice patients. She says she has worked with people from birth through end of life making this a spiritual experience.
She’s definitely not shy as she demonstrated her talent by standing up and playing a flute which is one of her many instruments, some of which she makes herself. We later went to the trunk of her vehicle where she displayed some of the other instruments including a large bamboo piece and African drum. She also sang one of the song choices she uses during her laughing therapy.
“One of the best things”, says Mary Kay, “is when you’re laughing, you can’t think” as this helps in the therapeutic process. She got involved with and added Laughter Leading to her repertoire after taking a weekend course on the subject. While discussing her experience in that role, she attached a bright red clown nose to her face to emphasize the humor of it all!
While leading a laugh circle, she hands out the clown noses to participants by the gross and has distributed them to doctors, politicians, office workers and “anywhere in between”. She also swims frequently as water is important to her in the healing process as well.
I have to admit that Mary Kay has quite the compelling and even entertaining personality and believes in her ideologies with an unbridled passion. She not only caters to groups but will help individuals through a healing process with her expert abilities.
Thank you, Mary Kay, for sharing the amazing details of your life with me. Meanwhile, wherever you go and wherever you are…you never know who may be standing beside or behind you with a great story inside of them.