Camille Van Valen with, from left, Paige Nazzaro, Laura Chen and Clara Regan.

Camille Van Valen loves to sing. The adult patient at Matheny is a member of the Matheny choir, and she knows lots of the popular holiday songs by heart. So when the seventh and eighth grade chorus from the Old Turnpike School in Tewksbury Township, NJ, visited Matheny to perform a variety of Christmas carols, Van Valen could be seen singing along on such favorites as “Jingle Bells” and “Frosty the Snowman.”

Afterward, she met and chatted with several of the students and learned that they will be returning to Matheny in March to perform segments of the school’s annual musical, which will be The Little Mermaid. Van Valen is one of several members of Matheny’s Choir who sang at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on December 20 with Holiday Express.

The Matheny choirs in performance.

Medleys of songs from Lady Gaga and Adele, along with Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind” were among the selections performed by the Matheny choirs at their spring concerts held May 9 and 10 in the Robert Schonhorn Arts Center. In addition, the audience was treated to a performance of the David Guetta/Usher hit, “Without You,” by the music therapy staff.

The music therapy program at Matheny provides musical experiences designed to promote participants’ growth in cognitive, behavioral, physical, emotional, creative, social and leisure skills.