Accorda is a Nonprofit 501(c)(3) and a licensed Private Career School in the state of Oregon.
Accorda provides education, training, and formation for those who are called to the work of music-thanatology, and for all who seek to transform palliative and end-of-life care in the world.
04/28/2026
We’re hosting an online information session tomorrow for anyone curious about Accorda’s training program or the application process. It’s a chance to meet faculty, ask questions, and get a sense of what training involves.
📅 Wednesday, April 29
🕔 5:00 PM PDT
Register here: https://accordaschool.org/events/
If tomorrow doesn’t work for you, additional upcoming dates are listed on the same page.
02/18/2026
We’re hosting several upcoming online information sessions for anyone interested in Accorda’s training program or the application process. These sessions are a chance to meet a program director and faculty member, ask questions, and get a sense of training with Accorda.
Upcoming Dates (all via Zoom):
📅 Saturday, February 28, 2025
🕙 10:00–11:00 AM PST
📅 Thursday, March 12, 2025
🕔 5:00–6:00 PM PST
📅 Saturday, March 28, 2025
🕙 10:00–11:00 AM PST
Please register to receive the Zoom link. We’d be glad to have you with us.
Events – Accorda Events Information Sessions February 16Monday2025Online information session about training and application processHave questions about our program? Come attend this information session with a program director and faculty members. Please register to receive the Zoom link. 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM PSTZoom ...
12/29/2025
✨ There’s still time to make a difference! ✨
As 2025 comes to a close, we invite you to help sustain the training of future music‑thanatologists. Your gift ensures that comfort, presence, and music will continue to reach the bedsides of the dying and their loved ones.
💜 Every donation helps us close our year‑end gap and secure this rare and sacred work for the future. Thank you for being part of this mission.
👉 Give today at accordaschool.org/donate
12/10/2025
Thinking about training in music‑thanatology?
Curious about how to begin? Join one of our upcoming free online info sessions to learn about Accorda’s training program and application process. Meet faculty, ask questions, and explore this meaningful vocation.
📅 Upcoming Sessions
• Dec 13 · 10–11 AM PST
• Jan 6 · 5–6 PM PST
• Jan 24 · 10–11 AM PST
💻 Held on Zoom — register here: https://accordaschool.org/events/
12/02/2025
This Giving Tuesday, we are excited to share that six dedicated individuals have recently completed their applications to join our program, set to begin in September 2026. Their commitment shows that the desire to serve at the bedside remains strong, even in challenging times.
Your gift will sustain our faculty, strengthen the curriculum, and help ensure that future clinicians can begin their training.
Every contribution helps secure the future of music‑thanatology and the comfort it brings to patients and families.
Make your Giving Tuesday gift today: https://accordaschool.org/donate/
10/23/2025
🕯️ Just a few days away…
Join us this Monday, October 27th at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT for a free online talk:
🎶 Harp Music, Death, and the Healing Threshold: From Dying Monks to Modern Deathbeds
Presented by music-thanatologists Jane Franz and Kate Davis
📖 In collaboration with Morbid Anatomy
🎟️ Free with RSVP
This one-hour event traces the roots of music-thanatology from medieval monastic traditions to modern clinical care. Expect stories, historical insight, and live musical excerpts that illuminate how music can ease suffering and honor the dying.
✨ RSVP now to join us for this resonant evening.
Free Online Talk · Harp Music, Death, and the Healing Threshold: From Dying Monks to Modern Deathbeds with Author Jane Franz and Music-Thanatologist Kate Davis — Morbid Anatomy Monday, October 27, 2025 7pm ET (NYC time) Free! RSVP with email at checkout PLEASE NOTE: Video playback of free events is only available to Patreon members. Become a Member HERE . Ticketholders: A Zoom invite is sent out two hours before the event to the email used at checkout. Ple
10/11/2025
In collaboration with Morbid Anatomy, music-thanatologists Jane Franz and Kate Davis will present a free, one-hour online lecture:
Harp Music, Death, and the Healing Threshold: From Dying Monks to Modern Deathbeds
📅 Monday, October 27th, 2025 🕖 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT 🎟️ Tickets: Free with RSVP
This resonant evening traces the roots of music-thanatology from medieval monastic traditions to modern clinical care. Jane and Kate will share stories, historical insights, and musical excerpts that illuminate the practice of music-thanatology.
✨ Use the link to register for the free talk!
Free Online Talk · Harp Music, Death, and the Healing Threshold: From Dying Monks to Modern Deathbeds with Author Jane Franz and Music-Thanatologist Kate Davis — Morbid Anatomy Monday, October 27, 2025 7pm ET (NYC time) Free! RSVP with email at checkout PLEASE NOTE: Video playback of free events is only available to Patreon members. Become a Member HERE . Ticketholders: A Zoom invite is sent out two hours before the event to the email used at checkout. Ple
09/28/2025
Music-thanatology is quietly blooming on TikTok—thank you Tony Pederson () and Jane Franz (.behind.the.ha) for sharing the heart of this work.
footleg on TikTok 2630 Followers, 2 Following, 18.5k Likes - Watch awesome short videos created by footleg
09/18/2025
🎧 Recommended Listening:
“Meet the Utah harpist with a ‘meaningful responsibility’ to play for the dying.” This KUER interview offers a thoughtful look into the work of music-thanatologist Catharine DeLong. The audio version includes beautiful music offered by Catharine, who also serves as a faculty member with Accorda.
Meet the Utah harpist with a ‘meaningful responsibility’ to play for the dying “If I can bring something beautiful to them, it tells them they matter,” said music thanatologist and Zion National Park artist-in-residence Catharine DeLong. “It tells them that they are alive.”
Want to learn more about Accorda Music-Thanatology Institute’s training program? Take a closer look in this short video.
💬 Have questions? Join one of our upcoming info sessions to meet with a program director and learn more. Register for a free info session at https://accordaschool.org/events/
🗓️ There’s still time to apply for our next cohort, beginning January 2026.
📌 Learn more at accordaschool.org
We’re grateful to all who joined us for the Accorda Benefit Concert. We’re pleased to share this excerpt from the concert: My Soul’s Desire, composed by Tom Walker, with text drawn from an anonymous 11th-century Irish verse.
Our thanks to SacredFlight for their generous support, and warm congratulations to the Accorda Cohort of 2025, who graduated the day after the concert. Several members of the cohort sang in the Accorda Schola Cantorum.
We hope you enjoy this glimpse from the concert.
🎶 To view with text captions, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTZic5nuIC8 )
08/13/2025
🎶 Thank You for a Beautiful Evening! 🎶
We’re deeply grateful to everyone who attended Accorda’s benefit concert. Your presence, support, and shared spirit made the evening truly special.
A special congratulations to our students who graduated the following day! Your commitment and care continue to shape this work in meaningful ways. It was a privilege to celebrate with you.
Warm thanks from all of us at Accorda.
📸 Photo: Accorda benefit concert—Schola Cantorum performing with harp, accordion, and guitar.