The Ontario Aerobics Centre has launched the Harmonica Exercise for Lung Program, a lung improvement/rehabilitation program and study. This germinated during a pulmonary rehabilitation meeting that Dr. Schaman attended in August. We have started this rather revolutionary study/program at the clinic to study/improve pulmonary functions in lung and heart patients using the diatonic harmonica. The purpose of this Program/Study is to increase lung excursion in both inspiration and expiration, improve pulmonary functions and to document the changes, if any, in lung capacity and flow rates after a 6 month program of daily harmonica playing. As the only instrument that “makes music” with both blowing and drawing, there is a potential unique benefit to lung excursion and ultimately, to lung function. We have the equipment to perform intricate pulmonary function testing and we have determined the research protocol. Subjects will be patients with heart and lung disease, generally over 50 years of age, who have not played the harmonica, at least in recent years. Testing will be undertaken at the start and the end of the period of time that we choose as the duration of the study. Our first session was on Thursday, November 29 2007, with both a 10:00 a.m. and a 6:00 p.m. class. Interested individuals can attend either the morning or evening session according to their personal schedules. Anyone who would like to join this program please call the office to make arrangements.