Music captivates and maintains attention as it stimulates and engages different parts of the brain. People can often respond to music even when other aspects of cognition are impaired. Music can awaken buried memories or evoke emotional responses that may otherwise be inaccessible. Our music sessions are very interactive – we use percussion instruments and a mixture of WW2, folk and pop songs to engage participants. The advantage of music is that most people will hear it, even if it’s difficult for them to communicate. We use interactive music sessions to unlock memories, facilitate engaging opportunities for people with limited cognition and bring moments of joy to our clients.
The benefits of using music to engage older people includes:
- Music is success orientated – people of all abilities can participate .
- Music structures time; it allows us to track various lengths of time and can sometimes alter our perception of its passage.
- Music provides a social context – it sets up a safe, structured setting for verbal and non-verbal communication.
- Music is an effective memory aid.
- Music supports and encourages movement; in some cases, rhythm propels our muscles on neural level.
Lovejoy Centre 