A dementia-friendly choir engaging Stillwater in song
Raising Voices works to give persons living with dementia and their carepartners a way to enjoy the health and social benefits of making music together. Raising Voices works to give persons living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, and their carepartners a way to enjoy the health and social benefits of making music together. Access to mea
ningful engagement in a supportive choral community can maximize individual abilities and provide members with the opportunity for self-expression, self-determination, and success. It is our hope that through a positive musical environment that promotes dignity and respect, dementia patients and their carepartners can realize holistic improvements to their well-being and quality of life. Here are some of the things researchers have learned about music and the brain:
Recent research has shown that music promotes neuroplasticity, cognitive reserve, and working memory in the brain in older adults. Brain scan images have shown that the dorsal medial pre-frontal cortex (associated with autobiographical memories and emotions) is highly stimulated during music activities. One study demonstrated that while singing, memories are produced that contribute to self-discovery, self-understanding and identity. In a study from Finland, memory and mood in people with dementia significantly improved when they took part in regular singing or listening to music. Singing has been shown to increase learning and retention of new verbal material in persons with Alzheimer’s disease, and to engage brain regions responsible for motor action, emotions and creativity.
