On Saturday September 3, The Music Well held their annual study day down at the Studio School in Rye. The day involved three very interesting and varied speakers presenting their work using different aspects of music for people suffering dementia.
Firstly we heard from Veronica Franklin Gould who set up Arts4Dementia in 2011 in order to provide stimulating arts activities for people with dementia, ranging from joining in with an orchestra to dancing with Ballet Rambert. These activities were set up to provide new learning experiences for those suffering dementia as well as stimulating and respecting their creativity and enriching their daily lives.
Dr Trish Vella-Burrows then engaged the audience in some of the activities that she uses in her work with groups. We all found ourselves quickly singing harmoniously and beautifully and then sharing rhythms and chants. Again the emphasis was on not only preserving brain function but stimulating new learning. She spoke very interestingly about the brain and the way the limbic system is musical with its links to the emotions and the natural human response to the sounds of a baby crying. She related this to our musicality.
After a sustaining lunch and much talk between the 25 participants who mostly worked in the field of the arts and dementia, we heard from Keith Osborne, a Ddrector of the Music Well, and a musician who had been leading the recent Lottery funded project using iPads with people suffering dementia. Keith’s presentation was very moving and was preceded by a short film, also funded as part of the project and outlining the work of The Music Well. The film contained testimony from people with dementia and their partner/carer as to the extraordinary way this work “enabled conversations and focus”. We ended with a chance to play with the iPads and explore the apps that Keith had been using in the project.
If you would like to access any of the Music Well’s services or learn more about them please contact them on 01797 226330 or email enquiries@themusicwell.org.uk.
Photo: library photo