‘I call it singing for the soul. It allows me to meet other people with dementia, which makes me feel that I am not so different after all.’ Irene lives with dementia and attends Singing for the Brain, a nationwide project started and organised by the Alzheimer's Society – the UK charity that campaigns for change, funds research to find a cure for dementia, and supports those living with it.
Singing for the Brain found life in 2003 with Chreanne Montgomery-Smith, after she experienced first-hand the positive impact of singing on people with dementia in the care home where she worked. ‘I started doing a range of activities,’ she says. ‘One of them was a quiz game, which involved playing familiar tunes. In the first week nobody sang; in the second a few people joined in. By the third, everyone was singing. One woman sang so much, she knew every song in the quiz – she felt very proud, and she was someone who didn't know her own name.’
Register now to continue reading
Register to the Music Teacher website today to read more of the latest news and developments from the world of music education.
You’ll receive:
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
