Lost Melodies: A Symphony of Dementia
Beth Forter, Music Ambassador at Millennium Care continues her strong streak with the Manchester Camarata at the Soul Time Music Café.
Joined by residents and staff from Worthington Lake Care Home, the group has been attending the music sessions at the Museum of Wigan Life to broaden her network.
In the sessions, individuals from the community who are living with dementia are brought together to use music as a shared language. The group harnesses the power of music to alleviate feelings of isolation and foster connectivity.
As a group, they are beginning to write their own song based on their experience on living with dementia which Beth was keen to expand on:
“Working together with members of the community to produce a piece of music that we can all collectively be a part of and proud of is such an achievement.
“It’s a great opportunity for residents to grow their shared interest in music with others and gives them a sense of purpose and achievement working on a project so close to all our hearts.
“We want to make sure our piece of music accurately shares the experience of living with Dementia in an educational tune. I think this is quite special.”
David, a resident at Worthington Lake has shown great progression in the music programme. He evolved to sharing a single drum, fostering coordination that has enhanced cognitive function.
“His confidence has improved so much, the way he plays the music is louder, he leads the sessions and initiates the next musical sequence – it’s great to see!”
The cognitive boost allowed David to return to individual drumming playing more intricate rhythms.
Week by week, the group have been adding numerical lyrics and creating their own marching song. David leads this process showing his confidence in his musicality and creativity.
Learn more about Worthington Lake here.
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