Experiences with Music and Music Therapy

yosser

Registered User
Nov 12, 2020
264
0
Shenley Brook End Milton Keynes
Hello as i suffer with Vascular Dementia for past three years now it would seem i have gone down the same route, of listening to music to pull my self back to where i want be. I have my own type , Pink Floyd, Soul, blues, David Bowie ( later live stuff) Plus varied other types music as well. Reading ? is another good way, as is exercising which I do quite a lot of i.e walking.
 
Last edited:

Mahonia

Registered User
Apr 17, 2017
15
0
Mum has early to middle stage dementia. I don't know how familiar you are with the disease and its course, but people who have it sometimes retain some abilities from childhood (such as piano lessons) and at the same time, show an inability/disinclination to learn new things. Mum is average in this respect -- says no to anything new I suggest. However, I think she might be open to a music trivia game, since that would draw on what she's already learnt.
Hello!

I'm a master's candidate from Imperial College London, hoping to design solutions for people living with dementia (PLWD), with a focus in designing meaningful activities around music and music therapy. I'm defining music therapy as a structured activity in which the PLWD is interacting with music in the presence of a certified music therapist, who is leading the session.

The direction I am in right now is investigating how can barriers for participation be reduced in music making and what kind of instruments would encourage people living with dementia (PLWD) to express themselves in a session with a music therapist. I am also considering if it would be more appropriate to focus on virtual music therapy and set that as a constraint on the project. I am also quite interested in how people engage with music in their homes independently.

It would be amazing if you could share your experiences with me that revolve around the following things:
  1. PLWD's relationship with music.
  2. Some challenges PLWD or their carers face when trying to engage with or play/listen to music. Any frustrations with existing music devices / apps in the market.
  3. Experiences / thoughts about music therapy, and what really worked, or was frustrating?
  4. Activities they/you engaged in with music in the background.
Any other thoughts around a frustration or need you might have observed when using devices that involve music would be really helpful.

Note: For people who take the time to share, I would like to assure you that no quotes or experiences will be reproduced directly and all information that informs my research will be anonymised.

Thanks in advance for you participation! :)
PLWD's relationship with music.

Strong relationship with classical music and pop and folk music from her childhood abroad. Played piano.

Any frustrations with existing music devices / apps in the market.

Piano became too heavy to push down the keys but she played on my electric keyboard.

YouTube and Spotify are a great way to find really quirky and unusual things she would have liked as a young person to listen to. No such thing yet as an integrated music device that is easy to use. Those that are have terrible sound quality. Appalling lack of awareness of the need for quality of the device.

Some challenges PLWD or their carers face when trying to engage with or play/listen to music.
When choir stopped in lockdown it was impossible to do online, there's lag on group singing but they got past that eventually. Streaming to hearing aids could help but she always takes them out when she's engaging in music.

But really music is a physical thing and you need to be in the room with people. Sorry but I think that's why it works. I've also heard that when PWD know a piece of music already, then hear it, there's a dissonance that can be irritating and I think that's what was happening when she stopped listening to prerecorded music

Experiences / thoughts about music therapy, and what really worked, or was frustrating?

Tea and cakes after was important but classes should allow and extra 30 mins for that.

Warm up exercises are good
Space in the room
Asking pwds to recommend songs
Asking them to perform
Acknowledge the difference between a singalong and structured learning of new songs

What doesn't work
When music is too loud.
When the group leader is really just a performer who wants to hear their own voice.
When group assistants sing louder than pwds in the choir.

Activities they/you engaged in with music in the background.

None, too distracting and confusing.
 

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