We Are England S2022E93 - Family Dementia, Music and Us

Innovative music therapy is helping families to not only live with dementia but to create new memories too. Keith was diagnosed with dementia when he was 53 and along with his partner, Joan, he has been attending music workshops with Manchester Camerata for over five years. They believe the groups ultimately saved them.

We follow their story as they and their friends not only perform music but write their own new song to sing on their first group holiday to Llandudno with other families impacted by dementia. These innovative workshops are spreading through people like Beth, a carer from Liverpool whose career drastically changed direction during the
pandemic. After volunteering as a carer she fell in love with the profession and now works full time in care homes. She feels inspired to roll out music workshops across all the care homes she works at.

Despite many recognising the positive impact of music on people with dementia, the influence of music is not fully understood. Dr Robyn Dowlen, who specialises in the study of music's impact on people living with dementia, attends one of Keith's group sessions to observe the class and study its impact on Keith in real time before chatting through the results with Keith himself.

Through learning from the attendees in the class, Dr Robyn
hopes to better understand this link between music and memories, the past and present but most importantly, the future too.