Keep a sense of purpose
The power of music
As Stevie Wonder sings in 'Sir Duke': "music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand." Music is very important to many people's experiences of dementia and on this page we want to explore the power of music.
On this page you will:
- Hear from Paul and Tommy (who both live with dementia) about how they use music to enjoy life and inspire others
- Hear a song specially created for our research project
- Be linked to Music and Dementia and other resources
I'm a musician so I play the piano, clarinet, and play music with my wife. We go to a nearby chapel every week to play music together. It is a great way to keep my mind active.
A person with dementia speaking to our researchers
Music and dementia advocacy: meet Thred CIC
Paul Hitchmough and Tommy Dunne BEM both live with dementia and are two of the Co-Directors of Thred CIC in Liverpool. In this video they share how music helps them live with dementia and how they use music to inspire and involve others.
Click on the image below to watch the video. It is 13 minutes long.
Pat Broster cared for her mother and is another Co-Director of Thred. Thred aims to be the agent of change with and for people living with dementia to reduce social isolation.
Brave New World
Paul Hitchmough and Tommy Dunne BEM create music together. Having heard their music online, the IDEAL project decided to commission them to write a song about our research. 'Brave New World' is the result and we are delighted to share it with you.
Click on the image below to watch the video. It is 4 minutes long.
Would you like to sing along to 'Brave New World'?
Click here to download the lyrics.
Paul has created many more songs, sometimes with Tommy, sometimes with other collaborators too. You can read about one of them on the Real-life positive stories page.
Click here to listen to more of Paul's music.
Music for Dementia
Music for Dementia is a national campaign to make music a key part of dementia care. Their website is full of resources and tips for how you could bring music into your life with dementia.
Click here to visit the Music for Dementia website.
Music for Dementia have also created M4D radio. This is a group of 5 themed radio stations which play free music 24 hours a day. M4D has
- no adverts
- the chance to choose your decade
- music intended to evoke memories
The website also has advice on how to use M4D with Alexa.
I listen to and download music via my Apple phone. I also use the Shazam app to recognise music.
A person with dementia speaking to our researchers
How could we improve this page? Contact us to let us know.
The power of music
You can print a paper version of this resource by clicking the button below.
