Prescribing a dose of music

When dementia is affecting certain parts of the brain, music can somehow penetrate through to the deeper parts of the brain that enable people to suddenly talk -or to sing or dance or communicate, or engage with someone.

This knowledge led American Dan Cohen to develop Music & Memory, which uses personally meaningful music to help awaken the mind, restore a person’s identity and reconnect them with their own self as well as with carers, family and friends. There are currently more than 2,000 accredited health services in the US connected to the program.

The personalised music therapy program is now finding its way into aged and community care services in Australia, delivering astounding results in people’s wellbeing, simply by connecting a person to their favourite tunes.

Dr Maggie Haertsch, co-founder and chief executive officer of the Arts Health Institute, which is licensed to deliver the Music & Memory program in Australia, says music ‘pre-dates language’.

“There is something very primal in us that music taps into. We are still trying to understand how, but we know that music is like a back door into the brain.

“Aged care can be a very lonely and disempowering experience and these days there is a big focus around how to change a person’s journey and how to curb loneliness and social isolation for older people. The arts, and music in particular, can provide a very good solution in this,” she says.

According to Dr Haertsch, Music & Memory should be seen as a sustainable solution that is integrated within care services. “Music & Memory is a systematic approach to provide really personal, meaningful music to an individual.

“It’s like medication. It’s as simple as thinking of it as a dose of music.”

The Arts Health Institute has delivered arts-based interventions since 2011, changing peoples’ health care experiences with artists and health professionals working side by side.

Dr Haertsch came across Music & Memory after seeing the YouTube video of Henry’s story. The clip, which went viral online, shows an elderly man with dementia who is isolated, hardly responds to his environment and seems to have lost any connection to life. When his carer puts his headphones on and plays his favourite music Henry seems to awaken. He becomes engaged, sings with the music and is able to express himself.

Henry’s story is part of the movie Alive Inside, a documentary that follows founder Dan Cohen in his journey of bringing Music & Memory to isolated people living in care facilities in the US and bringing them to life.

“I saw the Henry clip when it came out and it seemed to align so well with our organisation”, Dr Haertsch says. She says music is ‘a human right’. “Why should we be denying people their music just because they can’t access it?”

Music & Memory is not just about putting headphones on someone and playing music. Dr Haertsch explains the importance of making sure the music is right for each person, because playing the wrong music can actually create a really negative response. “The care that is taken around music choice is very important and needs to be educated to be done correctly,” she says.

There is quite an art to being what Dr Haertsch calls a ‘music detective’ and understanding and appreciating people’s music preferences. “You can’t just put a Beatles album on for someone just because they like Beatles. They actually might hate certain tracks. So it’s about finding the right music. And when you do, you get those ‘Henry moments’ for sure,” she says.

To get the music right, it is important to find out about someone’s past. Having conversations with the person or their family about who they are and their history.

“We had the most amazing experience with a couple who used to be big dancers. They used to jive and jitterbug in the 50’s. When we put ‘Rock around the clock’ on the gentleman’s iPod and put it on, he could not stop moving. He was laughing and he just went back to that world in the 50’s with his wife. She was crying because she felt she had him back with her just for that moment.”

Music & Memory is a way for partners and family to get through to their loved one and connect again when they haven’t been able to for so long. “Families can get involved and start sharing songs and music. It’s a social process and can break a lot of barriers.”

Music & Memory is so successful because it systematically introduces something that’s so simple, Dr Haertsch says. “It is deeply personal and if it’s done well it becomes part of the care process.

“It’s the impact it has on an individual person but it’s also the humanity that comes with it, of people seeing the magic that happens. The family members suddenly seeing their loved one responding to something when they no longer respond to anything. And staff being able to deliver something so simple. All of those layers are what makes Music & Memory successful.”

Organisations signing up for the Music & Memory program get access to unlimited training through webinars, from how to get started with the program to understanding about the therapeutic value of music and the research around it. Training for the staff also involves understanding the copyright issues for music use. It also gives access to an online forum connecting users of the program to share stories and experiences.

To become an accredited organisation for Music & Memory you can contact the Arts Health Institute directly via their website or call 02 4927 5400.

The documentary Alive Inside, which includes Henry’s story’ is available for viewing in Australia on Netflix and via iTunes.