After years of singing professionally, I thought I knew the power of song. But when I began singing for groups of elders in assisted living centers, I was amazed to see previously unresponsive patients sit up, smile, move, and sometimes sing along to an old favorite song. But I wondered about those who couldn’t, or didn’t want to, join in group musical activities. I wanted to find a way to bring that same energizing experience to the people who mostly stayed in their rooms.



I began conducting Musical Memories sessions in 2013, to provide an engaging activity that combined the comfort and stimulation of personal interaction with the soothing power of song. In Musical Memories sessions, I visited one-on-one with elders, usually in their assisted living or residential care facilities, and sang old favorite songs. This was very different from group musical activities or recorded music because it was an individual and personalized activity. I chose songs from the person’s youth, including popular songs from the 30’s, 40’s, 50's & 60's, Broadway show tunes, and traditional folk songs or hymns, because I discovered that the songs we hear as we grow up and come of age are often the ones that have the most emotional impact, stay with us the longest, and give us the most joy. I also discovered that even though a person with advanced dementia may not be able to recognize family members or remember where they grew up, they remember the words to songs!



Often they sang along with me or at least tapped out the rhythm. But these sessions were not simply entertainment; they were actually musical conversations. Sometimes the person shared memories the songs evoked or stories about when they were young. Sometimes they talked about things that may not have seemed related to the music at all. Some people never said a word, and only held my hand or looked into my eyes. But regardless of how each session unfolded, we were connecting and communicating through music and through memories. And as I left the sessions, I often heard people continuing to sing or hum to themselves. In their minds, the music and the memories played on.

It was during those sessions that I realized I had a genuine affinity for elders, especially those struggling with dementia. I was privileged to spend time in a very intimate way with people who were usually at the end of their lives. And what surprised me most was that I had thought I was offering them something of value, but it turns out, our time together was one of the greatest gifts I have ever received.