Media Release issued by NeuRA, read the original article here.
Emerging singer songwriters collaborate with people diagnosed with dementia to create original songs inspired by real life.
Australia’s esteemed ‘emerging creative artist program’, the Talent Development Project (TDP) and Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), jointly announced their industry-first partnership Music and Memories. The program connects people with dementia and young singer songwriters to produce original music inspired by the life stories of participants.
Every year, one in five Australians are diagnosed with a major brain or mind disorder. Currently, more than 421,000 Australians live with dementia. The latest data released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare predicts this number could almost double by 2054, making dementia Australia’s leading cause of death within three decades.
NeuRA is a not-for-profit, independent medical research institute dedicated to improving the lives of people living with brain and nervous system disorders through research.
According to Dr Craig Sinclair, Senior Research Fellow at NeuRA and CEPAR Associate Investigator at UNSW, there is good evidence music-based interventions have positive effects among people with cognitive impairment.
“Exposure to music alone is understood to have therapeutic benefits, but it is also believed music provides a ‘scaffold’ for the cognitive processes that establish memories,” said Dr Sinclair. “It’s why we often see the ability to play an instrument or sing a song preserved in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease – the most common form of dementia.
“By partnering with the TDP, we’re building tempo on the powerful relationship between music and memories and giving people with dementia and their families a unique gift through song.”
The Music and Memories initiative connected singer songwriters Jordyn Richards, Sam Green, and Jade Steg from TDP’s graduate THRIVE program, with people who are in various stages in their dementia journey. Through a ‘get to know’ deep dive, the musicians interviewed their respective participants to draw out who they are and what matters most to them.
“With time a burdensome factor in dementia diagnosis, giving NeuRA participants space to recount their life stories with our artists, and allowing their experience to be recorded in song before the disease progresses, we hope will be a special experience for the participant and a treasured gift to the family,” said Peter Cousens AM, TDP Artistic Director.
“The collaboration is also beneficial in giving our songwriters a meaningful focus for their creativity. Our highly-talented musicians know how to develop their art, but it’s a new challenge to craft a piece that taps into the essence of someone else’s life and memories. The positive impact this can offer people with cognitive impairment, and the comforting effect on their families is giving Jordyn, Sam, and Jade true meaning and purpose in what they do.”
This month, the TDP musicians performed and gifted their original songs to participants and their families. These songs are due to be streamed on all music platforms.