Dementia, Music and Creativity Anthology
A Carer Mentor Community Collaboration and expanding initiative linking music and creativity with therapeutic benefits and wellbeing.
A collaboration anthology focusing on Dementia, Music and Creativity
Do you orchestrate activities to include people with dementia and their loved ones? Or do you and your loved one have a playlist you co-create to support your daily care routine?
Whether it’s a nostalgia trip down memory lane or a local concert, I’d love to read/hear about it and add it to this anthology.
Summary of the resources, creators and organisations identified during Dementia Action Week 2025.
This anthology continues to expand with the discovery of new resources, initiatives and growing evidence that music and creativity have on our health and wellbeing
Hello, Dear Reader! Welcome to our new Carer Mentor community members!
I’m Victoria. You can read why I’m publishing Carer Mentor here: Who Started Carer Mentor and Why?
My Father had a litany of health issues that were destabilised by a major hospitalisation in 2015: congestive heart failure and rheumatoid arthritis were compounded with a diagnosis of vascular dementia and then bladder cancer.
It was heartbreaking to see the proud, gregarious, highly intelligent man who knew numerous languages lose his ability to reason from A to B to C, lose his sense of time and space, and shrink inward. We were able to care for him at home until he passed in 2020. It was a rollercoaster with accelerated declines, yet we still had small, precious moments together—bittersweet joy.
Amidst the fragile, unstable whirlwind, there were brief, calm periods in the day when I could breathe more easily, watching over Dad—we always played some classical music.
In these moments, he could catch his breath and rest, and I made mental snapshots, using all my senses. I needed these small, precious memory moments to be the antidote to the other painful crappy times.
Thank you for taking the time to be part of this community network.
This is the second dementia anthology I’m curating with our Carer Mentor community network. The first Dementia Anthology shares our personal experiences and thoughts.
Why Dementia, Music and Creativity?
In 2024, several writers and I demonstrated the power of music and its importance in our relationships. Naomi Feil's Dementia Care and her ‘Validation Theory’ to connect with Dementia Sufferers is inspiring:
'Music Memory is more powerful than words.' Empathy and human connection via music can overcome the Dementia Disconnect.
Connecting with Dementia Sufferers. Empathy, 'Validation Method' as published by Naomi Feil and Music.
The Premise: I’ve read several articles that have made me more curious about the connection between music and Dementia care, not just to connect but also to engage in activities together.
The Question: How can we engage, encourage, and empower loved ones and friends with Dementia? I focused on music first, but this could involve any creative activity.
This may not resonate with your caregiving situation, so please don’t think I’m pushing anyone to ‘do more’ or create activities for their loved one with dementia.
I want to share the experiences I’ve read that've inspired me through creativity, music, and social engagement—the uplifting ‘humaning’ stories.
My curiosity led me to discover the work of several individuals and charities who leverage their skills and knowledge to connect with Dementia sufferers. They develop accessible opportunities for fun and enjoyment, and create quality moments with friends and families—for Example, Tony Luciani and Michelle Memran, Marc Barnacle and Anthony Cirillo.
This Anthology is an open collaboration with Carer Mentor subscribers.
This Anthology Directory:
Anna Du Pen at Betwixt and Between Proxy
Marc Barnacle at Marc Barnacle Guitar
Anthony Cirillo at The Ageing Experience
Amy Standridge at Grace Notes Community Singers
Raymond Leone at Music Therapy/Music Musings
Michael Cirigliano II at Shades of Blue
Alzheimer’s & Dementia Resource Center ADRC and its Director of Arts and Wellness Ashely Gravatte.
Music for Health and Wellbeing Initiative By the Global Wellness Institute
The Articles
"Empowering People Living With Dementia" - The Brain Charity. Dementia Action Week (UK) 2025 By Victoria
Mindfully Using Music with Dementia, and 'A Playlist for Life.' Dementia Action Week (UK) 2025. Engaging, Creating and Empowering with Music, an evidence-based tool in Dementia. By Victoria
Dementia and Photography: Photobombs and Communicating through Creativity. Tony Luciani and his mother Elia create photos to depict living with Dementia. Michelle Menran discusses the making of her 2018 documentary film "The Rest I Make Up," which follows María Irene Fornés, the groundbreaking playwright, director and teacher, through her journey with dementia.
Grief to Gratitude Finding your life soundtrack by Anna Du Pen. Anna has shared how music has woven through her life’s love story. This is a beautiful testament to how music serves as a powerful conduit to our most heartfelt memories and life events.
Seeing the Person, Not the Diagnosis What happens when people living with dementia are given the chance to create by Marc Barnacle “There’s something magical that happens when people feel safe to create and express themselves - and my charity are privileged to witness this on a weekly basis.”
“Live” Stream Music Concerts for older adults, caregivers and senior living by Anthony Cirillo “Real-time, interactive. Artists take requests and shout-out viewers! Affordable and easy to use, music concerts support social, emotional and cognitive wellness.”
Experience Joy and Hope Together Grace Notes Community Singers weekly newsletter. By Amy Standridge. I found this article by Amy and was impressed to read that in October, 2023 the Grace Notes Community Singers received an invitation to perform at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference at the San Antonio Riverwalk. I recommend exploring Amy’s articles.
Thriving Care Partners: A Journey of Hope and Connection
As we walk alongside our loved ones through the journey of dementia, it's a common misconception that this path is only about illness and decline. However, with the right support and activities, many individuals with dementia can continue to experience moments of joy, connection, and even growth. At Grace Notes Community Singers, families living with dementia rediscover joy through uplifting music experiences.
Spotlight Article: Meet Ashley Gravatte.
When she was a girl, Ashley Gravatte treasured the moments spent on her grandfather’s lap, playing the organ. When she was 10, he bought her a piano and a year’s worth of lessons, a gift that influenced her entire life’s trajectory. She’s since made a career braiding music, art and healing work.
Now, as the Alzheimer’s & Dementia Resource Center’s Director of Arts and Wellness, Gravatte’s passion has earned her recognition as an Orlando Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree.
ADRC Music Box Initiative hits a high note for people with dementia By
ADRC
Ashley Gravatte has been very busy.
The Alzheimer’s & Dementia Resource Center’s Director of Arts and Wellness created the Music Box Initiative — a program that offers people navigating dementia-related brain changes the opportunity to receive instruments, custom playlists and engagement ideas.
In The Hospital Music Belongs... Music Therapy Belongs by Raymond Leone. I’d heard about music therapy before, but not like this. Raymond enables us to sit alongside him as he offers music to patients and their loved ones. Music connects, enables communication and emotional release, I highly recommend reading Raymond’s articles.
“From the outside, it may have looked as if something in this scenario did not belong. Or, it may have looked ‘nice’ to have someone ‘performing’ some music for the patient. However, on the inside, it (the music) made a difference for all involved. On the inside, the music was presented with intention, clinically, and working towards achieving a goal—to help reduce anxiety. On the inside, music therapy was an integral part of the medical treatment plan - A non-pharmacological intervention based on scientific evidence and research.”
Why I’m devoting this newsletter to melancholy classical music. What is life, if not a symphony of sorrowful songs? by Michael Cirigliano II. Music therapy is not just about nostalgia, memories and good times. This is why I appreciate Michael’s publication.
“No matter my mood (but especially when I was feeling a blistering sense of ennui and melancholy, as was often the case for Gen Xers in the '90s), I could come to this music to confront my emotional depths, soar through my emotional highs, and find a profound sense of communion with composers who experienced challenges in their lives similar to those I faced. And I could do that whenever I wanted.”
Music for Health and Wellbeing Initiative By the Global Wellness Institute. An article outlining five 2025 trends showing how music is increasingly used to support health and wellbeing, spanning research validation, musicians’ mental health, creativity for mental wellness, tech-enabled interventions for individuals, and the rise of mindful listening spaces (spotlighting London).
If you have an article you’d like to share, let me know in the comments.
Thank you for taking the time to be part of this community network.
Please remember to ‘❤️’ LIKE the article to guide others to these resources.
Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
My daughter has produced a beautiful animation video about the impact of music on those suffering dementia as an internship for her Illustration degree with the Institute for Music Therapy Research in Cambridge. Sadly I can’t share it yet as the issues re copyright for the music she used are still being sorted.
Music can reach people in ways conversation sometimes cannot, especially when memory and language start to fade. Many families notice that a familiar song can bring back recognition or calm even during difficult stages of dementia. Creating small moments like that often becomes one of the most meaningful parts of caregiving. It also helps loved ones stay connected to the person they know, not just the illness. Efforts like this give caregivers practical ideas and a sense that they are not navigating it alone.