Music sessions strike a chord with Belong Warrington residents

Residents at Belong Warrington enjoyed letting loose their musical flair and singing old-time songs in a dementia-friendly music session. The session was led by ‘Music in Mind’, a community organisation that brings together highly skilled musicians to promote the use of music as an aid to health and wellbeing.

The musicians led the lively sessions by performing familiar songs on a range of instruments including drums, ukuleles and guitars. Residents were invited to take part in the session by playing maracas, bells and shakers themselves and were encouraged to sing along to recognisable songs and play games including ‘name that tune’.

Ian Unsworth from Music in Mind said: “We are delighted to be working with Belong Warrington to lead more musical sessions in their already vibrant community village.

“Music is a really powerful way of connecting with people and enabling them to communicate and express themselves without relying on language. Whether we are working in care settings or running music dementia cafés, we are finding that giving people the opportunity to be creative through music really transports them to a positive frame of mind, contributing to greater wellbeing.”

Janine Curwell, General Manager at Belong Warrington, added: “Residents had a great time at the Music in Mind session - it was a really lively, interactive and fun morning and we look forward to inviting them back to the village in the future.
“It was wonderful to hear residents bursting into song as they remembered the familiar lyrics and everyone really enjoyed the opportunity to have a go at playing instruments themselves!”

The recognisable music acts as a form of reminiscence therapy, shown to be particularly beneficial for people living with dementia, stimulating cognitive ability and promoting a sense of wellbeing.