The Music Project

Music has the incredible power to connect with our memories, transform our mood, and inspire our minds. The right song can instantly take us back to our childhood or inspire our vision of the future. Whether it is the lyrics, the rhythm, or the frequency – music is something that resonates with each of us on a deeply personal level.

The positive benefits music therapy has shown to have on seniors with Alzheimer’s and Dementia offers evidence of the impact that music has on our cognitive functions. The songs of our lives are hard wired into our brains, and these connections can be some of the strongest – lasting long after other functions have deteriorated. This speaks to how connected we are with the songs from our lives. Even a brain in decline maintains vivid memories of the music it loves.

As many seniors sit in isolation, at risk of COVID-19 and separated from their loved ones, the need for activities that evoke healthy mental stimulation has never been greater.

The Rotary Club of Calgary Connect has taken action to help by leveraging the Music & Memory model and giving the gift of music to residents of Bethany Calgary this Christmas.

The Inspiration

It all stated after our club attended a Rotary event premiering Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory – a documentary highlighting the impact of music on seniors when used as a therapy tactic. Leaving inspired and motived, we got to work.

Over the course of three years the idea evolved as our club formed. Fast forward to 2020, and with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing many seniors to remain in isolation, the opportunity for our music project became clear.

After securing a project grant from Rotary International and the generous support of Curve Distribution and AltaGas, we were able to take action. 

A Team Effort

Each member of our club got involved in the music project – lending their unique skills and connections in the community to make it a reality. From grant applications to playlist creation, our club rallied together to get the job done. 

We built an online Music Detective form for the team at Bethany to walk through with residents to help us compile their musical preferences. Using that information, we built customized playlists and set up the tablets for convenient use.

Thanks to the ingenuity of our members, we were also able to create a customized charging and storage case to make tablet maintenance even easier for the team at Bethany. 

our impact

To make Christmas 2020 a little merrier for the residents of Bethany Calgary’s long-term care facility – we’ve given the gift of music this holiday season.

The club has donated two custom built charging and storage kits, containing 18 tablets and headphones, as well as two years of a Spotify membership to help the care centre bring joy and positive mental stimulation to its residents.

Now, as the community continues to grapple with the challenges of COVID-19, Bethany’s long-term care residents can enjoy the music of their lives and experience the positive cognitive effects of music therapy.   

We believe music therapy is a powerful tool that can help everyone as they manage their own personal mental health. The effects demonstrated by those with Alzheimer’s and Dementia show how impactful it can be on brains with disease. These benefits can also be helpful to a healthy brain, and we encourage everyone to spend some time enjoying the music that resonates with you.

There are many more seniors in isolation, please contact us if you would like to replicate our project in other facilities.

a special thanks

Thank you to Curve Distribution and AltaGas for supporting our community with their generous contributions to our project.

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