Music plays an important role in our lives, whether we sing along to the radio in the car or the shower, or just like to relax and tap our toes to the tunes we know and love.

For the past 30 years, researchers have been delving into the role music can play in the treatment of cognitive impairment.

As one academic paper concluded, “Music appears to be a unique and powerful stimulus for reaffirming personal identity and social connectedness in individuals with dementia.”

On a more practical level, Britain’s Music for Dementia charity has been inspired by research that shows music therapy can improve quality of life, reduce agitation, and decrease the need for medication in 67% of people living with dementia.

Its “Give it a Go” campaign – encouraging people to engage with music – is being supported by singer Tony Christie, who had global chart success in the 1970s with songs such as (Is This The Way To) Amarillo and I Did What I Did For Maria.

Born in 1943, Christie is still working, with a busy recording and touring schedule. He also happens to have dementia.

He told the Metro newspaper that he's “incredibly lucky to be in the career I am in”.

“I have ample opportunities to sing and perform, which is integral to keeping my mind active, my body fit, and keeping the dementia at bay.”

Christie said you don’t have to be a professional singer to belt out a tune.

“We can all sing, or at the very least hum, and if we all did it daily, whether you had dementia or not, it will make a difference to our overall health and wellbeing,” he said.