Thanks for the memories
How the power of song helps 60s superstar crooner Tony Christie, and others, keep dementia at bay.
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
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.
“I’m 81 years old and living with dementia. But I have no plans to slow down any time soon. Music has always been my life. And now, it’s saving it too.”
Music For Dementia also has an online radio station, m4d Radio, which has a main channel with a mix of music plus four streams dedicated to different eras.
Depending on age or musical tastes, users can tune into hits from the 1930s-1970s. It’s all there – from the Andrews Sisters to the Sex Pistols.
As one listener noted, “Music is so important for people living with dementia and their carers. It can defuse a tricky situation with distraction.”
You can read more about it, and listen to the stations, here.
Related reading: Metro, Music for Dementia, M4D Radio, BBC
