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Music makes a world of difference to the elderly

Aged Care Music Resources

Melodies and Memories: The Choir That Defies Dementia

Carrying the tune just a little longer Singing in a choir has given a group of Perth people with dementia a significant boost to memory, mood and social connections. Angela Pownall reports As the music begins, their heads lift and turn towards the sound of a familiar tune. As the singing starts, their faces light up in joy and recognition and the words come out easily. Something special happens at the Melodies and Memories choir every week. Its singers all have some form of dementia. Many need 24-hour care. Some are non-verbal. But with melodies come memories, the singers know the words and the tunes. They play instruments and even learn dance routines. The expressions, reactions and joy that dementia may have taken from them returns, albeit temporarily. Research has shown that despite the cognitive loss, people with dementia retain the ability to sing in a choir and the experience gives them many benefits. How this is possible is not properly understood. And a study published last year suggested that choir singing can improve the structure and health of the brain, particularly among older adults. Melodies And Memories choir founder and organiser Margaret Grubb witnesses the positive changes in people who come for a sing-song. “It has an effect on people with dementia and their memory, quite a stunning effect in some people,” the retired music teacher said. Ms Grubb started the choir in 2022 and now almost 30 people, including partners and carers, are regular choiristers. It is now one of about five dementia-friendly choirs in WA. “There was one lady who used to come through the door with no expression whatsoever on her face, just grey. Her eyes were lifeless, and as soon as we put something on that she knew her feet started tapping,” she said. The choir meets in Henley Brook in the Swan Valley every week and head out to perform in shopping centres and hospitals several times a year. “It’s given them a sense of being … to take them out. They love going out. The first timethey went out, they didn’t think they could do it,” Ms Grubb said. “But once they had done it, they were so thrilled because people were standing around listening to them.” Next month, the choir will perform at Guildford Songfest for the second time. What we try to do is to allay the feeling of, ‘Oh, dear, dear, poor them’.” Ms Grubb said. “We want them to see them as a normal choir and I think it opened a few people’s eyes last year.” Guildford Songfest organiser Yvonne Henderson said last year’s performance by Melodies And Memories had strong support from the public and other choirs. “It was the first time they had performed at a festival,” Ms Henderson said. “People came specifically to the event to be there for them.” “We had many performers who joined the audience, and they sang along to the songs, very softly, offering support to the dementia choir.” “It was incredibly special.” The choir’s practices are not limited to singing. There are percussion instruments, dance routines and exercises that are aimed at working and improving people’s memory and cognition. Dementia is the second-leading cause of death in Australia, and the leading cause for women. New research published last year found that the number of people living with dementia was expected to double over the next 30 years. WA was estimated to see the highest increase in dementia prevalence at 109 per cent compared to just 52 per cent in Tasmania, the Dementia Australia data said. -oOo- Singing has an effect on people with dementia and their memory, quite a stunning effect in some people. (PIC) Melodies And Memories choir founder and organiser Margaret Grubb. A Finnish study published last year suggested that choir singing could help curb this huge public health crisis. Researchers examined if amateur choir singing could improve brain health and cognitive function among 95 adults aged between 21 and 88. They used brain imaging to measure their brain structure and analysed how the duration of choir singing was associated with the strength of their white matter, which controls communication between different brain regions, and grey matter, which is responsible for functions like muscle control and decision-making. Choir singing was linked to significant improvements in white matter, particularly the corpus callosum which is the crucial connector between the brain’s two hemispheres. The association was stronger among older adults. The research team found choir singing was also linked to improvements in the part of the brain that is crucial for memory learning – the fornix – among older adults only. A review of 23 studies on singing and cognitive health, published in February this year (2025) said singing could address cognitive and emotional challenges associated with aging. “Among individuals with dementia, singing fosters episodic memory, mood enhancement and social connection, while healthy older adults demonstrate improved verbal flexibility and cognitive resilience,” it said. It’s unclear whether choir singing can improve dementia or slow its progress. “I’m hoping that it is stimulating the memory in the brain, I’m hoping that it helps them with their daily living, but then I don’t know that,” Ms Grubb said. But it is very clear that the choir has a positive impact on their quality of life. George Absolom, who has dementia from Parkinson’s disease, has been coming to the choir for the past two years. “I enjoy it, the socialising with different people, the friendship. I can’t wait for the next one,” the 73-year-old former project manager from Gidgegannup said. “You don’t relise how much (of the songs) you know until you hear it.” Gaylene Cooper, from Middle Swan, has been coming to the choir for the past two years with her 85-year-old husband Miles, who has a mild cognitive impairment. “Miles is not a music person necessarily as a former veterinary scientist but the songs across quite a few decades and he has a go and I can’t ask for more than that,” she said. Unlocking memories and potentially boosting cognitive function are important, but its combination with the social aspect could be the choirs biggest benefit for people with dementia. “It’s something they can do, and they can do together with someone else,” Ms Grubb said. “They’re not isolated, which is lovely.”

... carrying the tune just a little longer

By GRAEME POPE   3rd SEPTEMBER 2025

The Sunday Times (Perth, WA) feature on the Melodies and Memories choir offers an encouraging look at how music can touch lives affected by dementia. What stands out most in this piece is the human element—ordinary people with significant cognitive challenges finding joy, connection, and expression through singing. The article captures moments where participants, often withdrawn or non-verbal, come alive when the music starts. These accounts bring warmth and authenticity, showing how music can restore dignity and spark memory, even if briefly.

The coverage also places this local story within a broader context. References to recent research into the neurological effects of choir singing help underline that this is not simply anecdotal, but part of a growing body of evidence suggesting music may support brain health. While the science is still evolving and it remains unclear if singing slows dementia’s progression, the evidence of improved mood, memory recall, and social interaction is persuasive.

A strength of the article is how it highlights not just the medical or therapeutic side, but the social one. Singing together gives participants a sense of belonging and purpose, and performing publicly challenges the stigma often attached to dementia. As founder Margaret Grubb observed, the goal is to be seen as a “normal choir,” not an object of pity.

The article also features an image of the Green Large Print Song Book, which Margaret uses extensively with her choir. Its clear format and familiar repertoire have become much-loved, practical tools, helping participants find confidence in singing and creating shared moments of joy.

Ultimately, this piece succeeds in showing that while dementia is a devastating condition, initiatives like Melodies and Memories provide hope. The blend of music, movement, and community creates moments of joy that enrich both participants and audiences.

  • We thank Margaret and the Melodies and Memories Choir for allowing us to share this story and photo, and we respect their wishes not to publish full names.
  • This special coverage took place in Henley Brook, WA 20th August 2025.
  • The article was beautifully written by Angela Pownall, and a link the Sunday Times article can be accessed HERE.
  • A special thank you to the West Australian for providing the article in digital format for all to read ‘… The article is no longer subscriber content only so people viewing the article can do so without requiring a subscription – there are no restrictions to read the article at the link. …’