Music therapy has long been utilised in aged care for the relief of anxiety, intellectual stimulation, and group socialisation. In recent years, research has begun to demonstrate strong evidence that music therapy can even slow the onset of dementia. So often the narratives around aged care and dementia are tragic ones. However, what our music therapists experience in their aged-care work is so much more than this simplistic view of cognitive decline.
Each week our team visit various Selwyn locations in Auckland to deliver transformative music therapy sessions. The residents at Selwyn, even those at advanced stages of dementia, have not lost their ability to create and to participate. Even when most memories are out of reach, the majority of those we work with still remember the words to favourite songs, guitar chords learned in childhood, or beloved piano pieces.
After some discussions with the team leaders an idea was born - to create an album. If there is an opposite force to memory loss, it is the recording of musical memories, and that is what our team were seeking to achieve with the Selwyn Christmas Album.
The album was recorded by Registered Music Therapists Luke Stothart and Sammy Scott. They have recorded the Selwyn residents individually and layered the tracks. Many feature residents playing guitar - initially thinking he could not possibly record these tracks the guitarist went to correct Sammy on some of the chords.
The album has been provided to the residents of Selwyn on CD and is available publicly via Bandcamp. We are asking for a $10 donation to cover our costs, but you are welcome to pay more which will support more initiatives like these.