Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England, shares his personal insights on the transformative power of music.
Music is important to me, and I guess it is important to most people reading this article. I cannot imagine a life without music because it transforms my mood, gives me memories of happy times, connects me with my past and present and gives me thoughts and hopes for the future. Music also connects me with people who are important to me, and throughout my life, it has been a joy in both good times and bad.
Music is also important as a connector between people from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. People can be united through their love of music or their shared experience of a concert or a dance, and most people have a soundtrack to the important milestones in their lives. People remember the music of their childhood, the tune that means something to the person who is special to them, and the music of great events such as christenings, weddings, and funerals.
Music is important to me now, and I think it will be important throughout my life. In many ways, as I age and perhaps have to face the challenges of illness, frailty, or the onset of dementia, I know that music will gain in importance because many of the other things that I fill my life with now will be lost to me.
Over the years, people have recognised the importance of music in supporting people living with dementia or frailty. Whenever I go into care homes with music and activity, I see people who are connected and enjoying their lives. In recent years, significant amounts of research have proved the benefits of music to people’s well-being and mental health, and there have also been a number of studies that have shown the positive impact on people living with dementia.
This growing research bank gives credibility to what we have always known: that music is vital to a good life. I have also seen some really great examples where music has been used as a way of connecting different generations. I once went to a care home where younger and older people were in a music group, and they were discussing each other’s musical tastes. The richness of the discussion was fabulous, and there was so much humour generated by people’s dislike of each other’s music, which was a joy to see. The arrival of the Internet and easy access to so much music can be such a game changer for care homes because there are so many genres of music available at very reasonable costs. There are very few tunes that you cannot access on the Internet, and there are even ways in which people can hum a tune and have it identified for them by the computer!
Music is amazing; it can calm our moods, help us remember our past, connect us with each other, and give us amazing positive experiences. It transcends differences; all cultures, all ages, and all people have some exposure to music, and for many of us, it is a vital part of our lives. That is true, whether our health conditions or wherever we live; music is a positive force in care and a positive force in life.
The care sector is also fortunate to have some amazing organisations that have focused on music. Organisations like Live Music Now, Music for Dementia and Playlist for Life all champion music in the care sector. I am also incredibly grateful to the Baring Foundation for raising this issue and supporting so many groups through their funding and grants programme. I am also very proud to be a Trustee of the National Centre for Creative Health, which has done so much to promote creativity in the health and social care sector. There is a great story to be told about the importance of music in care, and it is wonderful to see that social care understands the importance of music to the people they support and ensures that people’s musical connections are kept and enhanced.
@ProfMartinGreen @CareEngland
