Music and Memories

Australia‘s esteemed ‘emerging creative artist program’, the Talent Development Project (TDP) and Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) are pleased to announce their industry-first partnership: Music and Memories.

The program connects people with dementia and young singer songwriters to produce original music inspired by the life stories of participants.

Every year, one in five Australians are diagnosed with a major brain or mind disorder. Currently, more than 421,000 Australians live with dementia. The latest data released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare predicts this number could almost double by 2054, making dementia Australia’s leading cause of death within three decades.

According to Dr Craig Sinclair, Senior Research Fellow at NeuRA and UNSW, there is good evidence music-based interventions have positive effects among people with cognitive impairment.

“Exposure to music alone is understood to have therapeutic benefits, but it is also believed music provides a ‘scaffold’ for the cognitive processes that establish memories,” said Dr Sinclair. “It’s why we often see the ability to play an instrument or sing a song preserved in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease – the most common form of dementia.“By partnering with the TDP, we’re building tempo on the powerful relationship between music and memories and giving people with dementia and their families a unique gift through song.”

Dr Sinclair added; “With Australia on the precipice of a significant rise in dementia rates, the development of interventions and therapeutic approaches through medical research is more important than ever. Funds raised through the NeuRA’s Giving Day will support researchers in our quest to deliver the much-needed breakthroughs of tomorrow.”