One afternoon at Brightwater The Oaks, Multi Skilled Care Worker, Claire Woodward was surprised to hear something unexpected coming from the piano room.
"I could hear someone playing the piano and it was Sylvia and I thought, God, that's brilliant! She was playing You Are My Sunshine. We encouraged her to sing, and residents stood and sung with her, it was beautiful."
It surprised everyone, including Sylvia's family. They knew she had always loved music, but they had never seen her play the piano before. When her daughter visited a few weeks later and heard how well her mum had been playing, she was taken aback. Sylvia had grown up spending time around the piano with her family, but she had always been the one who sang.
It's the kind of moment that stays with you. Music has a way of revealing things: memories, abilities, joy, that even loved ones didn't know were still there.
Music therapy is more than a nice way to spend an hour.
It is a recognised allied health practice and supported by research. For many people, it genuinely lifts mood, reduces stress and sparks motivation.
Research shows that music therapy may improve mood, reduce anxiety and support cognitive function for people living with dementia helping to enhance overall quality of life. It also highlights that musical memory can remain relatively preserved, allowing people to recall lyrics and continue engaging with music even as other cognitive abilities change. At Brightwater, we see this reflected in increased engagement, moments of reminiscence and connection - like Sylvia at the piano.
As for people living with dementia, the impact can be especially significant
The Oaks team have seen this with Sylvia, and as Claire says:
"Sometimes the concentration can lapse when you're talking about things, but she completely focuses when she's playing the piano. It's really nice."
Music therapy can also rekindle long-held hopes. For Sylvia, that hope was learning the piano, a dream she had carried since she was about 10 years old.
Music also brings people together naturally. Residents gathering around the piano, joining in on a familiar song, or simply sitting and listening. These moments build connection amongst clients and staff members.
For families, seeing a loved one rediscover a passion, or reveal one you never knew about is a reminder that ageing and dementia don't erase a person.
Sometimes, like Sylvia at the piano, music reveals something that was there all along.
To learn more about how music therapy supports residents at Brightwater, read the full story and watch the video here
