Why Music Isn't Always Positive for Dementia

The other thing I want to talk about, because I don't think it's talked about enough, is music can be powerful but not always positive. So music has incredible potential, and I am the first to talk about the potential, and a lot of our panelists have talked about it as well, especially when we're working with people living with dementia and supporting them. But not all musical experiences are universally positive for all people. I think it's really important we have awareness of this, and it's vital to person-centered care. And it's something that I find not everyone is comfortable talking about because they don't necessarily have the experience or the expertise, and that's something that we as music therapists work with a lot. So I wanted to give you a few examples. So one is triggering memories. So a person may love Danny Boy, but at that moment it connects them to their loved one's funeral. So if they're listening alone, you know, you as the carer, they're listening to their preferred music, you leave, you go do something, and now they're alone and they have these heightened feelings of sadness, frustration, or agitation. Music has the opportunity to evoke multiple feelings at once for all of us. And so sometimes unexpectedly, it can trigger an upsetting reaction that may seem to come out of nowhere from the carer's perspective. So I always like to remind people, was it the music? And you may never experience this, but it's important to keep that in mind