Music Remembers Me

In her new book, Music Remembers Me, author Dr Kirsty Beilharz explores the impact of individually tailored music from the early stages of dementia through to the advanced stages.

Dr Kirsty Beilharz is Director of Music Engagement at HammondCare and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Edinburgh UK.

Dr Beilharz analyses research involving 700 aged-care residents to help us understand how music interacts with our brains and why people who can no longer speak may be able to sing along with a favourite song from their youth.

Music Remembers Me is a first-of-its-kind guide to bringing the transformative power of music into the lives of people living with dementia, providing dignity, reminiscence, enlivening and even restoring speech.

With a foreword by acclaimed conductor Richard Gill AO and endorsement from Kirsten Williams, Associate Concertmaster, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the book is a valuable tool that puts the power of music engagement in the hands of care workers, family carers and people living with dementia. It also touches on music in palliative care and for spiritual support.

“Music is limitless in its capacity to heal. As a violinist I know this from personal experience and from the work I do in the area of healing. The vibration of sound arranged into a piece or song resonates through the layers of our being. It engages the brain and connects the soul. Music is medicine,’’ said Williams.

Music Remembers Me is available from good bookstores and www.musicremembersme.com.