Expanding a Care Network for People with Dementia and their Carers Through Musicking: Participant Observation with “Singing for the Brain”

Authors

  • Mariko Hara University of Exeter

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v11i2.570

Keywords:

music, care, dementia, ethnographic research, network, community

Abstract

Music use in dementia care often takes place within a music therapy context, where music therapy sessions aim to reduce agitated behaviour, access emotions or enhance inter-personal communication. Such sessions usually take place within care homes and their effect has been evaluated by a number of studies. However, there is little research on music use that takes place outside of care homes (e.g. in community centres) for people with dementia who are cared for at home by their family.

This paper discusses this type of music use, focusing on the meaning of weekly local music making activities in relation to every day dementia care. I use empirical data from a study of a community based music activity called "Singing for the Brain" (SFTB) run by the Alzheimer's Society in the UK. The data was collected through extensive participant observation research and interviews with organisers, carers and care receivers. The preliminary findings from the data analysis are discussed: how SFTB can be seen as a ecological practice; its various “spin-off’ effects in the everyday care of the members with dementia; how SFTB, together with other local music groups, constitute the music and care world in the town; and how this develops into fluid support networks to support local people with dementia and their carers.

Author Biography

Mariko Hara, University of Exeter

Mariko Hara is a Ph.D. candidate and a member of the Sociology of the Arts research group at the University of Exeter. Her research looks at the use of music in dementia care based on an ethnographic study of a local singing group for people with dementia and their carers ("Singing for the Brain"). Her M.A. at the University of Kobe (Japan) researched the musical orientation of elderly people in nursing homes. She has previously worked as a community musician and public relations officer for a number of community music projects for people with and without learning difficulties in Japan. Sociology Department, University of Exeter

Downloads

Published

2011-04-27

How to Cite

Hara, M. (2011). Expanding a Care Network for People with Dementia and their Carers Through Musicking: Participant Observation with “Singing for the Brain”. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v11i2.570

Issue

Section

Evaluating Quality in Research