Center for Music and Wellness

Please join us in making a difference with a gift of LIVE music! We're seeking to raise up to $1,000 or more to provide live concerts to organizations serving our most vulnerable citizens and communities affected by Alzheimer's and related dementias, Autism and neurodevelopmental disorders, and socioeconomic challenges.

This October and November 2024, in partnership with Easterseals SoCal their Pyott and Brea Adult Day Services Centers were filled with the sounds of nostalgia! Many participants were able to connect with and recall the music from their youth through adaptive, therapeutic live performances. It was a beautiful reminder that music truly is the universal language of wellness! 

In July-August 2024 in partnership with the Brittany House in Long Beach, a home-like setting providing specialized care for people living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, we collaborated on a "Music and Memories" pilot program that provided three live on-site concerts featuring string ensemble and repertoire customized for the audience serving 70 residents (over the span of 3 concerts), their families, friends, visitors, and staff.

At the end of our final concert on August 6, 2024, Karen, the beautiful woman in yellow shown in the video clip below, a resident at the Brittany House, shared the following:

"I love having you here! The music makes me feel, and I know when to sing along 
and when not to sing along. Please come back."

For our second live performance in partnership with the Brittany House on July 23, 2024, "Moon River", "Fly Me to the Moon", and a Beatles medley, performed by a live duet of viola and violin, were big hits. However, it was "La Vie en Rose" ("A Life in Pink") that evoked a chorus of voices singing and humming along.

 
ABOUT THE CONCERT EXPERIENCE:
Professional musicians trained and informed on best practices from licensed music therapists, neuroscientists and other experts, guide the entire concert experience - from planning a performance custom tailored to the audience, choosing repertoire and interactive content, to performing and leading the LIVE concert experience. Most concerts include multi-sensory enhancements, and/or interactive music making opportunities such as clapping, singing along, using small percussion instruments, and movement-based activities.

Concert experiences are specifically designed for those unable to attend a LIVE musical performance in a traditional venue due to mobility, financial, or health related circumstances. The Center for Music and Wellness brings the LIVE music experience directly to those who would otherwise not have the opportunity.

NEWSWORTHY:
A recently published article in May 2024, "Does music unlock memory?" claims that USC faculty are getting closer to understanding what happens in your brain when you hear a familiar song — which could affect those struggling with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. (You can read the full article here: https://today.usc.edu/does-music-unlock-memory/.)

The article further states, "If nostalgic music can help dementia patients access some memories that are typically not accessible to them, it can enhance the quality of life, even if it’s temporary. Often diminished with neurodegenerative disease, the hope is that this type of tailored music intervention might be able to help patients — even if just for the duration of the song — experience a temporary ‘return to self’ by engaging in these self-referential and autobiographical areas in the brain activated by music.”

SUPPORT A GREAT CAUSE:
Please consider supporting and sharing the Center for Music and Wellness with others to not only help us continue connecting music with the residents at the Brittany House, but to expand and bring music and healing to other partner organizations throughout Long Beach serving individuals affected by Alzheimer's, Autism and socioeconomic challenges. Thank you for helping us share the joy and healing power of music with others! Center for Music and Wellness