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Music Outreach at Health-Care Venues

Many kinds of venues are suitable for Music Outreach Programs, including nursing homes, retirement communities, and hospitals.

The basic aim is bring out the music which everyone has inside them. Participants are encouraged to share their music-making with each other.  Resident’s lives are enhanced through the altruistic expression of their inner creativity and there are many observable benefits including:

  • Increased sociability with staff members and other residents
  • Increased alertness and involvement with life
  • Improved thought-processing and memory functioning
  • Improved mood and outlook

In so many cases Music Outreach Programs are best way to “reach” consumers unresponsive, or only partially responsive, to regular therapies.

We asked Ann Westney, a resident at the Fountains at Millbrook, where the IMH runs several music outreach programs, to talk about the basic value of the outreach approach:

Ann has noticed the positive effects of the program on other residents.  For instance:

Here she talks about how the Music Outreach Program energized a friend, a retired musician, who, although frail, became a regular and enthusiastic participant.

How Long, How Often, How Many and How Much

How Long?
An individual music outreach usually lasts between one and two hours. Music Outreach Programs can be one-offs or a permanent part of a health-care community—or anything in between. The longer the program runs, the greater the benefits.

How Often?
We usually recommend once a week, but there are many reasons for running a Music Outreach Program more or less often.

How Many?
Music Outreach Programs work for a wide variety of different group sizes—anywhere from a few individuals to groups of seventy-five or even more.

How Much?
Our costs depend on a number of factors—the length of the program, the number of therapists involved, frequency of visits, amount of travel etc. Our prices are always fair, and in general Music Outreach Programs are a highly cost-effective means of bringing the benefits of music to your community.