Volume 1 | Issue 1
March 2016
Editorial
‘Music helps people
living with
dementia to
maintain function,
access memory and
connect with those
around them.’
Welcome to the first issue of Moving Notes, the tri-annual newsletter of the
MMMT (Music Moves Me Trust), a registered charity to promote musical
activities with dementia patients. Our work is based on international research that
documents the power of music in helping people living with dementia to maintain
function, access memory and connect with those around them. In our first feature
article, MMMT’s Director Dr Vicki Jones explains why she founded MMMT and
outlines our activities and aspirations. To date, we are running pilot projects in
two dementia units: one at St Kilda Care Home (Cambridge) and the other at
Aparangi Village (Te Kauwhata). With three Hamilton rest homes preparing to
join in, we are furthering our aim to provide musical activities to dementia
patients across the greater Waikato region. Trustee and vocal teacher Kath
Woodley is our intrepid fundraiser and on p.4 you can read about her initiatives
to raise capital of $1,000,000. Also in this issue are an account of our launch party
and details of Music Therapy Week. In between issues, you can follow us on our
website or social media. If
you wish to donate time,
goods or money, our
contact details are at the
end of this newsletter.
Photo: Courtesy of Rose
Kerin. From Left: Editor
Sue Middleton, Trustees
Kath
Woodley,
Helen
McGann and Vicki Jones.
How MMMT Began: Dr Vicki Jones remembers her Nana, Esmée
I have many memories of my grandmother, Esmée; picking blackcurrants in her
back garden, hopping into bed with her in the mornings for a cuddle, a particularly
tickly mohair jumper, a compulsion to talk to complete strangers with dogs, a
sneaky trip around the back corridors and lecture halls of my medical school and
a strangely hilarious visit to the breast screening clinic. Life with Nana, as I called
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‘…but then the
perpetual list-writing,
handbag-checking
and lapses of memory
slipped from the
understandable to the
pathological’
‘Our aim is to use
music and music
therapy to help
people living with
dementia find that
part of themselves
that still exists in
their internal
landscape and to
reconnect with
friends and family’
her, was never boring, hazardous at times, but
never boring. Initially, we thought that the
insidious creep of her dementia were her normal,
slightly wacky, personality traits becoming more
marked with age, but then the perpetual listwriting, handbag-checking and lapses of memory
slipped from the understandable to the
pathological. In the later stages of her vascular
dementia when speech and movement were
limited, one of the few things she responded to
positively, that had the ability to make her smile
and focus, was music. The positive benefits of
music and, particularly, music therapy, in
dementia is supported by a growing body of
evidence and is moving into popular
consciousness with films like “Alive Inside”
released in 2014 and written and directed by Michael Rossato-Bennett.
Music Moves Me Trust was founded in memory of Esmée (see family
photo above). Our aim is to use music and music therapy to help people living
with dementia find that part of themselves that still exists in their internal
landscape and to facilitate reconnection with memories and with family. We work
within care facilities in the Waikato and are looking to grow steadily and
sustainably to offer a long-term, evidence-based, high-quality service. Our
programme offers a threefold approach, knowing that not every person will suit
the music on offer. The Trust puts together individual playlists with the input of
relatives and carers, providing this on a MP3 player with headphones. We
organise and train volunteers to run an interactive music group in each facility
that is overseen by a qualified music therapist. A percussion kit is also given to
each group. For those people who are very withdrawn, or, conversely, respond
well to music, we provide individual or small group music therapy with a
qualified music therapist.
In the months since the Trust has been
founded, we have met some amazing, selfless and
passionate people. By 2050, an estimated 150000
New Zealanders will be living with dementia.
Music and music therapy is a positive and powerful
tool that we can offer them, their carers and their
families. If you would like to become involved or
help in anyway please do contact us on the details
provided in this Newsletter.
Dr. Vicki Jones (Left). Vicki is a GP and is currently
training to be a palliative medicine specialist. She
happens to look rather a lot like her grandmother,
Esmée, and shares the same penchant for chocolate.
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Launch party
‘… the benefits of
music for people
with dementia are
increasingly
recognised by
families,
professionals and
the public in NZ
and internationally’
(message from Music
Therapy NZ read by
Shari Storey)
On March 6th we held our
launch party in the beautiful
Zealong Tea Estate in
Gordonton. Gazing out over
lush tea plantations, we
enjoyed our canapés to the
rich repertoire of Waikato
based trio Amoroso Strings.
Speakers included Deputy
Mayor Gordon Chesterman,
Director Vicki Jones outlined
the Trust’s beginnings (see previous article), and Kath Woodley described some
of her fundraising activities
(see p.4). Resident Music
Therapist Helen McGann
described her passion for
Music Therapy and its
essential role in MMMT.
Photos Courtesy of Rose Kerin.
Top left: Amoroso. Above right:
Shari Storey, Council member
of Music Therapy NZ and
speaker at our launch (left);
Helen McGann, Waikato-BOP based Music Therapist and MMMT Trustee (right).
‘…Singing
together:
Celebrating Music
Therapy and
Musical
Partnerships’
Music Therapy Week
Music Moves Me Trust has been
invited to speak at the inaugural music therapy week music therapy symposium Singing together: Celebrating Music Therapy and Musical Partnerships being run
in conjunction with the University of Auckland, Music Therapy New Zealand
and the Centre for Brain Research. It is a free event on the 24th May 2016 and it
would be lovely if any of you wanted to come along and hear from some of the
most exciting and influential people in this field. If you would like to attend.,
register online at:
https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/music-therapy-symposium-singing-togethercelebrating-music-therapy-and-musical-partnerships-tickets-21418484263
Friends of the Music Moves Me Trust
If you would like to become involved in supporting our activities,
check out our new “Friends of MMMT’ group on our website.
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Fundraising
If you have any
goods to sell…
Over the past year, Kath has run a hectic
schedule of events, including a garden party
and sausage sizzle, bazaar and a sing-along
production of Fiddler on the Roof! Each and
every one of our helpers and supporters is
important to us. We need your input and
assistance as we continue to grow and look
to help more people living with dementia in
the Greater Waikato. If you are able to come to one or all of our events or assist in
any way, we would be absolutely thrilled! If you would like to hold a morning tea or
event of your own, we can provide promotional materials and come along to support
YOU in your endeavors. Vicki’s mother has even run stalls in England to support us!
Keep an eye on our Facebook page (please like and share if you have not already
done so) and keep up to date with our website for updates and details.
Coming up in 2016
Market stalls If you have any goods to sell; baked, preserved, planted or otherwise,
or would like to lend a hand and try your sales patter on any of these dates it would
be much appreciated. We have a fortnightly stall booked at Hamilton East Market
on Grey Street. We’ll shout you a coffee! Next three months: April 3rd and 17th ;
May 1st and 15th; June 5th and 19th; July 3rd. Future dates – see our next issue!
Sing for
Charity…
We will provide information booths at Chartwell Mall on May 7th and October 1st.
Sing for Charity; Following last year’s successful Fiddler on the Roof, this year’s
‘Sing for Charity’ production will be SOUND OF MUSIC. Oh yes…..if you’ve ever
envisioned yourself do-ray-me’ing with the best of them, come along and sing or
enjoy the evening of 4th December with us. Our Christmas Glow Concert will be
on December 17th.
James Hill, Funeral Directors for printing this newsletter ;
Thanks to our
Volunteers
and Sponsors
Lions for funding the purchase of MP3 players and headphones;
Music Therapy New Zealand; Rose Kerin Photographer; Noel
Leeming for discounted electronics; all our volunteers and supporters.
Contact Us:
Website: http://www.musicmovesmetrust.co.nz/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MusicMovesMeTrust/
Email mailto:[email protected]
Newsletter: mailto:[email protected]
Registered charity: NO 0-1293881274723564725
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