Repertoire for Music Therapists Working in Memory Care Facilities

After spending the last five months as a music therapy intern for The Sonatina Center, I have found just how important building repertoire is for each individual population we serve in this field. With age groups varying from toddlers to seniors in hospice care, there is a huge world of music that we must devour and learn as music therapists. Curious how music therapists plan what to bring into a session? Read our post on How Music Therapists Plan for a Session.

With each age group comes different considerations when choosing music to use clinically. For our older clients in memory care facilities, we often choose repertoire from eras that would have resonated with them when they were in their 20s and 30s, meaning music from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. This is to promote cognitive recall, provide reminiscence of youth and memories, and emotional stimulation. Some of the music I have learned this year and found to be the most successful in clinical practice with this population are as follows:

There are so many more incredible songs from these eras of music, but these were the ones most notable in my experience with this population this year. I had some difficulty with figuring out which songs would resonate best with my clients and spent a lot of time learning and memorizing each tune. As a 24 year old, I hadn’t ever heard some of these until learning them for groups. It was a special challenge for me to expand my toolbox and explore a different era of music that I don’t often find myself exploring. It is truly a special thing when the residents who are typically disoriented to the place they are in and who they are around, engage in singing these familiar songs with me and remember every lyric. Let this be a resource to any music therapist (or MT in training like myself) to look back on and utilize when prepping for our varying populations!

Interested in music therapy for an older adult in your life? Our music therapist Maddie Christenson provides individual music therapy in homes, assisted living facilities, and hospice settings for adults with cognitive decline, dementia, and memory loss. Schedule a free consultation to learn more.

We're so grateful to Aly for her contributions to our blog and our team this year. We wish her all the best as she continues her music therapy journey. - From The Sonatina Center