The Power of a Familiar Song: What Research Tells Us About Live Music in Care Homes
Why the songs we remember can help create meaningful moments, shared experiences and opportunities for connection in later life.
Have you ever heard a song you hadn't listened to for years, only to find yourself remembering exactly where you were when you first heard it?
Perhaps it brings back memories of a first dance, a favourite holiday, a special person or simply a time in life when everything seemed different.
Music has a unique place in our personal histories. The songs we grow up with often become part of our identity, which is one reason music can be such a meaningful experience for older people.
In care homes, where residents have different backgrounds, interests and support needs, familiar music can offer opportunities to connect with those personal histories. And research into music in care settings suggests that its potential value extends beyond the enjoyment of listening.
What Does the Research Say?
In November 2018, Live Music Now published findings from a research project undertaken with the University of Winchester and care providers MHA and The Orders of St John Care Trust.
The project explored how music activities could affect residents, care staff and the wider care-home environment. Its conclusions highlighted the potential contribution of carefully delivered music to older people's experiences and to person-centred care.
The report also emphasised the importance of choosing appropriate songs, planning activities carefully and ensuring that care homes have the support needed to make music a meaningful part of their provision.
This is an important distinction. The research examined a planned, participative music programme, rather than simply comparing live singers with recorded music or testing every kind of entertainment performance.
Nevertheless, it provides a valuable starting point for thinking about how music can be incorporated thoughtfully into care-home life.
You can read the original research summary here:
Why Familiar Songs Can Be So Meaningful
Music can open the door to personal memories
A familiar melody may remind someone of a particular decade, a family gathering, a dance hall or a favourite singer. Sometimes a song prompts a conversation; at other times, the enjoyment is simply in recognising and hearing something loved.
For residents who enjoy talking about their lives, music can provide a natural starting point for sharing stories with other residents, relatives and care staff.
These responses will vary from person to person, but offering songs from different periods and musical styles gives residents more opportunities to encounter something that feels personally significant.
Everyone can enjoy music in their own way
Not everyone wants to sing, clap or dance, and that should never be a requirement for enjoying a performance.
One resident might know every word to a favourite chorus. Another may tap their fingers to the rhythm, while someone else prefers to listen quietly.
For people living with dementia or other conditions that affect communication, the way they respond to music may not always be expressed in words. Observing individual responses and respecting personal preferences is therefore important.
The goal is not to measure enjoyment by how loudly someone sings or how much they move. It is to provide an opportunity for each person to experience music comfortably, in their own way.
Shared music can bring people together
A live performance can create a common experience for people who might otherwise spend an afternoon pursuing different activities.
Recognising a familiar song, exchanging a smile or joining in with a chorus can offer small opportunities for social connection. Staff and family members may also enjoy sharing the occasion with residents.
These moments are not guaranteed to have the same effect on everyone, but they can help create an atmosphere in which people have opportunities to engage with one another.
Why the Performer Matters
Choosing suitable music is only part of creating an enjoyable experience.
The way a performance is delivered also matters. Volume, pace, song selection and the atmosphere in the room can all influence how comfortable residents feel.
A thoughtful performer pays attention to the audience, adapts where appropriate and recognises that not everyone will respond in the same way.
For example, a room full of residents who enjoy singing along may appreciate an energetic sequence of well-known classics. In another setting, a gentler approach, more conversation between songs and a slower pace may be more appropriate.
Care-home staff can provide valuable guidance about residents' interests, hearing needs, mobility and individual preferences. Working with them helps make an event better suited to the people attending.
It is also important to recognise that familiar songs can sometimes bring up difficult memories. Giving residents the freedom to choose whether to participate, and responding sensitively to their reactions, should always be part of the approach.
Bringing Familiar Music to Care Homes
With almost fifty years of performing experience, I have seen how much enjoyment people can get from hearing songs they know and love.
Through The John Royce Music Experience, I bring live entertainment to care homes, with a repertoire spanning the 1960s and beyond. From classic pop and rock 'n' roll to country, disco and Motown, the music offers a variety of styles and familiar favourites for residents to enjoy.
For me, a successful performance isn't simply about getting through a set list. It is about paying attention to the people in the room, choosing suitable songs and creating an enjoyable occasion in which residents can participate as much or as little as they wish.
Every care home has its own character, and every audience is different. Taking that into account is an important part of providing a performance that feels right for the setting.
Making Space for Music
The Live Music in Care research offers care providers a useful reminder to consider how music can contribute to residents' experiences and the wider care environment.
It does not mean that every performance will produce measurable improvements in wellbeing, nor is ordinary live entertainment the same as specialist music therapy.
Rather, it supports a thoughtful conversation about the place music can have alongside other activities and care provision.
For care-home managers and activity coordinators, it may be worth asking residents which songs they enjoy, inviting requests and exploring different ways to bring music into the weekly programme.
Sometimes, the most memorable part of an afternoon is not the performance itself, but the moment a familiar song prompts a smile, starts a conversation or encourages a roomful of people to join in together.
A familiar song may last only a few minutes, but the memories and connections it brings can make that moment special.
Bringing Live Music to Your Care Home
The John Royce Music Experience provides live musical entertainment for care homes across the North East and surrounding areas.
If you're planning activities for your residents and would like to discuss a live music session suited to your home, I'd be delighted to hear from you.
Get in touch to discuss your requirements and available dates.
The John Royce Music Experience — Great Voice Great Music Great Times.
Research source: Live Music Now, Live Music in Care: Music benefits the whole care home and contributes to person-centred care (2018). Read the original report information.
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