Piano Music Therapy for the Residents

Sunday, March 16th 2025

By: Charlotte Hendrey

Today I brought my piano books to Greenwood Assisted Living and played Passacaglia by Handel for the guests. The residents at this facility have more severe dementia than at the other facilities, so often they aren't able to participate in certain activities. But music is a universal language, and although they couldn't speak to me, they showed me they were enjoying it in other ways.

Every time I played a chord, the two ladies in the back would sing/hum along despite them being non-verbal. There was a part in the piece that I needed to practice more, and it just happened to be the part that they enjoyed most. So I got to practice it over and over and they got to hear it again and again. I looked back and they would even smile occasionally when I played certain chords.

By the end, I had improved at the part that needed work. Playing for the residents turned something boring (practicing a hard piano piece) into something enjoyable for all of us. All the stress that I previously had about practicing that piece had vanished, and I have the residents to thank for that. Music boosted everybody's mood today and I left feeling a lot lighter knowing that I now am able to play that part with ease.