Inside the meeting room of St. Luke’s Episcopal church in Chester, more than a dozen people sat chatting and sipping coffee on a recent Thursday while they waited for musician Martha Mitchell to pull out her guitar.
The din of friendly banter quieted as Mitchell began strumming a song called "Peace In Our Hearts" by folk artist Eliza Gilkyson and taught the group the melody. At first, some clapped along quietly, while others joined in for the chorus: "We're gonna walk together arm in arm with peace in our hearts."
But with each verse, the singing got stronger, eyes perked up and smiles appeared on more faces.
Attendees at this singalong all have memory loss or care for someone who does. They come to this church meeting room each month to attend what's known as a memory cafe. About a dozen communities across Vermont host them to provide activities and supports for people with dementia and their loved ones. And a growing number of them are using music to foster joy and connection — and strengthen memory — among their members.
Dementia can cause people to become isolated. Their caregivers often feel lonely and stressed as well, which is why the singing group has become a lifeline for regulars Diane and John Holme of Springfield. In fact, they were the ones who taught "Peace In Our Hearts" to their peers.
John has dementia, and Diane is his primary caregiver. It can be a lot of work — and a lot of time on their own.
"I can get to be very boring, she joked. "It’s wonderful for me to have him have a place where he can express what he’s feeling."
John is a retired attorney. Like many in this group, his memory and mobility problems are getting worse. He's no longer as active in his community.
“I’m very lonely,” admitted John, “I don’t have any friends, a lot of them have died. The only thing that helps a lot is singing. When we sing with Martha, that really helps because it kind of raises my spirits.”
Across the table, the music is also lifting John Yaffee's spirits. As Mitchell picks up the pace with John Denver's "Country Roads," Yaffee not only sings but keeps time to the rhythm with his hands on the table. The North Springfield man used to be a drummer and worked as a nurse before frontal temporal and vascular dementia forced him to stop.
He’s just 62 and wasn’t sure he’d fit in at this memory cafe. But he said the music has been a big help. “I feel my heart beating slower and I just feel so much happier. Like it brings out the happy hormones in my brain, I’m thinking.”
He's right. Research shows music can trigger the release of hormones and neurotransmitters that boost mood, reduce stress and improve emotional well being.
For people with dementia, there are even more benefits. Brain imaging shows listening to familiar or meaningful music can strengthen neural connections, particularly in areas that support memory and attention.
Martha Mitchell has performed in hospitals and senior care communities for decades and said the power of music is visceral.
“Music is phenomenal," she explained. Like when you hear a favorite song from high school and the words and emotions come flooding back. "It touches the non-physical part of the body, it gives you access to feelings that you can’t access any other way.”
And music works the brain differently than other things, like language, which is why people who have lost the ability to speak are often still able to sing.
“We know that music activates our entire brain,” said music therapist Allison Pollard. She leads a singing program at a memory cafe in White River Junction.
“I notice a lot of participants are very isolated and inward. There’s a lot of caregivers speaking for a participant. And what I have found time and time again, not only does the music help to bring that person from an inward to an outward, but it also helps the caregiver settle down as well.”
In Chester, Deborah and Jerry Tucker act that out in real time. Jerry is entering the final stage of Alzheimer’s, and Deborah said words don’t have much meaning for him anymore.
When they arrive, Jerry is withdrawn and sits with his head down.
But by the third song, his head comes up, his gaze is more focused. He’s not only singing, he’s smiling which makes his wife smile.
“Oh yeah, he can sing words of all these old songs, but not remember — sometimes forget who I am. It’s just the way it is."
Tucker said seeing Jerry benefit from the music and being surrounded by fellow caregivers who feel safe to vent and support each other is huge.
"These memory cafes, I love them," she said.
Fellow caregiver Diane Holme echoed that sentiment as she sat next to her husband, who followed along closely to every tune.
“John enjoys the singing. I enjoy the time with other caregivers," she said. "You don’t have to say much because they know exactly what you’re talking about.”
And sometimes, you don't have to say anything at all, and can just sit back and enjoy the music.
