Choosing Music for a Dance Group with People with Dementia

The most frequent request I get is for my playlist. I'm sorry to say, that is not simple. Choosing music for a group - any group, whether for people with dementia, older adults, caregivers, peer dance improvisers - is a time-consuming labor of love. I take the opportunity while choosing music to think about whom I will trying to engage. What do I know about them, their age,  ethnic background, musical preferences? And what music will motivate me to dance today?

Because it's rare for people with dementia to be able to tell me the name of a song they want to hear, choosing music for them is most important. If I know people's ages, I will choose music from when they were 13 to 16 y.o. I always choose music about love because that's the feeling I'd like to project. The  first song I play most frequently is "Can't Help Falling in Love with You" by Elvis Presley because it is well known with lyrics people can sing along to and can get people swaying. Sometimes people cry, remembering it as their wedding song. After the first time that happened, I stayed away from the song for quite a while until I realized that crying iss okay as long as it doesn't leave them in the depths of despair. Sadness is a feeling; it's okay to have a range of emotions during a group. We're flexing our emotional muscles along with our physical ones, as long as it is not causing them distress.

Sometimes, like now with the recent blizzard, I will choose music for the weather. A good song for today would be "Let it Snow!" by Dean Martin. However, I recently used "Summertime" by Ella Fitzgerald so we could imagine ourselves enjoying the sun and warmth. I also use music related to holidays - any and all holidays.

I choose music from different decades, with different rhythms, and importantly, music that will get me moving. Not infrequently, that will include music totally unfamiliar to them. There sequence may include music that contrasts free flowing with syncopation. I change up the rhythms to keep us alert and awake, especially if the energy is flagging. And I will include a song they suggest in the moment if I can figure out how. Technology remains a challenge for me.

One of the last songs I often play is "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. If gratitude makes us happy, why not build into the program the opportunity to think about what we're grateful for? I always love their answers: "Being together", "Family", "Waking up this morning".

Importantly - I don't believe I have ever used the exact playlist twice. 

I will leave you with a silly song that I've become obsessed with dancing to lately, that is, Fluffing a Duck.

Registration is open, so register now for my 15-hour training in Westwood, MA, live and in-person, April 18 and 19 to Bring Dance to People with Dementia. The training is designed to be good for our collective bodies, hearts, minds, and souls.