SS4Kids is proud to promote Music Mends Minds during National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. We have had the pleasure to attend a few of Los Angeles’ Music Mends Minds musical events and were very touched by their beautiful performances and stories. Getting to know the founder and Executive Director, Carol Rosenstein, was inspiring as we had the opportunity to talk about SS4Kids and how we use music to help children with speech delays. Like SS4Kids, they foster worldwide communities among afflicted individuals and their families, friends, volunteers, and caregivers, all of whom can thrive on socialization and music-making. This Los Angeles-based nonprofit that creates musical support groups for individuals with Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and other neurological disorders has now over 18 bands nationally and globally with even more in the pipeline.
Music evokes emotions and memories, which is why musical intervention has therapeutic benefits for people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Musical interventions have been shown to decrease a patient’s agitation and improve communication and caregiver relationships. In our population of young children with speech delays, we’ve found clinical evidence of the effectiveness of music in enhancing their brain functions.
We hope to someday collaborate with Music Mends Minds, bridging the benefits of music therapy from early childhood to seniors.
