New Harlem choir uses music to help members with dementia
A new choir in Harlem called "The Unforgettables" is using the power of music to help people living with dementia.
The members are people living with forms of memory loss and their caregivers.
Although there is no cure for the disease, singing can improve quality of life.
"You might not remember what you had for breakfast in the morning, but people remember music even into the later stages of dementia," said music therapist Dr. Kendra Ray.
The National Library of Medicine and the Pacific Neuroscience Institute found singing combines language and instinctive human connection to music in a way that enhances neurological stimulation. It can also be used to improve mood, regulate emotion and relieve stress.
Directed by local Pastor Terrence Kennedy, this musical group is a partnership between State Sen. Cordell Cleare's office and Alzheimer's nonprofit CaringKind.
Renee Hayes, who is a caregiver for her cousin Anthony, is one of the attendees.
"I will go with Anthony sometimes to rehearsal, just to be there for the energy, camaraderie," she said. "Sometimes the words won't come, but the melody will definitely get you," she said.
New York is second among five states with the highest projected prevalence of the disease, according to the New York State Office for the Aging.
These numbers get more extreme when you look at communities of color.
Older Black Americans are twice as likely as older white Americans to have Alzheimer's or another dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
"The rate is growing, and it is growing faster in our community as well. Sometimes we don't have access to all the resources that might be available," said Sen. Cleare. "Just because we are losing our memory doesn't mean we can't make new memories."
The choir rehearses every Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon at CUNY Graduate School of Public Health on 125th Street. They will perform a holiday concert on Dec. 12.
Have a story idea or tip in Harlem? Email Noëlle by CLICKING HERE.
