New dementia program piloted by Canberra Symphony

The pilot program of Music and Memory combines the individualised experience of other dementia programs with a live concert, ensuring socialisation and stimulation.

Affecting almost half a million Australians, dementia – which is most commonly caused by Alzheimer’s disease – impacts an individual’s memory, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday tasks.

While more common after 65 years of age, dementia is not a normal part of aging.

Significantly, those parts of the brain which process and respond to music are often among the last to be adversely affected by dementia.

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Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in 2020. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts