Macclesfield’s Older Residents Get a Workout in Music

Macclesfield’s Older Residents Get a Workout in Music

Singing to promote health is the latest experience in the Belong Macclesfield community events programme which sees older people showing what they’re made of at special vocal ‘workouts’ designed to engage the whole body, from strengthening vocals and language ability, to promoting posture, memory and cognitive skill.

Open to the Kennedy Avenue’s residents and tenants, with an invitation extended to everyone living in the local area, the Singing for Health workshops comprise a range of vocal exercises that aid breathing, projection and the articulation of sound, whilst building upper body muscles.

The dementia specialist enlisted trained opera singer and choir leader, Helen Fehily for the sessions which support its customers living with the condition, as well as others, such as Parkinson’s. Participants are challenged gently, for example, being divided into subgroups to sing ‘rounds’ simultaneously, which requires much concentration at the individual level but without any pressure to achieve accuracy.

With music activating different parts of the brain to speech, remarkable outcomes have been seen, including those with difficulty speaking or who are largely non-verbal performing songs from their past. Other benefits include maintaining speech and language, stress relief and the promotion of lung function, along with the pleasure of companionship gained from the gatherings.

Anna Seaton, experience coordinator at Belong Macclesfield, explains more: “When people think of exercise, they often think of the gym, but Singing for Health is all about using the power of sound to promote wellbeing – like exercise but without knowing you’re doing it.

“It goes further than a sing-along and ability isn’t important, meaning anyone can participate. Our customers’ families join us, as do people living locally, and everyone takes much joy from their work, knowing they’ve produced something special.”

The choice of songs is partly participant led, exploring rhythms and music from different genres and decades with favourite tunes from bygone eras, with musicals, theatre and popular culture also making for conversational topics and the chance to reminisce.

Helen Fehily adds: “Often people living with dementia can lose communication skills but singing gives them an outlet for their voice. The magic appears to happen when people are in a group situation, and you can see and hear the mood being lifted – it's very powerful. It’s great if participants learn something but having fun and leaving with a spring in their step is the goal.”

Other events in Belong Macclesfield’s community experience programme include its monthly B’s Memory Cafe offering carers respite and access to its Admiral Nurse service; Monday coffee mornings; and its upcoming Easter Fair.

Pictured: Belong Macclesfield and Helen Fehily (right) enjoy a Singing for Health session