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How it Started

In October 2013 many people on Twitter forwarded this request:

19 October 2013 : I am looking for lists of songs from 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s to add tothis page on music & reminiscence. Can you help?

As a Musical Director of a band I replied offering our library list which covers music from 1920 – 2010. Lee responded very positively and now our library list – along with programme notes are on her website: http://www.dementiachallengers.com/playlists.html

Dave Egerton bandI have always known the power of music to create happiness, but it also has the power to bring back memories from times long a go. In December our band had its Christmas concert. I watched a couple in their 80’s in the audience smiling and singing along with the melodies from the 1930’s and 40’s. I asked them did they enjoy it – the gentleman replied– ‘I just knew the words. I don’t know where they came from, but hearing the music brought it all back’.

Following that I proposed the idea of a concert to be called ‘Thanks for the Memory’ to which those living with dementia and their families could come. The idea rapidly gained support from Dementia Challengers, Chris Daffy , Cranage Hall Hotel and Conference Centre  and The ExtraCare Charitable Trust.

This inaugural concert was on May 11th 2014, at Cranage Hall. 

But it is not only music which has the power to bring back memories. Photographs, and scents can also stimulate even more of those memories: Dementia Challengers – stimulating memories through scents 

So … what next … what can you do?

You can promote this idea and create your own Memory Moment – for your family, friends or to support local communities and organisations and you can post it here free on this website.

Now lets get started …