Kensington Senior Living is proud to partner with the UCSF Institute for Health & Aging: Music & Dementia Research Network for an enlightening and inspiring event about the Power of Music for Aging Adults with Dementia. Music offers a multitude of incredible benefits for individuals living with dementia, and we are excited to share these with you. Click HERE or watch the webinar recording below.
Discover the Science Behind the Music: Music has been shown to stimulate various parts of the brain, helping to improve memory, reduce agitation, and enhance overall cognitive function in individuals with dementia. By engaging with familiar tunes, patients can experience increased alertness, better mood regulation, and even improved communication abilities.
Hear Real-Life Testimonials: Family members will share heartfelt stories about how music has transformed the lives of their loved ones. These testimonials highlight the emotional and psychological benefits of music, demonstrating how it can bring joy, evoke memories, and create meaningful connections between patients and their families.
Licensed Music Therapists at Kensington: Learn how our dedicated team of music therapists connects with our residents through music, blending their passion and expertise to achieve clinical goals, conduct progress check-ins, and celebrate positive outcomes. Through personalized music therapy sessions, our therapists reach the very heart of our residents, offering comfort, familiarity, and a sense of identity.
Join us to explore how the harmonious blend of science and art can make a profound difference in the lives of aging adults with dementia. This event will provide valuable insights into the therapeutic potential of music, illustrating how it can be a powerful tool in dementia care. We look forward to sharing this uplifting experience with you!
Meet the Experts
Julene K Johnson, PhD, BM is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the UCSF Institute for Health & Aging. She serves as the principal investigator of this Music & Dementia Research Network and looks forward to collaborating with other researchers to accelerate mechanistic studies of music-based interventions for Alzheimer disease and related dementias as we build the research network and a community of collaborators. Dr. Johnson has over 25 years of experience studying music and dementia.
Dr. Jose ‘Pepe’ Contreras-Vidal is Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor, director of the U.S. National Science Foundation Industry-University Cooperative Research Center for Building Reliable Advances and Innovations in Neurotechnology (IUCRC BRAIN) at the University of Houston, and an elected Fellow of the IEEE and AIMBE for his pioneering contributions to development of brain-machine interfaces for controlling wearable exoskeletons for rehabilitation, and for mapping art-evoked brain activity. His work at the nexus of art and science is opening new windows to study the neural basis of human creativity while advancing the understanding of the arts as an active neuromodulator of brain function with applications to the development of personalized arts prescriptions.
Julian Silva, MA, MT-BC, earned his master’s degree in music therapy from New York University (NYU). His music therapy training included a internship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and a field placement at Bronx Lebanon Hospital. At MSKCC his clinical experience included the use of song writing, improvisation, lyric analysis and drumming to help patients cope with the physical and psychological effects of cancer diagnosis and treatment. At the present moment, Julian is a music therapist at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital Oakland.
Julia McCarren, LPMT, MT-BC, Kensington Park Senior Living’s Director of Creative Arts Therapies, leads music therapy sessions for residents in Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care. Julia earned her Bachelor of Music from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she developed a keen interest in jazz and performed with several jazz ensembles. Her passion for music and helping others led her to the field of music therapy, prompting her to complete a Master’s Program in Music Therapy at Western Michigan University. She has worked with individuals of all ages across various settings, including senior living, hospice, special education, and early childhood education.
In Partnership with:
