Training & Facilitation

“An extremely illuminating and fun session. Thank you – you are amazing!” 

Using music-making for connection, inspiration, and communication.

Music for Connection’s training programme for carers of people living with dementia

Funded via the Ageing Well partnership, we are offering eight free training sessions per year to carers of people living with dementia, including access to our Music Champions scheme. Please see the calendar for dates.

Music is an incredibly powerful tool for engagement – we see this every day in our work: people who can be hard to reach light up and become present with us in the moment when we play and sing together.

In our music sessions, people of all abilities play together, some of whom have never played before or were told at an early age that they couldn’t sing. Experiences such as these can sometimes be a barrier to people playing together at home, even if they enjoy themselves in our music sessions.

To help carers develop their confidence in using music with the people they support, we deliver training sessions, where family and professional carers:

  • Explore songs and activities
  • Try out instruments and techniques
  • Learn and share simple and effective warm-ups and cool down exercises
  • Develop confidence in music-making The sessions are informal, supportive, and fun, and are suitable for complete beginners as well as carers with more musical experience.

Read our 2019-20 Evaluation Report.

Training, mentoring and consultancy

We offer a range of training for people of all abilities to use music as a way to connect and engage. Initially developed as part of our CCG-commissioned dementia work and funded by Awards for All, these
practice-based sessions:

  • build confidence
  • provide a safe and non-judgemental space to share and try new things
  • provide tools and techniques
  • help build networks and communities of interest

Please contact us for more details and booking:

“I’ve been on lots of dementia training, but I hadn’t recognised the gains that can come though the connections of music-making amidst all the loss.”

Anna, Patching Lodge

“The trainers were very confident and welcoming.”

Natalie, Support Worker

“An extremely illuminating and fun session. Thank you Open Strings….you are amazing!”

EB, Centre Worker, Hop 50+

“I really enjoyed the emphasis on just taking part and enjoying the music, not worrying about making a mistake”

Sue, family carer