What is Music Enrichment?

Music Enrichment encompasses a range of activities involving music to enrich and enhance the lives of people with learning disabilities and those with acquired brain injury at Richardson Care.

Music is a powerful medium and listening to music can have a profound effect on emotions. Depending on the style and tempo, it can energise, uplift, stimulate or calm. Music stirs the soul and can elevate mood, boost memory and reduce anxiety.

Music is a big part of life at Richardson Care and we provide a range of activities with the goal of bringing service users together to enrich their lives and to develop their social and cognitive skills.

Benefits of music enrichment activities

Music enrichment activities boost communication, helping with speech stimulation and improved pronunciation. They also help with articulation, projection and recall of vocabulary. Music can stimulate different parts of the brain, so for example, a service user who has a brain injury may sing a particular song fluently, even if they don’t speak any words.

Music can also have a soothing effect and help service users to reminisce and self-soothe during difficult times as well as experiencing positive emotions.

Interactive music enrichment sessions are run weekly in each home by Darren Kendall, who has worked with service users at Richardson Care for 20 years. He tailors the sessions to meet individuals’ needs, while encouraging group participation and interaction.

The music enrichment sessions include:

• Drum circle: this starts with finger, hand and arm exercises then playing bongo drums, exploring the different rhythms and tones that are produced.
• Singing: solos, duets or in groups. This is all about having fun and self-expression, while building communication skills, cognitive skills and confidence.
• Percussion: using shakers, tambourines and triangles to create rhythms and sounds. It encourages self-expression in sound and movement.
• Relaxation: using a variety of instruments and sounds to help unwind the mind and relax the body while experiencing different sounds, vibes and energies.
• Story-telling: an opportunity to unwind and feed the imagination while listening to a story enhanced by pictures, sounds and lighting to bring the story to life.
• Parties and karaoke within the homes.

Darren says: “It’s tremendous to see the reactions of the service users and I get the staff involved too. Music is very powerful, and everyone is buzzing at the end of the session. It brings positivity and energy and helps to increase confidence and self-esteem. I absolutely love it.”

How music enrichment activity differs from music therapy

Music enrichment activity at Richardson Care is delivered by professional musicians or singers. They are not registered by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as music therapists and they do not hold a Masters Degree in Music Therapy. However, they are skilled performers with experience in working with people who have brain injuries or learning disabilities and complex needs. They have a passion for music and the transformative effect that it has on the emotions and well-being of the people with whom they interact. They are enthusiastic and engaging, bringing warmth and compassion to their roles.