Juilliard Students Bring Music and Joy to Seniors in New York

Music's Impact on Healthy Aging

• 💡 Music has a positive influence on healthy aging, impacting both the brain and body according to the National Institute of Aging.
• 🎶 Studies suggest music can improve memory, enhance emotional health, and trigger heartwarming memories in seniors.
• 🧠 While more research is needed for definitive medical conclusions, there is growing scientific interest in music's effects as people age.

Juilliard's Senior Music Program

• 🎻 Students from the Juilliard School are creating senior-friendly music classes in partnership with senior centers.
• ✨ These classes aim to foster human connection through music, allowing seniors and students to connect without the need for verbal communication.
• 🎭 The program offers a lifeline for seniors, helping to combat loneliness and isolation while supporting cognitive development through performing arts like music, dance, and drama.

Personal Experiences with Musical Medicine

• 🌟 Seniors like Barbara Fleshman, 101, find music to be soothing, exciting, and a special ingredient for life, believing it helps them stay engaged and curious.
• 🎼 Ma Wernern, 88, attends Juilliard's extension program weekly for her "musical medicine," finding it helps her feel engaged, back at school, and keeps her mind going.
• 💬 The program director notes the remarkable effect music has, even on residents with dementia, who may sing along to familiar tunes.

Ingredients for Longevity and Well-being

• 🎯 Beyond music, thriving seniors emphasize maintaining an interest and zest for life as crucial for aging well.
• 🚀 They believe in looking forward, not backward, and living life fully through engagement with activities and culture.
• 🎭 The Juilliard extension division has 1300 students, many over 65, participating in music, dance, and drama, highlighting the arts' role in combating loneliness and isolation.