Music and Memory

The purpose of NIU’s Music and Memory program is to further the mission of the national Music and Memory organization: to improve quality of life for individuals with dementia living in long-term care settings. We're back in-person volunteering at several local long-term care centers and are so excited for you to join us! Our programs include the following: Brain Health (Oak Crest Center, Tuesday afternoons), Art Group (Lincolnshire Memory Care and Aperion Care, Wednesday afternoons) and 1:1 personalized reminiscence (Music and Memory, Memory Books, Life Stories and Reading2Connect; Lincolnshire Memory Care, Friday mornings and afternoons). Our Bridges Holiday Choir will begin in early November at Lincolnshire Memory Care and Aperion Care.

Our program creates positive interactions for individuals living with dementia, while promoting students’ personal and career growth through experiential learning.

Join Us

If you’re an NIU student, you can join Music and Memory. We’ll provide you with training on dementia basics and interacting with individuals who have cognitive-communicative impairments. You’ll also have the ability to assist with data collection/analysis toward our secondary purpose of maximizing evidence-based practice in dementia care.

It’s a rewarding opportunity to:

• Perform community service
• Improve your communication skills
• Enhance quality of life for individuals with dementia

Community Involvement

We hope to expand our program by bringing awareness to brain health within the DeKalb community. With online and in-person activities/interactions available, our program will appeal to people from multiple areas of interest who want to make a difference in the lives of others.