Ep.17 Restoring hope and meaning: Music therapy in aged care with Eta and the harmonica man

The Collective Music Therapy Podcast

Music therapy plays an important role in supporting the wellbeing of the ageing population. Not only does engaging in music create opportunities for reminiscing and reflecting on the past, but it creates a unique opportunity for many to feel purposeful, hopeful and even future focused. This month, you'll hear from Eta Lauw who is a registered music therapist working in both aged care and special education in Singapore. Eta shares a poignant story about her work with an elderly man who was emotionally isolated and non-compliant with medical procedures and this was affecting his quality of life. In general, this man was physically alive, but lacked that sense of "aliveness" in his ageing years. How did Eta work with this man to restore his quality of life? What is it specifically about music, and music therapy that can bring about such change?