MEMPHIS, Tenn. — In a city like Memphis, music is at its soul, and those beats could be good for your mental health, according to a study from the University of Texas.
Groups have used tunes to treat conditions like Alzheimer's and dementia, and the University of California - Irvine recently launched a program to use instrument play to help treat people who suffered from strokes.
So in a city known for its music, one organization has used it to help improve the well-being of thousands of Memphians.
“I don’t think I could live without it,” said singer Shirley Adams.
For generations different genres of music have mixed and mingled into the lives of Memphians like Adams, who tells ABC24 she has been singing as long as she can remember.
“As a little girl in school, all the way through high school, and then in my church choir, it has always been part of my life,” said Adams.
Adams keeps her musical passion alive, joining several other Memphians at the Lewis Senior Center. Every Wednesday, Creative Aging brings one of 120 local artists to the building for the seniors, and across Shelby County.
“You start to see people’s toes tap," said Mia Henley, Creative Aging executive director. "They start to smile and nod their head, and all of a sudden they’re part of a larger community.”
Henley has worked with the organization for seven years and said not only does this time and beat unite the community, but it can also act as a bridge for people with dementia. A study from Northwestern Medicine says music may actually improve communication.
“Even though some of the receptors in their brain are not connecting anymore, their receptors that help them hear music and remember music are working…like the lightbulb turns back on and all of a sudden the person feels like their old self," said Henley. "We have 138,000 people in this county over age 65, and we want to reach all of them.”