The City Council presents a new edition of the program ‘The sound beautifies you’, a music therapy initiative for the elderly.

It takes place from March to December in the residences for the elderly and the Alzheimer’s Day Center, conducted by the professional singer, Ana Fargas.

The councilman attached to the area of Elderly, Daniel García Ramos; the director of the area of Social Services, Elderly and Social Integration, Lorenzo Guerra; and professional singer and project monitor, Ana Fargas, have presented a new edition of the program ‘The sound beautifies you’, a pioneering music therapy initiative in the town for the elderly.

This municipal initiative is aimed at users of the elderly residences of the municipality and the Azheimer’s Day Center, and aims to help these people can work memory remembering and interpreting songs that were significant in their past. In addition, they also get to work their emotions, socialization is encouraged and moments of coexistence are encouraged, said the municipal responsible.

Also, the mayor stressed that this program is above all a gesture of care and recognition to our elders, because in addition to providing a service, we give them back feelings, emotions and the opportunity to feel protagonists of their own lives.

Daniel García has also expressed his satisfaction with the positive results that are being achieved in each edition, in terms of improved mood, reduction of negative behaviors and greater social involvement on the part of users. Thus, relatives and professionals highlight how music awakens memories, favors socialization and reduces isolation, contributing to a more active and healthy aging.

As explained by Lorenzo Guerra, the methodology of the program combines an active part where people can sing, clap, move to the rhythm or accompany with simple instruments, and another part of listening and reminiscence, focused on songs that were part of their youth and life history. This repertoire is selected by the monitor of this project, the professional singer, Ana Fargas, which is based on popular songs of musical styles that are of particular interest to this sector of the population, such as flamenco, sevillanas, copla, pasodobles or boleros.

In this way, according to Ana Fargas, music becomes a therapeutic resource to work on memory, attention, emotional expression and communication, especially in people with cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease. “It is about working on the physical and cognitive level (especially attention and memory), but also emotions, so we play songs that can remind them of moments in their lives. In this way, we get them to socialize, empathize and relate better among themselves, improving their mood.”

Finally, Councilman Daniel Garcia has reiterated the commitment of the government team with the elderly, promoting innovative activities, such as this one to promote their autonomy and emotional well-being through the therapeutic power of music.