TSOUND Connections Program with Alzheimer Society Peel
Note: This program is run by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, which provides the musicians and funding. Alzheimer Society Peel supports the program by connecting clients and providing space for filming TSO marketing materials.
TSOUND Connections brings live, professional-level music into the Alzheimer Society Peel’s day programs, virtually connecting musicians from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) and Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra (TSYO) with participants twice a week. These 30-minute sessions of live music and conversation help reduce social isolation and enhance the emotional well-being of people living with dementia.
Since its launch in 2020, the program has made over 350 calls and accumulated more than 10,000 minutes of connection time.
“Our partnership with the Alzheimer Society Peel is an integral part of our TSOUND Connections program. In light of the immediate and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the TSOUND Connections program was developed to combat social isolation among seniors in care. As a result of its success, the program has been ongoing and continues to make a positive impact.” ~ Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Resources
Media
TSOUND Connections | TSO & Alzheimer Society Peel
Making Connections Through Music
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Memories to Music
Note: This program was created by Alzheimer Society Peel and is run in full partnership with Mentor College. Mentor College handles the recording, mentors students in songwriting, and hosts the final concert.
Launched in 2009, Memories to Music is an intergenerational Community Music Therapy program that brings together senior-level high school music students from Mentor College and people living with dementia. Developed by staff and music therapists at Alzheimer Society Peel, this program achieves four key goals:
- Educate students in the community about dementia.
- Provide a meaningful and enriching program for people living with dementia in our community while connecting them with Alzheimer Society Peel’s services.
- Bridge the gap between two generations through shared experiences and creative collaboration.
- Break down the stigma surrounding dementia by fostering empathy, understanding, and connection.
The program begins with educational sessions for students covering three main topics:
- Aging and Dementia
- Getting and Capturing the Story
- Composition
Following these sessions, students are paired with a partner living with dementia for four structured sessions of activities and interviews. During these sessions, students gather stories and insights, which they later use to compose an original song reflecting their partner’s life.
The program concludes with a celebratory concert, where students perform their compositions for their partners and families. Each participant receives a copy of their song, and students are awarded a certificate of completion from the Alzheimer Society Peel.
Memories to Music is a partnership with Mentor College, under the guidance of Ian Hoare, Music Teacher, and the Alzheimer Society Peel.
Resources
- Toronto Star Feature
- Mississauga News Feature 2009
- Mississauga News Feature 2012
- ASP Music Therapy YouTube Channel
Media
Sonia's Voice , M2M 2023
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Raising Voices
Note: This program is led by the Mississauga Festival Choir in close partnership with the Alzheimer Society Peel. MFC provides funding, including payment for the music therapist’s time, handles fundraising, and supplies experienced singers, while ASP manages the majority of the project.
Raising Voices is a unique “family choir” that brings together persons living with dementia, including those with Alzheimer’s disease, their CarePartners, and volunteer mentors from the Mississauga Festival Choir. Offered free of charge to all participants, the program fosters connection, creativity, and community through music.
An initiative of the Mississauga Festival Choir, Raising Voices is delivered in close collaboration with the Alzheimer Society Peel. The program is designed and facilitated by a music therapist from Alzheimer Society Peel, who works alongside the Mississauga Festival Choir staff and volunteers to develop and deliver the sessions.
Under the leadership of Barb Cogan, OCT, a music educator and choral conductor, and with the support of Ruth Watkiss, a music therapist from the Alzheimer Society of Peel, Raising Voices provides an inclusive and supportive environment for all participants.
The choir runs twice a year, offering eight weekly 90-minute sessions per term. Each session includes carefully planned music and movement activities, facilitated by both professional and volunteer participants. The program aims to promote meaningful engagement, strengthen intergenerational connections, and help reduce the stigma surrounding dementia through the power of shared musical experiences.
Resources
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The Jamboree
Note: This program was developed by the Research Institute for Aging (RIA), which created the guidebook and provided initial funding. While not a formal partnership, the Alzheimer Society Peel now runs the program independently, handling all implementation and ongoing delivery.
The Jamboree is an intergenerational music therapy program, created by the Research Institute for Aging, in which young children, typically between the ages of 0–4, and their accompanying adults (e.g., parent, grandparent, guardian) take part in weekly music therapy sessions along with people living with dementia in retirement or long-term care homes. During each session, a certified music therapist leads the group in singing songs, moving to music, and using instruments and props (e.g., drums, scarves, bubbles), while gently facilitating interaction between participants. Additional care providers (e.g., recreation team members) observe, support, and can participate in the program alongside the participants.
The Jamboree offers opportunities to connect through music and fosters intergenerational relationships among participants of all ages.
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