Tuesday and Thursday mornings have become some of my favorite moments of the week. That’s when I get to sing and kibbitz with some of the most inspiring people I know — participants in Music & Memories Studio, an eight-week “shared community experience” for individuals living with dementia and their care partners. We also welcome anyone who simply loves to sing and wants to make a difference.
Each week, the sound of laughter and music fills the lobby at Temple Beth El in Stamford and Mozaic Senior Life in Bridgeport. Together with my longtime collaborator — vocalist and choir director extraordinaire Jason L. Terry — we take the group on a musical journey through time. What happens there continually takes my breath away.
Watching someone with memory loss, who struggles to speak, suddenly sing every lyric of a beloved tune — eyes bright, voice strong, even just mouthing the words — feels nothing short of miraculous. The first time I witnessed it, I was awestruck. It reminded me of the 1990 film Awakenings with Robin Williams and Robert De Niro. For care partners, these breakthroughs become new, joyful memories — small moments that help heal and transcend despair.
Our sessions explore different musical eras, themes, and trivia, sparking stories and laughter while building connection. The final session of each program culminates in a professional song recording and music video — a keepsake for participants and families. In Stamford, we don’t mess around: we record at the Grammy Award–winning Carriage House Studios, which is always a thrill.
Science supports what we feel every week. Studies show that communities who sing together experience improved physical, mental, and social health. Singing strengthens social bonds, elevates happiness, and even boosts the immune system. For those living with dementia, there’s overwhelming evidence that music enhances memory, mood, and communication.
Jason and I aren’t music therapists, nor do we have medical degrees — but in our world, we like to think of ourselves as “doctors of love.” Before launching Music & Memories Studio, we spent a decade leading The New World Chorus (2011–2021), Stamford’s interfaith community choir devoted to the vision One World, One Voice, United in Love. Through that experience, we saw how music dissolves barriers and builds bridges — bringing people together across cultures, beliefs, and generations.
Building on that legacy, we’re now developing our next big project: SING! Stamford, launching in spring 2026. These city-wide singing events — inspired by Choir! Choir! Choir! — will transform the entire town from audience to performer, reminding everyone that they already belong to something greater.
When I was about four, I remember feeling bewildered that neighbors living on the same street could believe such different things. It didn’t make sense. For a while, I worried that people were destined to remain divided. But over time, I realized that our differences don’t have to separate us. Our diversity is like a sea of voices in one great choir — rising together in infinite harmony.
Ultimately, my goal is simple: to help people feel more connected, more alive, and more loved. And music — with all its beauty, mystery, and power — just happens to be the best way I know to do that.
The next Stamford session of Music & Memories Studio begins January 6, 2026, at Temple Beth El, 350 Roxbury Road, running Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
The program is free and open to all.
For more information, contact Beth Styles at bstyles@me.com.