Music & Society

Music Circles

The Music Circles association was founded on April 22, 2020. It realizes interdisciplinary projects for people with dementia troubles, their carers and professional musicians.

MC foto

Through the use of musical improvisation, Music Circles connects people with dementia with the aim of stimulating creativity and the capacity for expression. The project involves dementia patients living in healthcare facilities, musicians, and nursing home staff.

In the music circle, each patient can play and listen to simple instruments (usually instruments designed by Carl Orff) and no musical knowledge is required.

The Aim

Music Circles is a science-based project overseen by the Gerontology Centre of the University of Zurich. Its objective is to see whether the wellbeing and quality of life of dementia patients improves thanks to the Music Circles method.
The project consists of a three-year evaluation carried out in three different Swiss facilities, involving patients, musicians, and nursing home staff.