Caring for Music: Musical Life, Late Life

Caring for Music takes us into the everyday musical life of ‘Hill House’ - a residential care home – to offer a moving portrait of a music therapist working alongside residents, care staff, family and friends over many years. The book documents the rich musical practices that emerge when people care for music together. Readers gain access to innovative micro-methods for documenting music-in-action, revealing often-unnoticed capabilities and contributions from residents, staff, and visitors alike. Music is not seen as a magical solution for managing symptoms within a ‘tragic situation’. Instead, shared, creative music-making fosters moments of connection, relationship, community, celebration and shared pleasure for everyone in the home; a means of genuine person-centred caring.