Our impact

Public impact

We aim to enhance the social, economic, and cultural impact of music therapy research in the UK and internationally.

Our research reaches across NHS, health, and social care settings, as well as the creative industries and voluntary sector. Our strong track record in creative, community and policy engagement is evidenced by a growing range of stakeholders working in collaboration with a highly committed team of researchers, actively engaged in disseminating their research for the public good.

Items included here also corroborate the REF Unit 33 Case Study (2021 submission): Changing the lives of people living with dementia (PWD) and their families through music therapy research.

Source 1: Bowel, S., Bamford, S. M., 2018. What would life be - without a song or a dance, what are we? - Commission on Music and Dementia. Report published by the International Longevity Centre (ILCUK) in collaboration with the Utley Foundation: (London).

Source 2: ARU partnership with MHA Care Homes

Source 3: Together in Sound media coverage:

• Initiative aims to bring people together with music (Saffron Walden Reporter, 11 April 2019)
• Dementia project reaches national audience (Cambridge Network, 16 February 2018)
• Coronavirus: Online music therapy group a 'lifeline' in pandemic (BBC News, 22 April 2020)

Source 4: Film: Voyage with Dementia

Source 5: Saffron Hall NESTA case study featuring Together in Sound

Source 6: BAMT ARU and MHA joint conference

Source 7: OBE Awards 2016

Source 8: Fachner et al. involvement in BBC Our Dementia Choir

Source 9: Inclusion of music therapy in NICE guidelines

Source 10: Testimonials

• Grace Meadows, Music for Dementia 2020
• Testimonial from Sam Monaghan, Methodist Homes (MHA)

Media impact

BBC Music Day 2019: How and why music can be helpful to people living with dementia (Women’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 26 September 2019)

Spine-tingling proof music can bring your loved ones back from the grip of dementia as prima ballerina Marta Cinta Gonzalez relives the magic of Swan Lake (The Daily Mail, 14 November 2020)

“I didn’t expect a fuss”: How a composer with dementia got to No 1 (The Guardian/Observer, 1 November 2020)

Only music reached my wife after dementia hit, says John Suchet (The Guardian/Observer, 5 December 2020)