Two Sisters, 9 and 12, Bring Joy to Dementia Patients
Min Luo, 12, and Fei Shan, 9, discovered that their piano performances help dementia patients relax and reconnect, even when other abilities have faded. Now they're sharing music's healing power at aged care facilities across Hobart.
When Min Luo and Fei Shan started playing piano for a family friend with dementia, they noticed something remarkable. The man who was usually stressed would sit down, tap his hand to the rhythm, and hum along peacefully.
The sisters, ages 12 and 9, realized they had stumbled onto something special. "Music is like a language that mostly everyone can understand," Fei explained.
They decided to bring their gift to others living with dementia. Now the young musicians perform regular concerts at Korongee Dementia Village in Hobart's northern suburbs, where residents tap their feet and nod along to the melodies.
Nick Dickens, a 75-year-old resident and former rock guitarist, says the stress "goes out the window" when the girls play. "It just makes you feel alive."
Dickens has frontotemporal and vascular dementia, but music remains everything to him. He's noticed the profound effect on his fellow residents too, especially those with Alzheimer's who are often "in their own world" but truly respond to music.
Sunny's Take
There's real science behind what Min and Fei discovered through kindness. Associate Professor Alison Canty from the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre explains that the part of the brain responsible for musical memory stays resilient even as dementia progresses.
People who haven't spoken in months may suddenly respond to familiar tunes. Music releases dopamine, the brain's feel-good chemical, which enhances mood and reduces anxiety and stress.
"It's kind of another way in, to start interacting and communicating with somebody who's living with dementia," Professor Canty said.
The sisters aren't stopping at performances. They're planning a fundraising concert to support dementia research, turning their discovery into action that could help the nearly 1.1 million Australians predicted to have dementia by 2065.
Two young pianists found a simple way to reach people when words fail, proving that sometimes the most powerful medicine comes wrapped in melody.
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Based on reporting by ABC Australia
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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