How Dunedin Music Students Made an Alzheimer's Patient Smile

Dunedin music students performing for assisted living residents may think they’re just getting practice in taming performance butterflies, but Francine Wolf knows they’re actually doing so much more.

“It brings back memories and helps with quality of life [for people] with dementia” said Wolf, community life director at The Inn on the Pond, an assisted living facility in Clearwater.

Nine students from Creative Keys, a Dunedin music studio, performed for a group of approximately 40 elderly residents in what was their second performance for them Tuesday, July 30. Two played the violin and the remaining seven played the piano in a 45-minute performance.

A resident with Alzheimer’s disease who had lost all ability to verbally communicate had an especially moving experience, Wolf said.

“I saw a big smile spread across her face and she began tapping her foot. That is a big deal. A really big deal,” Wolf said.

A third performance is planned for Aug. 13.

“I want this to be a regular thing” Hayley Fair, co-owner of Creative Keys, said.

Making a difference in the lives of residents is one of two reasons Fair set up the concert series.

“It has a dual purpose. The residents appreciate it and love to hear the music and students get rid of their nervousness by performing in front of others,” Fair said.

Fair hopes to continue the concerts every three months and plan something special around the holidays.

Creative Keys is an 11-year-old family owned music studio in Dunedin. Students can learn Instruments that range from violin and piano to oboe, mandolin and ukulele. The nine-room studio is home to 14 teachers and more than 200 students.

Inn on the Pond, a Menorah Manor community, provides assisted living with an independent spirit in a new, state-of-the-art building in Clearwater. It is a secure memory neighborhood.

Watch the video with this story to see and hear student performances.