Music is on the menu at Cayman’s elderly residential homes after the Department of Children and Family Services joined forces recently with local musicians to launch a music therapy initiative.
Residents at the Golden Age Home in West Bay enjoyed a live music session Thursday last week as part of the new DCFS and Cayman Music and Entertainment Association project. The performance was the first in a planned series of regular events and singalongs at several of DCFS’s residential homes, according to the department’s Director Paulinda Mendoza-Williams.
Musician and producer Stuart Wilson on acoustic guitar and Ellon Ebanks Jr. on electric guitar sang a medley of self-penned ballads and well-known hymns, accompanied by Robert Ebanks on the bongo drums. Encouraged to join in, several of the home’s residents and staff sang and clapped in time to the songs.
“The Association has agreed to provide music therapy to the residents of our facilities. We instinctively know that music soothes the soul and brings joy. Now increasing clinical evidence shows that music therapy can also reduce stress and anxiety and enhance emotional, physical and cognitive health. The department expects this to be a long and mutually beneficial relationship with CMEA members,” Mendoza-Williams said.
The music association’s president, Jeán-Eric Smith, attended Thursday’s event with the Ministry of Community Affairs Chief Officer Teresa Echenique, and the DCFS director.
Smith said his association was keen to see the volunteer music therapy programme rolled out across the Cayman Islands.
“CMEA is a non-profit organisation and part of our remit is to provide social outreach of this kind. All members are required to perform at least one charitable event a year, so we are pleased that we can fulfil that obligation of giving back to our community by working closely with the DCFS,” he said.
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