The benefits of music live on in residential aged care homes

Music has a beautiful way of following us through life, from early childhood memories to important life moments. And inside Anglicare’s residential aged care homes, it keeps on playing. Whether it’s a piano playing in the background, a favourite song on the radio, or a few voices joining in song over morning tea, music shows up in small but powerful ways. It brings back memories and creates connection. And it can be the thing that makes a new place feel like home.

The gift of music

Elsie, a lifelong pianist, had stopped playing for years. It wasn’t until a team member at Jean Ross House encouraged her to try again that she sat at the keys. At first, she was unsure. But slowly, her fingers started finding their way back. As she played, the room began to fill with sound, and with it, something more: familiarity, confidence and joy.

At Farrer Brown Court, Mary often plays the piano. “It makes me feel useful,” she says. “I play because of the memories that come back. That is my love – to give and to share the music.”

And at Barry Marsh House, Janet even brought her baby grand piano with her. She wasn’t sure it would fit, but the staff made space. Now she plays it most days, simply because it’s what she’s always done.

Some residents play. Others just listen. But for many, music is still part of the day, and something that brings much joy.

Music that means something

We’ve always known that music matters. But now, science is showing us why. Research from the US National Institute on Aging has found that music can activate parts of the brain linked to memory, identity and emotional connection, even in older people living with cognitive decline.

In studies with healthy older adults, listening to personally meaningful music helped strengthen the brain’s memory networks. Other findings have shown that music can ease stress, reduce loneliness, improve sleep, and help people feel more socially connected.

Closer to home, a research paper from Western Sydney University’s MARCS Institute found that music could help manage anxiety, improve mood, and even reduce behavioural symptoms that often come with dementia.

What the studies show is that, simply put, music can change someone’s whole day. Sometimes it brings a smile. Sometimes it brings back a memory. Sometimes it’s just enough to help someone feel more like themselves.

The soundtrack of everyday life

Music also runs through Anglicare’s residential aged care homes through Evoke Radio, a custom station designed specifically for residents.

Set up in 2014 by veteran radio broadcaster John Seaman, Evoke Radio was built around the idea that music from the past carries a powerful sense of connection and memories. The station plays easy listening hits from the late 1940s through to the early 1970s, alongside classic numbers from Broadway shows and iconic film soundtracks.

But it’s not just music filling the air. Seaman and his team create full programs around shared memory and community, running segments like “On This Day” to mark historical anniversaries, sharing birthday greetings for residents, and broadcasting musical tributes to artists like Elvis Presley, Doris Day, and Perry Como. On ANZAC Day, Evoke marks the occasion with a special tribute. Every Sunday, it broadcasts a church service.

From late afternoon into the evening, the music on Evoke changes. The songs slow down, switching to calming tunes that match the end of the day. On the televisions in rooms and shared spaces, photos of gardens, animals and faraway places move across the screen, timed with the light outside.

Evoke isn’t background noise but a way life carries on in a familiar way, full of music people love and recognise from their past. As Seaman puts it, "Evoke Radio is more than just background music; it’s a source of joy, memories, and connection for residents."

Curious what this looks like in real life?

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