On the basis of her extensive experiences as a composer and community musician Hanne Deneire has developed her own music pedagogic method ("ManiMelo") for children to introduce them into the world of music. This method is also very suitable for other target groups such as people with dementia, because it is low-thresholded and can enable each person to make music and enjoy it in many ways.
This book is intended as an aid to all carers and other interested persons who want to communicate and make music with people with dementia. Hanne Deneire has been able to gather extensive practical experience in this work field and provides in her book a cornucopia of ideas and helpful practical tips. She herself has organized a lot of concerts and music programs for people with dementia and their families like "A different dementia in music” and musical activation programs like "The Voice of our Memory".
In the first part of the book, Deneire informs about the disease dementia and the communication and interaction with the people affected. And she presents her ManiMelo method, which includes both musical and social elements. In the next chapters Deneire provides detailed information on the possibilities to make music with people with dementia (singing, playing the instrument, moving, listening to music). And Deneire shows how music groups with elderly people – also intergeneratively – can be built up in nursing homes. Photos, practice and case examples illustrate her method and make the book an absolute recommendation for those who would like to make music with persons with dementia. All the chapters of this book bear witness to Deneire´s great experience in working with people with dementia. At the end of this book the reader find some ideas for research in the field of dementia and music. The appendix contains dementia tests and a substantial bibliography.
Prof. Dr. Theo Hartogh, University of Vechta, Germany