OUR VISION
MOMENTS TO LIVE
Healing Harmonies aims to rekindle presence, memory, and human connection through music. Even when words become difficult, familiar melodies can awaken recognition, spark emotion, and restore a sense of identity and connection.
MUSIC TO SHARE
We believe music is not simply something to be performed, but something to be shared, creating moments of singing, remembering, and laughter that reduce isolation and strengthen bonds within care homes.
BONDS TO BUILD
Our vision is to build a consistent, student-led model of music therapy that is human, sustainable, and replicable, enabling schools to bring meaningful musical engagement to elderly residents week after week.
OUR STORY
My grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about five years ago, and I watched her slowly lose contact with the world. First, it was small things (what she had cooked, which month we were in), then names, places, and sometimes even the faces of her daughters.
Music had always been a hobby for me: something I did for myself, a quiet corner of my life where I could escape into melodies. But with my grandmother, it became something different. When I played the piano, something in her would light up: her gaze would brighten and, for a moment, she seemed to resurface within those melodies. That sudden light taught me something essential: even when everything seems to be slipping away, a song can still open a door, even if only for a few seconds.
My first ever orchestra concert! (2018)
Those moments were the first time I understood that music could be more than personal expression. It could be a bridge. And then, I decided to start using my passion to serve others, by performing in local care homes back in Italy.
Gaia, Sara and I performing at Casa Ospitale Aresi, Brignano (2021)
Yet, precisely because I cared about those shared moments with my grandma, I sometimes postponed them. I was afraid of making mistakes, of not playing well enough, of not being “good enough” for what she deserved. Too often I found myself saying “next time,” “when I have more time,” “when I’m better prepared.”
My grandmother deteriorated quickly during the last year, until she could no longer truly speak or understand.
She passed away in December.
Only then did I see my mistake clearly: I had given more space to the fear of getting it wrong than to the value of simply being there. What’s the point of playing “well” if you miss the chance to be present? Those brief moments of musical sharing were what mattered most, and I could no longer have them with her.
Out of that regret came a decision: to turn what I had learned into something concrete, in her memory. I began dedicating myself to older adults in care homes and understood another truth: beyond medical needs, many carry a quiet loneliness. And yet small gestures, such as sitting beside them, asking a question, listening, singing, can completely change the atmosphere of an afternoon.
So, together with Ariel, Antonio, and Esther, we founded Healing Harmonies: a student-led club that runs music sessions designed to engage, stimulate memories, and create connection. I already knew that perfection wasn’t the point, yet at the beginning I found myself slipping back into an old fear, the fear of making mistakes, of not doing enough, of not organising things “the right way.” Then Hazel (the care home manager) reminded us of what truly matters: our time, our presence, and the way we make the residents feel seen.
Performing at a care home in Haywards Heath (2024)
Healing Harmonies isn’t about playing without mistakes. It’s about showing up and using music to say: you are not alone.
~ Irene, Founder and President of Healing Harmonies
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THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT
Music therapy is not just entertainment: music activates brain networks involved in emotion, memory, attention, and stress regulation.
In older adults and people living with dementia, it can support wellbeing, engagement, and social connection. Here are the key mechanisms.
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Music can still activate emotional and autobiographical memory pathways, even when language declines
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Targeted musical activities encourage participation, expression, and connection
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Personalised songs can reduce agitation, increase engagement, and improve immediate wellbeing
- Provides a predictable framework for attention and orientation
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Helps sustain focus, coordinate movement, and trigger familiar memories
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In Alzheimer’s, rhythmic music reactivates automatic responses (clapping, humming)
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Makes it easier to respond to surroundings and connect socially despite cognitive decline
- Regular musical tempos can sync breathing and heart rhythms (entrainment)
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Supports stress reduction and physiological calm
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Leads to more serenity, less agitation, better readiness for interaction
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Group music-making fosters emotional and social synchrony, enhancing connection.