The Memory Cafe in New Jersey is a fun place for individuals, mostly senior citizens, with degenerative neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer’s or dementia, to relax, sip on coffee, and enjoy some entertainment. The NJ Chapter of NDA had an outreach event at the Memory Cafe on July 31st, complete with several musical performances. Many members of the organization came and played a variety of pieces on various instruments, such as violin, piano, voice, etc.
The theme chosen for the performances was traveling the world with music, with pieces picked to evoke different places. An example of this would be a piece called Lake Louise by Yukhi Kuramoto, played by Yujin Ha and Nina Park. Lake Louise is a beautiful glacier-covered lake in Canada, and the audience was taken on a trip to the gorgeous view through the melodies the two played. There were more such performances, with singing, dancing, and plenty of fun.
The NJ Chapter conducts this event on an annual basis and it truly has an impact on the senior citizens in the audience. It brings them joy and gives them an escape from the stressors in their lives, in addition to allowing them to connect with emotions on a level that transcends words. Individuals of all neurotypes enjoy this event and we hope to be back next summer with more amazing performances and are looking forward to touching more hearts of senior citizens.
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