DB5: Music Sparks Memories - Alzheimer’s and Dementia Friendly Concert
A Heartfelt Concert Experience for Individuals with Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Saturday, November 22, 2025 • 2:30–3:30 PM
Bethany Lutheran Church
4500 East Hampden Avenue, Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113
FREE CONCERT — No tickets required
For many of us, just a few notes of a familiar song can transport us to another time, another place, another memory. For individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, music can be even more powerful—bringing moments of clarity, connection, and joy.
This November, Denver Brass 5 is proud to present “Music Sparks Memories,” a special one-hour concert designed specifically for individuals with memory loss and their families or care partners. Filled with familiar, uplifting melodies from past decades, this program invites audiences to experience comfort, nostalgia, and shared moments of joy through the power of music.
Why Music Matters for Memory
Decades of research continue to highlight what many families and caregivers already know: music reaches parts of the brain that remain remarkably resilient, even as Alzheimer’s or dementia progress.
Musical memories are often preserved long after other types of memory fade. According to neurologists and researchers, music can:
Decrease anxiety
Improve communication and social interaction
Strengthen emotional connection between individuals and their caregivers
Stimulate preserved neural pathways tied to long-term memory
Encourage movement, eye contact, and emotional expression
As Dr. Borna Bonakdarpour, a Northwestern Medicine neurologist and musician, explains:
“Caregivers find the person lost to them in the context of music.”
Whether it’s tapping along to a beat, humming an old favorite, or simply relaxing into a comforting melody, music offers a unique way to be present in the moment—a gift for both families and their loved ones.
Inspired by SPARK!
This concert is presented in the spirit of SPARK!, a national creative-engagement initiative serving people with early- to mid-stage memory loss and their care partners. SPARK! programs take place in museums, cultural centers, and arts organizations across the country, offering joyful, community-centered experiences that prioritize presence over memory recall.
SPARK! encourages:
Comfort
Creative connection
Accessible community engagement
Positive social interaction
Fully supported environments with trained staff and volunteers
Like SPARK! programs, Music Sparks Memories is built to uplift and empower audiences—not by asking them to remember the past, but by celebrating the meaningful moments they can experience right now.
What to Expect at the Concert
This free one-hour program is thoughtfully crafted to provide:
A peaceful, welcoming environment
Familiar songs from eras beloved by today’s aging communities
Music that soothes, uplifts, and inspires
A supportive space for movement, humming, clapping, or simply listening
An opportunity for families and caregivers to connect through music
There is no pressure to stay silent, sit still, or behave in any particular way. This concert is for joy, connection, and shared experience—in whatever form feels comfortable.
The Power of Music for Caregivers
Music isn’t only therapeutic for individuals with dementia—it also supports those who care for them. Research shows that musical engagement can:
Reduce caregiver stress
Improve communication
Create meaningful moments of connection
Bring out expressions of personality and memory that may otherwise feel out of reach
Caregivers often describe these moments as “getting a piece of their loved one back.”
We hope this concert provides those moments for many families.
Join Us
DB5: Music Sparks Memories
Saturday, November 22, 2025
2:30–3:30 PM
Bethany Lutheran Church, Cherry Hills Village