Classical Music graduate Beckie Morley has unveiled plans to expand her community music business and launch in Leeds.
Beckie set up Musical Moments back in 2011 after graduating from LCoM. It is a social enterprise aimed to provide interactive and fun music workshops for older people in care homes and those living with dementia through signing, movement, sensory activities, reminiscence and live music.
Having been inspired by the community music module during her study, Beckie decided to try out some of her sessions developed on her placement at the care home that her grandma was a resident at, who had been living with dementia for over eight years. These sessions were a success, so from that moment on, Musical Moments was born.’
The following years has seen the business grow significantly and in 2017 Beckie announced that the business would be available as a franchise “for other aspiring community musicians wanting to make a difference to the lives of older people in the UK.”
Fellow LCoM alumni Deborah Pennington, who graduated from LCoM's MMus in 2010, is set to join the Musical Moments team to deliver sessions in the Leeds area.
“I was inspired by seeing for myself the positive impact interactive live music has on people. I have produced a childrens’ show, performed for the elderly, taught people with learning and physical challenges and brought live music into schools where the performance has to be interactive to engage the audience.
Musical Moments will be a new challenge for me, a fresh way of doing interactive musical performances. Since becoming interested in taking on this franchise I have learnt some interesting things about music and dementia, for example, how music can really connect with people when they seem to be disconnecting with life, how music is one of the strongest memories.
Musical Moments presents an exciting new opportunity for me and I am really looking forward to engaging with this venture; this new musical adventure.”
Musical Moments hold their Leeds launch at Leeds College of Music on Monday 19th March. If you would like to know more, contact Deborah on leeds@musical-moments.co.uk.
Twitter: @musicalmomentsm
Instagram: @musicalmomentsuk
