Miscellaneous
The episode begins with Andy and Rachel sharing some of their background experience in music and business. Andy is a music therapist, who began his trajectory in college when he played music for a friend recovering from an injury. It was at the hospital, where he was introduced to the music therapist on staff, and that experience inspired him to become a board-certified music therapist. Rachel’s background is more in technology, assisting companies who previously had a brick and mortar process and help them scale their businesses digitally.Dr. Marc asks Andy to explain the science behind therapeutic music singing, and the difference between passively listening to music and actively making it. In the passive music experience, the brain lights up in a receptive way. When you’re making the music, it’s not just the receptive parts of the brain reacting, but globally, the brain is engaged. When you’re singing your thought patterns in the brain are being organized, and releases good chemicals, like serotonin to the brain. It’s this science that informs their SingFit technology. The heart of their company is in their app that hosts hundreds of songs. They also have SingFit Prime, a music therapy solution for groups that can be implemented with no prior musical experience. Now, SingFit is at over five-hundred senior living facilities. As the episode ends, Dr. Marc asks them to identify some of the challenges they faced when they began SingFit. For Rachel, it was licensing the music, while Andy struggled to conceptualize to teach folks without a music background to utilize music therapies. Both Rachel and Andy also share some of their favorite SingFit success stories as well as exploring where they would like to see the company move in the future. This includes everything from scientific studies to international partnerships. Links: Learn more about Rachel and AndyLearn more about SingFitLearn more about Dementia Spring. You can find information about Dr. Marc and the Dementia Spring Dialogues podcast, and don’t forget to sign up for the Dementia Spring newsletter!