'I am thankful that I put aside my fear of joining ‘Sweet Tonic’ and coming; it’s been a wonderful experience. It has brought back to me joy in singing, new friendships and acceptance from everyone in the group and staff.'
2007 Participant
Upon completion, the 2006/2008 Music for Life project demonstrated that the arts, and particularly music, is an effective means of improving senior citizen’s physical and psychological health, self-esteem, communication, social interaction and community participation. It can also potentially result in a lesser reliance on health care and a reduction in the factors leading towards long-term care.
In 2009 Musica Viva began to collaborate with researchers from the University of Western Australia, led by Professor Jane Davidson, to further investigate the effects of participating in group singing on the health and well-being of seniors. The Mandurah Music for Life group is one of six groups being studied as part of Prof. Davidson’s study: Act, Belong, Commit to Singing: A Healthy Way to Live.
< Sweet Tonic – Music for Life final research report>