Photo courtesy of Tom Fougerous
* Michael R. Detmer M.M.E, MT-BC Petra Kern, Ph.D., MT-BC, MTA, DMtG University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky
Michael Detmer, MME, MT-BC, and Petra Kern, Ph.D., MT-BC, MTA, DMtG, are investigators of the Intergenerational Music Therapy study conducted at UofL’s Early Learning Campus. Contact: michael.detmer@louisville.edu
imagine 8(1), 2017
Implementing an Intergenerational Music Therapy Program Intergenerational programming is mutually beneficial for participating generation groups. Children and older adults involved in intergenerational activities demonstrate improved attitudes toward and interaction with the opposite age group (Belgrave, 2011; Isaki & Harmon, 2015). Older adults also demonstrate increased physical activity/function, intellectual ability, and improvements in areas related to quality of life (Sakurai et al., 2016). However, a wide gap exists in intergenerational research literature due to the existence of very few music-based studies, with even a smaller number involving young children. Moreover, to date, there has only been one published intergenerational music therapy study (Belgrave, 2011). The intent of this article is twofold: 1) to provide a brief summary of a study conducted at the University of Louisville’s Early Learning Campus and 2) to offer lessons learned for planning and implementing an intergenerational music therapy program with young children and older adults.
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