Supporting Brisbane Families Living with Dementia (& their carers) Through Music Therapy
Registered Music Therapist Sally Cooper (RMT, BN, MMT) has over 15 years’ experience supporting people living with dementia across Brisbane. She has worked in aged care facilities, secure dementia units, and with people living at home.
Through singing and music, Sally has supported individuals, groups, and families to improve quality of life in meaningful, practical ways.
Singing remains accessible for many people with dementia, even as other abilities decline. Research strongly supports its benefits — including improved mood, reduced anxiety and depression, and decreased feelings of isolation.
Sally guides families to use music intentionally and confidently at home or during aged care facility visits.
Discover Meaningful Music Memories
Learn how to identify songs from the past that spark recognition and comfort for the person you care for.
Create a Personal Dementia Playlist
Develop a tailored playlist of familiar songs unique for the individual in your care.
Use Singing to Strengthen Connection
Understand how singing together can calm distress, support engagement, and create meaningful moments of connection.
You don’t need to be a good singer. What matters is the shared experience.
As an experienced vocal coach as well as a music therapist, Sally can also help you feel more comfortable and confident using your own voice.
Singing together can create many lasting moments of genuine connection and enhance the quality of time you share — even in the face of the challenges dementia brings.
How this consultancy process works
1
Free 10-15 Minute Phone Call
A brief initial conversation to understand your situation and what you’re hoping for.
2
Music Detective Guide
I email you a simple, practical guide to help you become a music detective — identifying songs from your loved one’s past that hold positive memory associations.
You begin by creating a personalised playlist.
3
Opional Vocal Support
You can book a vocal coaching session at any stage if you would like support or confidence with your singing voice.
4
Joint Session
We book a session with you and your loved one present.
Using the personalised playlist, we begin working with the recorded music and singing together.
5
Ongoing Support (as needed)
Follow-up sessions can be booked at your discretion, until you feel confident singing your loved one’s favourite songs with them without me present.
Brisbane Courier Mail newspaper article about Sallys music therapy work with people with dementia
