The PRESIDE study was originally funded by the Alzheimer’s Society and began in 2019. Recruitment started in early 2020. However, the study was unable to take place as planned due to pandemic restrictions making it impossible to conduct face-to-face singing sessions. Instead, the research team investigated the possibilities offered by digital alternatives, firstly with two review papers surveying existing practice and research, and secondly by conducting a proof-of-concept study of online singing.

We invited up to 20 pairs of people with dementia and their carers to attend online singing sessions. The sessions were held online weekly using Zoom, and were run by experienced singing group leaders. They included time for a chat at the start, followed by a physical and vocal warm up, and time for choosing and singing songs from songbooks which were displayed using screen-sharing. As well as collecting data from participants using questionnaires, we interviewed them after they had attended 10 sessions. We also observed the sessions, noting any technical or other difficulties which were encountered as well as things which worked well.

Although online singing was not for everyone, many people with dementia and their carers valued the sessions and found them supportive during a difficult time. People who already attended singing group sessions face-to-face tended to think the online sessions were a “better than nothing” substitute. However those who were new to group singing saw some advantages to the online approach. For instance, it was more accessible for people who couldn’t leave the house. Others who felt self-conscious about their singing voice preferred the experience of singing while muted on Zoom, which was necessary to overcome the audio delay inherent in video calling.

To download a summary of the online singing study findings please click here.