The magic of ‘Precision Music’ for people living with dementia | Stephen Hunt

Stephen Hunt and the St Lukes ‘Memory Lane Choir’ showcase the incredible power of music for people living with dementia. Sighting published research and ancient human practices, Stephen explains how playing familiar music can significantly improve the lives of people living with advanced dementia by grounding them back to a place of familiarity, reducing anxiety while improving cognition. ‘Precision Music’ (music that is personally significant to an individual and that can alter their emotional state), can help slow cognitive decline for dementia patients and provide an immense amount of joy for both them and their families. Stephen invites you to try it yourself by revisiting music from your past and experiencing the magic of ‘Precision Music’ together through singing. Stephen Hunt is a serial entrepreneur who created his first company when he was 24 years old (a not-for-profit charity to tackle HIV/AIDS education). An accomplished musician, Stephen played music to pay the rent before pioneering online video advertising in the Australian market, through two successful startups. His passion for music led him to a senior role in the world’s biggest music company (Universal Music Group) where he met his future co-founder, Nicc Johnson. Together they decided to transform healthcare with music – and founded Music Health in 2020. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx