In Flagstaff, a new program is offering creative ways to support individuals living with memory loss and their caregivers through music. Sound Connections is an elder-centered music-making group geared towards supporting brain health and fostering connections between people with memory loss and the community.
Sound Connections project coordinator Mo Russell and music therapist Meghan Callaghan currently put on two music sessions per month.
Moriah Heberer
Mo Russell, the project coordinator for Sound Connections, started the group after experiencing the impact of memory loss firsthand. Her husband Greg Hill suffered from dementia for many years. During this time, he connected greatly with music and worked with Meghan Callaghan, a music therapist, in the last year and a half of his life. After his passing in June 2024, Russell and her family decided to start a fund to honor his life and love for music, the Greg Hill Fund for Music and Dementia.
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Students from Flagstaff Junior Academy joined a recent Sound Connections session on Jan. 24.
Moriah Heberer
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Music therapist Meghan Callaghan leads the group through a body percussion song at a Sound Connections session on Jan. 24.Â
Moriah Heberer
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The Sound Connections sessions are held at the Joe C. Montoya Community & Senior Center located on 245 N. Thorpe Rd. in Flagstaff.
Moriah Heberer
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A few students from Flagstaff Junior Academy play the drums at a group session with Sound Connections on Jan. 24.Â
Moriah Heberer
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The Sound Connections sessions are held at the Joe C. Montoya Community & Senior Center located on 245 N. Thorpe Rd. in Flagstaff.
Moriah Heberer
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