American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) Website: https://www.musictherapy.org/

Find a Music Therapist: https://www.musictherapy.org/about/find/

Music Therapist Directory: https://my.cbmt.org/cbmtssa/f?p=CRTSSA:17800:9903674223055:::17800::

Music Therapy FAQs: https://www.musictherapy.org/faq/#187

Research Journals: https://www.musictherapy.org/research/pubs/

Fact Sheets

AMTA email: info@musictherapy.org

AMTA phone: 301-589-3300

Music Resources

Music Playlists For People With Dementia: A Guide for Carers, Health Workers, and Family (go to the “Music Lists” tab for song ideas): https://musicfordementia.github.io/

If you know your loved one’s favorite music, use that! The following list gives some ideas if you do not know where to start. Consider factors that may influence your loved one’s musical preferences, such as where and when they grew up, their religion, musical training, etc.

Song/artist ideas from board-certified music therapists at the University of Iowa:

Oldies 

  • Bicycle Built for Two
  • In My Merry Oldsmobile
  • Ain’t She Sweet
  • Buffalo Gals
  • April Showers
  • Toot Toot Tootsie
  • Side by Side
  • Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue
  • I’ve Been Working on the Railroad 

Patriotic Songs

  • Military Medley
  • God Bless America
  • America the Beautiful
  • Yankee Doodle Dandy
  • My Country ‘Tis of Thee
  • When Johnny Comes Marching Home 

Songs from Musicals

  • Edelweiss (from Sound of Music)
  • My Favorite Things (from Sound of Music)
  • Sound of Music (from Sound of Music)
  • Do, Re, Mi (from Sound of Music)
  • Till There Was You (from Music Man)
  • Seventy-Six Trombones (from Music Man)
  • Sunrise, Sunset (from Fiddler on the Roof)
  • You’ll Never Walk Alone (from Carousel)
  • Tomorrow (from Annie)
  • Songs from musicals by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, and Meredith Wilson

Elvis Songs

  • Hound Dog
  • It’s Now or Never
  • Love Me Tender
  • Jailhouse Rock
  • Are You Lonesome Tonight 

Other Songs 

  • Home on the Range
  • Red River Valley
  • Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree
  • The White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation
  • Don’t Fence Me In
  • It Had to Be You
  • Cruising Down the River
  • Some Enchanted Evening
  • Beer Barrel Polka
  • That’s Amore
  • There is No Beer in Heaven
  • When It’s Springtime in the Rockies
  • Sentimental Journey 

Popular Crooner Artists

  • Bing Crosby
  • Doris Day
  • Judy Garland
  • Ella Fitzgerald
  • Frank Sinatra
  • Perry Como
  • Dean Martin