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Engagement with arts, recreation and leisure is highly valued by older adults, with positive links to their continued wellbeing. Despite an availability of new music technology, these devices are rarely designed with older adults in mind. This project explores the needs and preferences of older adults in residential care as they interact with digital music interfaces in a group music-making context. Twenty participants at an Australian residential aged-care facility were involved in a user-centred design process (20 sessions across six months) to develop digital music interfaces suitable for group music-making. Participants' verbal comments were audio-recorded and transcribed, supported by further written observation notes made by the activity facilitators. A hybrid inductive and deductive approach to thematic analysis revealed three main themes: individual music-making, ensemble music-making and social engagement. Our results suggest that when interfaces are designed with older adults in mind, technology-assisted group music-making can facilitate bringing together residents with different experiences and abilities. These findings suggest implications for rehabilitation in developing a range of musical devices for older adults to account for required flexibility, whilst maintaining an appropriate and satisfyingly "rich" musical outcome. Older adults positively engage with music technology, showing distinct personal preferences for aspects of physical interaction, balance and quality of sound. Rehabilitation and/or wellbeing-based musical activities for older adults in residential care may benefit from considering tools that allow for personal adaptations such as these to be made. Preferences for musical interaction can be influenced by previous musical experiences, as well as physical and/or cognitive abilities. However, on any given day musical preferences can also be subject to change. Within a group music-making context, there is a significant capacity for older adults to feel agency in contributing to the overall sound; rehabilitation activities and/or technologies could be designed where this individual contribution to the group can be enhanced. Group music-making using new digital music interfaces has the potential to encourage interpersonal social connections that are most likely made over repeated sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the past two years, Sally (name changed), a 10-year-old girl with Batten disease, a rare form of Juvenile Dementia, has received weekly music therapy sessions with two music therapists. This case study reports on the progress of Sally's music therapy, focussing on the songwriting that has occurred within the intervention. Songwriting helps Sally to embed connections to her feelings, memories, and experiences, as well as to her family, friends, and community. In this context, it offers opportunities for word association, cognitive growth, and decision making, which all create important neurological connections. Two distinct therapeutic elements of the songwriting are described: journaling and microsongs. Journaling offers Sally feelings of comfort through connection to people and past experiences, whilst the microsongs assist her to communicate as her verbal capacity fades. As hearing is the last sense retained, these two elements are anticipated to help maintain Sally's quality of life throughout her disease journey. Both journaling and microsongs have demonstrably increased her capacity to communicate her preferences and feelings. Through sharing these songs, Sally is able to create and maintain connection with her family and her community. It is anticipated that her songs will also provide comforting memories to her family and friends when she has passed, allowing them to maintain connection to their daughter, sister, and friend. Songwriting thus enables connection between Sally and her family in response to the profound disconnection that comes with her condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]